Oedpius Rex

             In the story of Oedipus Rex by Sophocles, there are many scenes that use anagnorisis. Anagnorisis is the recognition by the tragic hero of some truth about his or her identity or actions that accompanies the reversal of the situation in the plot. The scene that uses anagnorisis is Scene I and the choral is Ode I. The city of Thebes is under attack by a plague. The Oracle of Delphi says that the city is being attacked by the plague, because someone living in the city has killed the former king, Laios. Oedipus is telling the city of Thebes that he will find the murder of their former King, his father, which he does not know and set the plague free and by finding the person who killed the former king and getting rid of him, the death of Thebes will stop. Aristotle's theory of catharsis means trough pity and fear that are aroused in the viewer of a tragedy. Whereas, Fredrich Nietzsche's theory of Apollonian (ideas & sculpture) Dionysian Duality (dreams & drunkenness). Therefore, meaning a form of art. I feel that Aristotle's theory of catharsis has a much better insight into the relationship between the actors and the chorus than Nietzsche's theory, Apollonian Dionysian Duality.
             In Scene I, catharsis, is used in a unique way. Oedipus is telling the people of Thebes, on line 294, "Apollo, when we sent to him, sent us back word that this great pestilence would lift, but only if we establish clearly the identity of those who murdered Laios. They must be killed or exiled." We know that Oedipus is setting up his own exile or death. Because while no in the play knows that Oedipus killed King Laios, years ago, we, the audience already knows what is going to happen. So the audience takes great joy in watching the new king, Oedipus, make all these promises about getting rid of this person, so Thebes can be a healthy city again. Knowing along, that Oedipus is the reason why the plague i
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Oedpius Rex. (1969, December 31). In MegaEssays.com. Retrieved 20:49, April 24, 2024, from https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/13388.html