Oedipus
Oedipus Rex follows the clear nature of a tragedy, in that it encompasses the common conventions of a Greek Tragedy, with ones life being controlled by fate and the gods. The gods inflict ate on Oedipus which leads to serious characteristic flaws including hubris, and the tragedy ends with a nemesis worse than death. The tragic nature of the play and the themes are conveyed not only through these features, but also through the role of the chorus and dramatic techniques including irony. Oedipus is seen as a tragic hero in the play, a principal character, in a position of social importance being the King of Thebes. His downfall is the result of incidents beyond his control, and is rather the result of fate. In Oedipus Rex, it is not so much a hamartia that leads to his downfall, but more the role played by fate and destiny. His characteristic flaws of pride and arrogance don’t so much contribute to his downfall, but play more the role of hastening it. From birth, a prophecy existed that he would kill his father and marry his mother, and so his downfall seems inevitable. When Oedipus discovers his parents are not who they seem to be and later discovers the prophecy, in a similar way to which Laius tried to manipulate fate by . . .
“Insensate agony! What demon of destiny with swift assault outstriding has ridden you down?” Oedipus’s nemesis is like a fate worse than the death, being forced to live on with the sins he had committed. In the beginning, Oedipus claims that the killer of Laius might try and kill him next, and so by “serving Laius, I serve myself” Ironically discovering the killer of Laius does not protect him, but destroys him. Oedipus is blessed with the gift of perception, being the only person who could “see” the answer to the Sphinx’s riddle, yet ironically, he cannot see what is right before his eyes. Fate and destiny through the power and impact of god on man are the main causes of Oedipus’s anargnorisis, but his flaws in character including pride and arrogance hasten his downfall. Good tragedies are filled with irony, and dramatic irony is reflected in the play through the theme of blindness versus sight. ” His language and tone when he accuses Teiresias “Do you think you can say such things with impunity?” displays his rash nature, and tendency to make quick deductions without further thinking. The tragedy of Oedipus Rex is conveyed to the audience through several features common in Greek tragedies. The impetuous slaying of Laius could be attributed to Oedipus’s pride and rash nature. ” Ironically it is when he I sleaving Corinth that he meets Laius and murders him. Oedipus being the person who solves the riddle is clearly a result of the role of fate. The chorus’s use of metaphoric language also assists in conveying this theme of pride, “Pride breeds the Tyrant; swollen with ill-found booty, from castled height Pride tumbles to the pit. “the leader roughly ordered me out of the way… It was the driver that thrust me aside and him I struck” Oedipus at that stage, should have been careful about who he kills, and what he does, but his indiscriminate, violent and careless nature leads him to killing his own father over an incident only pride would cause. As a result tragedy is worsened by Oedipus’s punishment which is unfitting of the crime he committed. Using irony allows Sophocles to tantalize the audience into wanting to see how the events occurring mentally affect Oedipus regardless of whether they are already aware of the story.
Common topics in this essay:
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Acceptance Essays
