Oedipus

The ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle once identified the key ingredients of the tragedies that his culture is so famous for. These ingredients include a character with a fatal flaw, the realization of the fault for a particular problem and the final sudden reversal of fortune. For many tragedies, the fatal flaw is demonstrated as excessive pride, which usually serves as the driving force of the play’s action.

It is common, even beneficial, to have pride in oneself, but when it becomes expressed as arrogance or in defiance of one’s fate, it is considered excessive and often leads men to engage in activities that will lead to their downfall. Aristotle (1998) stated “the tragic hero falls into bad fortune because of some flaw in his character of the kind found in men of high reputation and good fortune such as Oedipus. ” This attitude, commonly found in men of high station is not specifically identified as pride in the case of Oedipus and, indeed, different readings can place Oedipus’ great flaw in a number of areas.

It seems as if Sophocles intended to emphasize the more common interpretation of Oedipus’ flaw being excessive pride, but other interpretations, such as Pier Paolo Pasolini’s 1967 film Oedipus Rex, present other possibilities as the main character is brought through the three primary elements of tragedy. In both the play and the film, Oedipus is quickly demonstrated to have a fatal flaw. In the play, the action opens as Oedipus is approached by plague-stricken masses asking help from him as king.

He responds to their appeals saying, “What means this reek of incense everywhere, / From others, and am hither come, myself, / I Oedipus, your world-renowned king” (4-8). In this statement, Oedipus’ pride in his social position is clear. In the film, though, he is seen as somewhat insecure, even as a child when he cheats at a game, and then as a haunted man with a burning mystery searing his dreams, both showing him to be a man of deep passions. Throughout the remainder of the action in the play, Oedipus’ personality clearly reflects excessive pride in his ability to force things his way.

When Oedipus learned of the prediction that he was doomed to kill his father and marry his mother, he was full of self-pride to defy the fates and leave Corinth. The film depicts this as a heart-wrenching decision to never go near his parents again in order to save them followed by a time of desperate wandering through barren wastelands. While both versions indicate extreme passion involved in the killing of Laius and the claiming of Jocasta, the Oedipus in the play greets his subjects with almost concealed disdain and the Oedipus of the film greets them with sorrow and deeply shared concern.

While Sophocles sets his character up to battle pride, Pasolini prepares him to come face to face with the consequences of passion. It is easy to see the irony in both play and film that if Oedipus had not been so determined to escape and prevent the prophecy, he would have not unwittingly fulfilled it. This is foreshadowed by Creon in the play just before the truth of the story is realized. Creon tells Oedipus, “You are obstinate— / obviously unhappy to concede, / and when you lose your temper, you go too far. But men like that find it most difficult / to tolerate themselves” (814-819). In this one short statement, Jocasta’s brother sums up the entire tragedy. He points to Oedipus’ stubbornness and pride in being unwilling to consider the possibility that he might be the murderer he seeks. As a result of his own impatience and driving desire to bring honor and further pride to his name, Oedipus becomes excessive in his proclamations regarding motives and punishments to be handed down and then suddenly realizes that he cannot escape the horror of his crimes.

This horror is demonstrated in the film to great effect as the confused Oedipus slowly becomes overwhelmed with the possibilities, finally screaming out his confession in a now-customary burst of passion. By the end of the story, Oedipus has come to realize that everything he has done has only served to bring him closer to his evil destiny. In the process of trying to avoid fate, he has committed some of the greatest sins imaginable to him – defiled his mother’s bed, murdered his father and spawned monstrous children born of incest.

Rather than face the truth and unable to take the severe wound to his pride, Oedipus stabbed out his eyes with broaches and walked away from Thebes forever, thereby sealing his doom through further prideful actions. The sudden reversal of fortune has Oedipus walking away from Thebes a blind, homeless beggar rather than the respected king he should have been based upon his more noble qualities. While this is a surprise, it is nevertheless a logical possible conclusion to the events that have taken place.

This concept is brought out to greater extent in the film through the change in setting. Pasolini begins and ends the film in a contemporary setting to when the film was made. While the play suggests that Oedipus went wandering into the desert a self-blinded beggar man, the film indicates that he has been wandering a tortured individual for much longer than a normal lifep. Thus, the elements of classic tragedy are carried throughout both play and film to slightly different interpretations.

In both, a fatal flaw within the character of Oedipus drives his actions that eventually seal his own doom. Seen as it is throughout the various elements of the classic tragedian format of first demonstrating a noble characteristic to tragic proportions, then becoming aware of it and then suffering as a result of it, it cannot be missed that Sophocles was trying to illustrate to his audience the dangers of an absence of humility and common sense when he highlighted Oedipus’ excessive pride.

Pasolini seems to have been more interested in warning his audiences about the sins of excessive passion. This is, in some sense, what Aristotle was trying to communicate regarding the purpose of tragedy, which he describes as “an imitation of an action that is serious, complete, and of a certain magnitude; in language embellished with each kind of artistic ornament, the several kinds being found in separate parts of the play … through pity and fear effecting the proper purgation of these emotions” (Aristotle cited in Friedlander, 2005).

By illustrating the various things that can go wrong when one believes they have no flaws, Sophocles and Pasolini hoped to encourage a closer connection with truth as a means of avoiding Oedipus’ fate. Works Cited “Aristotle. ” Critica Links. (1998). The University of Hawaii. May 21, 2007 Pasolini, Pier Paolo (Dir. ). Edipo Re. Perf. Silvana Mangano, Franco Citti, Carmelo Bene, Julian Beck & Ninetto Davoli. Arco Films, 1967. Sophocles. Antigone, Oedipus the King, Electra. Oxford World’s Classics. Ed. Edith Hall. Oxford University Press, 1998.

It is edifice alt to decide whether there should be a set criteria for a hero; professors use one man’s SST ROR as a basis for questioning: Oedipus Rexes. Sophocles’ play explores the adventures of a man and his actions, and how the two affected the way his life ended. He carried out m cost of Aristotle requirements for a highhanded man, including his pursuit of truth and a high stance in society. A key factor in his life was one that did not meet the standards, however: his I ace of good fortune.

His tale challenges readers to brood over some important questions: What is a hero, and is it actions or fate that decides? One of the most important concepts Aristotle focuses on is one’s good fortune e. He claims that, ‘The gifts of good fortune also are commonly thought to contribute to hi kindnesses. For those who are well born are thought worthy of honor,” (Witt, 160). A person that is highhanded generally has good things happen to him. Aristotle idea is mode irately accurate; Decoys 2 people that aim for integrity usually encounter positive outcomes.

Although it is out of his control, Oedipus fails to meet Aristotle standards in this division. The entire y of his bad luck is displayed during the final Antiheroes of the story: Ah Situation!… When I was cast upon you, why did I not die?… Then should never have shown the world my execrable birth… My own blood, spilled by my own hand… O marriage, marriage! That act that engendered me, and again the e act performed by the son in the same bed… God hates me… (Witt, 128) As Oedipus physically blinds himself, he finally reveals the truth about his life. Acknowledges being cursed as a baby and led to the land of Situation out of p tit, and the horrific actions he went on to commit thereafter; he ended up fulfilling his destiny Of murdering his father and sleeping with his mother. His whole life is spent running from the c ruse that was lain upon him, but fate brought him straight to it. Oedipus’ unruly behavior is due to his lack of good fortune and the unmovable hand of fate. According to Aristotle, a highhanded man’s fate tends to be positive, therefore making him more worthy of honor.

In Oedipus’ case, he lost all sense of respect once his true identity was revealed, making him a step below Aristotle ‘s specifications in this area. Aristotle also portrays the ideal man as one who values and strives for the true the. In “The Highhanded Man” he states, “He must care for the truth more than for what en will think of him, and speak and act openly. He will not hesitate to say what he thinks,” (Wi TTT, 160). The man described here is constant in his beliefs and is not afraid to make them know n, no matter what the consequences are.

This is an extremely important virtue for any person to have, because one cannot truly believe in anything if he/ she does not believe in themselves enough to speak openly. Oedipus exhibits this trait during his conversation with his wife’s brother Kerr Decoys 3 You murderer! Do you think I do not know that you plotted to kill me… Am I… A fool, that you should dream you could accomplish this?… Thrones may be won or bought: you could do neither. (Witt, 116) This passage occurs after Terrifies admits his knowledge of Oedipus’ past. Up on his return, the outraged king accuses Akron of attempting to steal his throne.

Oedipus, of co ruse, is wrong in his accusations, but his underlying motive is to discover the truth. His search for answers overcame his fear of losing Akron as a friend. This selfless act would be considered as hi shinnied according to Aristotle standards. High social stature is another characteristic that a man must possess in order to be considered as highhanded. In Aristotle words, “The highhanded man, then, respect of the greatness of his deserts occupies an extreme position,” (Witt, 159). A man can not be regarded as highhanded unless his position in society is high, as well.

Although there are many locals, honorable men, it is nearly impossible for one to be noticed as such without b Ewing relatively famous. Oedipus is welkin, for he holds the most important rank in the cit y, as he states in the beginning of the tragedy: “… L have come myself to hear you l, Oedipus, who o bears the famous name,” (Witt, 110). In this passage, the king is addressing the people o f his city regarding their wishes to speak to him. Aristotle states that a highhanded ma n must be great in all ways, including his social status.

As a fractals king, Oedipus fits this part o f Aristotle criteria perfectly. Oedipus exhibits many of the qualities Aristotle literature “The Highhanded Man” requires, despite his lack of good fortune. Looking into the origins of the mod render hero allows one to ponder about his or her own morality. Oedipus was an Larson d admirable man; he appealed to the people, sought justice, and applied punishment where it w as deserved even Decoys 4 against himself. The wrongs he committed unknowingly were seemingly Univac addable, and every eve he made in between was aimed at goodness.

The downfall of Oedipus was due to free will rather than fate shown in his De minding of information and his immediate, irrational actions. Oedipus being the arrogant king he is, was constantly looking for information when others had informed him that it would not be useful, even damaging to Oedipal use’s current life and well being. In an exchange between Oedipus and Tires, Oedipus had deem need Tires to him palace to tell him his prophecy and who was the one who had killed Alias and plagued the and.

Tires responded to these demands with “l will cause neither me nor y o distress. Why do you vainly question me like this? You will not learn a thing from me,”. Tires clearly tells Oedipus there is no benefit to this knowledge giving Oedipus the opportunity to stop questioning the blind prophet but it was Oedipus choice to continue to pester the old ma n until the devastating truth was revealed to him and in his ignorance questioned “Who t old you to say this? Rather than face the truth he had demanded.

Oedipus later seeded inform nation to whether e killed his father and who his birth father truly was. His wife, and later to be discovered mother, stated “In the name of the gods, no! If you have some concern for you our own life, then stop! Do not keep investigating this. I will suffer that will be enough”. Though J coasts begs him, he continues to freely search for information that would bring him no be unfit when he could have ended his search right then. Due to his choosing, Oedipus looked for info urination when he could have listened to those around him and lived out a nice, yet ignorant life to the truth.

Though Oedipus could defeat the sphinx with his intelligence, intelligence coo old not stop him from the irrational actions he chose. Once the pieces of information had finally matched up and he revealed the truth he had searched for, Oedipus and his mother took t heir fates into their own hands. Oedipus found his mother hung in their bedroom, dead and then decided to take her jewelry and stabbed his own eyes out. Though the news was devastating, these e actions were overly dramatic, considering both beings had known their prophecy but it was their choice to sake such harsh actions.

Though it was fate who had propelled Oedipus to sat b his eyes out, it was Oedipus choice to do so rather than think rationally about how to go ABA out such a horrid situation. Oedipus had known his fate from the beginning but it was his choice to contain u to look for the information he had been warned not to find and stab out the eyes that t had blinded him from the truth all along. Fate is something that is inevitable but it is the choice of the one whose fate is determined to how they go about the destined events that will occur.

The Oral Presentation gave me a clear idea about how and what the author was trying to convey through his book. Not being from the time period at which the play was written made it difficult to interpret what Sophocles was trying to portray. Even though the presentation clarified most of my questions, I was still left pondering certain aspects of Oedipus Rex. In the book, the main question for me was if Oedipus really had control of his life or what he being controlled by the gods and fate. When Oedipus heard the prophecy for the first time, he tried to run away from it.

That gives me inkling on Oedipus that tells me he believes in the prophecy and it will come to pass. When he really does kill his father without knowing and later tried to find the killer he says “Now my curse on the murderer. Whowever he is, a lone man unknown in his crime or one among many let that man drag out his life in agony” (Sophocles, 280 – 283). In reality he places that curse on himself and he really did spend the rest of his life in pain and agony as well as exile. In the presentation it shows the respect Greeks gave to the gods and elder as well as to their advice and wisdom.

Also since they respected the gods, who were almighty, would punish you if you resisted their will. In the book it shows that because Oedipus killed his father, the plague started and until there has been justice and the man caught for the crime, the plague will keep killing people. In the presentation, it showed us that the plague was active during the time the play was written and it transfers over to the book because the author is trying to tell us that people were losing faith and thus causing plague which scared people to pin their hope on some higher power.

In the book the chorus says that “great laws tower above us” (Sophocles, 957) which shows that people considered gods as the greatest Justice. That proves the fact that they respect the gods at the highest of level. This makes me want to learn more about their belief as well as what the prophecy meant to them. I also want to learn more about how the belief affected their everyday life and thoughts as well. That ends my thought on what I have learned from the presentation. The reflective essay also helped clear my thoughts on what I had learned from the presentation and sort out the facts.

Fate the un-avoidable Throughout the vast history of literature, various concepts have come and gone. The idea of fate or fatalism has been a concept that has survived the test of time. Numerous characters have succumbed to the power of fate and the character of Oedipus from Sophocles’ Oedipus the King is a prime example of the vast power of fate within literature. Sophocles effectively depicts the wrath of fate as he portrays how Oedipus fell victim to fate and his efforts to disregard fate were futile.

Once again fate manages to triumph and displays no character whether king or slave can avoid its gaze. One can attempt to change his or her fate. Numerous beings have put their entire lives into avoiding fate. Even if the strength of the earth and heaven united, what is decree as fate can only manifest itself according to time. However, in various situations one’s fate can be determined before the being is even given life. This is the very situation Oedipus was unknowingly born into. Before Sophocles would begin his play viewers would already have an idea of the play’s prologue.

The prologue detailed Oedipus’s rise to king and more importantly his connection with fate. Oedipus was born to Laius King of Thebes and his wife Queen Jocasta. Before his birth Laius and Jocasta were given an ominous message by the god Apollo stating that their own son would kill his father and marry his mother. Soon after the revelation of this message, Oedipus was born. In order to avoid his fate, Laius crippled Oedipus’s ankle and gave him to a shepherd instructing the shepherd to leave Oedipus to die in the mountains. The saying “Father like Son” is ironically portrayed here.

Laius did the same thing Oedipus tried throughout the play, avoiding fate. Even while planning his own son’s demise Laius was just portraying the qualities his own son would grow to inherit. As Oedipus falters in his clash with fate so does Laius as one learns in the prologue, Oedipus grows up and unknowingly kills Laius. This effectively follows the path set out by fate and Oedipus blindly follows this path while actively denying it. This denial would sprout into an utter defiance of fate by Oedipus and the final result would not be in his favour.

Wisdom is an attribute that can be utilized in numerous ways. The most important aspect of the usage of wisdom is whether it benefits or harms the user. During the play a key line is said by the character Tiresias, the local prophet. When called upon by Oedipus, Tiresias states, “Wisdom is a dreadful thing when it brings no profit to its possessor”. This is a very significant statement. It clearly defines the situation Oedipus puts himself through. Oedipus’s lust for knowledge and thirst for admiration by his subjects spells his own demise.

Through constant pressuring by Oedipus, Tiresias reveals Oedipus was the one who killed Laius. It seems Oedipus brought upon his own fate through the pestering of Tiresias. The unaccounted factor is the reason for Oedipus’s actions. Fate is responsible for a series of plagues that have engulfed Thebes and have situated Oedipus in a scenario where he must find the killer of Laius to undo the plagues. The forcefulness of Oedipus is fuelled by fate ensuring Oedipus has a viable reason to obtain knowledge no matter the consequence.

Once again Oedipus is inadvertently on fates path which only harm him by its end. Chance is a very interesting concept. The belief things happen unknowingly and by mere luck. In the play chance is over shadowed by fate, a pre-determined destiny. A prime example of the contrast between these two factors is the arrival of the Corinthian messenger. One can say the messenger came by chance and luckily found Oedipus. Realistically the messenger was just a pawn in the pre-determined plan of fate. The messenger relays to Oedipus that the king of Corinth, Polybus has died.

This news over joys Oedipus and Jocasta due to the fact fate supposedly stated Oedipus would kill Polybus his biological father. As the couple rejoice and mock the concept of fate, the messenger informs Oedipus that Polybus was not his biological father. This is fate playing another hand to ensure Oedipus continues on to his pre-determined destiny. Fate sent the messenger and it ensured the messenger shed light on Oedipus’s actual origins. This was no portrayal of chance; Oedipus faced the cold hard reality of fate.

Oedipus due to his crazed nature went into a frenzy to determine who birth parents were. One can understand what follows and how the play climax’s as Oedipus goes to obtain the last piece of knowledge required to seal his fate. Oedipus was blinded by a thirst for knowledge and fate ensures this blinding becomes a reality. Fate is one word that can have momentous effects. No matter what period of history is examined, fate within literature has always held importance. Numerous characters no matter how great or influential have fallen into the hands of fate.

Perhaps one of the greatest characters to fall into fates gazed was Oedipus from Sophocles’ play Oedipus the King. Sophocles used his mastery of the human mind to portray the fact even though Oedipus thought he was all knowing, he unknowingly was always on fates pre-determined path. No matter what Oedipus did his fate had been determined before hand and the concept of fate emphasized no character could avoid it. Fate added another character to its intricate web of pre-determined destinies. Works Cited Knox, Bernard. Oedipus the King Translation: New York: Simon & Schuster inc. 1994

The Dramatic Irony in Oedipus the King Before taking a closer look on the identity of the protagonist and murderer, and having in mind that Oedipus the King is a very spacious and difficult to analyze play, including opportunities for discussion on quite a few topics, I have chosen to briefly focus on the dramatic irony used by Sophocles to disclose the characters’ identity throughout the play.

In general, irony is a very common technique used in every drama work and it is usually used by the author at times when something dramatic is about to happen the existence of which is cleverly suggested through ironic behavior of the main characters and often includes symbols, comparisons and contrasts pointing to the main idea of the author. In this sense, Sophocles is really famous for his well-known techniques of using irony and skillfully combining it with intricate relations and symbols such as light, dark, morning and night in order to convey his idea.

In addition, a dramatic irony could be present when the audience is aware of critical information that the characters are unaware of. In this play, the readers already know the real relations between Oedipus, Jocasta and Laius. A general symbol of the irony used in the play is the exultation of both Oedipus and Jocasta over the failures of the oracles prophecies, however in both cases these prophecies come true – Oedipus leaves Corinth only to find out after that he has actually found his real parents and Jocasta kills her son in order to find him later married to her and more alive than ever.

In other words, each time a character tries to neglect and push away the predictions of the oracles, the audience already knows what? that their attempts are futile and in vain. This creates a clear sense of the irony used by Sophocles. An interest thing to note is the very manner in which Jocasta expresses her disbelief in oracles, which is quite ironic by itself. She describes the oracles as powerless in an attempt to comfort Oedipus, but immediately after that she prays to the very same gods whose powers she has just mocked. However, if Oedipus doesn’t trust the power of oracles, he definitely values the power of truth and equality.

He firmly believes in his own ability to seek out the truth as a riddle-solver. This is direct contrast between Oedipus’s trust in prophecy and trust in intelligence. Having in mind that those two are complete distinct terms like science and religion, it is quite ironic that they both lead to the same conclusions and outcome. The truth revealed by Oedipus actually fulfills the oracles’ prophecy. Ironically it is Oedipus’s rejection of the oracles that discloses their power. The best example of dramatic irony however, is the frequent use of references to eyes, sight, light, and perception throughout the play.

The dialogue between Oedipus and Tiresias reveals it: “have you eyes, / And do not see your own damnation? Eyes, / And cannot see what company you keep? ” Those words by Tiresias prove the blind man’s prophetic powers, for he already knows that Oedipus will blind himself. Moreover, he continues: “those now clear-seeing eyes / Shall then be darkened”. Where do you think the irony here is? Sophocles actually suggests two different things. Firstly, Oedipus is blessed with the gift of perception for he was the only one able to answer the Sphinx’s riddle. Yet he cannot see what is right before his own eyes.

He is blind to the truth, and the truth is all he seeks. Secondly, Tiresias’s presence as a blind man amplifies the irony in Oedipus’s mocking his blindness. He is a man who does not need eye sight to see the truth and Oedipus is just the opposite – he who can see with his eyes is blind to the truth standing before him. Interestingly enough, however, is that Oedipus switches his role with Tiresias, thus becoming a man who sees the truth and loses his sense of sight. This outlines the drama in the play. In addition, the sight theme is further carried on to another level when the Chorus is disgusted and refuses to even see Oedipus.

He has polluted his own sight and body but at the same time he has done the same with others’ sights by his very existence. That is why when he enters blinded the Chorus shouts: “I dare no to see, I am hiding / My eyes, I cannot bear / What must I long to see…Unspeakable to mortal ear, / Too terrible for eyes to see”. Ironically, Oedipus has become the same disease that he wishes to remove from Thebes and has turned himself into a sight that is more horrible than the wasted farmlands and the childless Theban women. It is dramatic that when he becomes such a monster, he is already blinded.

To finish with, I have thought about the influence that this irony has on the reader and the way it touches the reader’s own perception of Oedipus and his actions. How do you correlate the dramatic irony to the character of Oedipus? Does it change your initial emotion toward him or it further bolsters it? It is important what you generally think of Oedipus: Oedipus as incapable of doing anything to change his destiny and as a mere puppet of fate or Oedipus as a flawed character who is guilty of his own actions and as an instigator of all tragic events. I personally think that in this story you cannot escape fate no matter what you do.

In an attempt to do so, both Jocasta and Oedipus change the whole structure of their families and threatening to ruin them. They have set the course of the story into action. His tragic end is not his fault for he is powerless against fate. Works cited Cameron Alister, “The Identity of Oedipus the King: Five Essays on the Oedipus Tyrannus,” New York University Press, 1968 Great Books of the Western World, “Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, Aristophanes”, Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc, 1952 http://www. ripon. edu/academics/Theatre/THE231/PlachinskiR/oedipus/dramaticirony. html

WHO rides there so late through the night dark and drear? The father is, with his infant so dear; He holdeth the boy tightly clasped in his arm, He holdeth him safely, he keepeth him warm. “My son, wherefore seek’st thou thy face thus to hide? “. “Look, father, the Erl-King is close by our side! Dost see not the Erl-King, with crown and with a train? “. “My son, ’tis the mist rising over the plain. ” “Oh, come, thou dear infant! Oh, come thou with me! Full many a game I will play there with thee; On my strand, lovely flowers their blossoms unfold. My mother shall grace thee with garments of gold. ” “My father, my father, and dost thou not hear The words that the Erl-King now breathes in mine ear? ” “Be calm, dearest child, ’tis thy fancy deceives; ‘Tis the sad wind that sighs through the withering leaves. ” “Wilt goes, then, dear infant, wilt go with me there? My daughters shall tend thee with sisterly care My daughters by night their glad festival keep, They’ll dance thee, and rock thee, and sing thee to sleep. ” “My father, my father, and dost thou not see. How the Erl-King his daughters has brought here for me? ” “My darling, my darling, I see it aright, ‘Tis the aged grey willows deceiving thy sight. ” “l love thee, I’m charmed by thy beauty, dear boy! And if thou’rt unwilling, then force I’ll employ”. “My father, my father, he seizes me fast, Full sorely the Erl-King has hurt me at last. ” The father now gallops, with terror half wild, He grasps in his arms the poor shuddering child; He reaches his courtyard with toil and with dread. The child in his arms finds he motionless, dead. The erl-king By Nguyen.