Oedipus the King: A Tragic Hero Sophocles’‚ Oedipus Rex is probably the most famous tragedy ever written. Oedipus Rex is the story of a King of Thebes upon whom a hereditary curse is placed and who therefore has to suffer the tragic consequences of fate. By elevating the importance of fate‚ Sophocles suggests that characters cannot be fully responsible for their actions. While free choices‚ such as Oedipus’s decision to pursue knowledge of his identity‚ are significant‚ fate is responsible for
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become a hero until he can see the root of his own downfall.” (Aristotle) Aristotle actually had a lot of ideas about heroes‚ specifically tragic heroes. He defined a tragic hero as an individual of high social standing‚ whose fatal flaw leads him to be brought low in a reversal of fortunes‚ which he later recognizes before receiving a fate worse than he truly deserves. One of the most famous characters from a play in the tragedy genre is Oedipus. His tale is one of destiny‚ hope‚ and finally
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The Tragic hero & The Oedipus 1. Oedipus Rex is not only the greatest play of Sophocles but also the greatest Greek play. Aristotle‚ in the poetics‚ gives very high praise to the play. According to Aristotle‚ the tragic hero is a highly esteemed and prosperous man who falls into misfortune because of some serious hamartia. He particularly gives the example of Oedipus. Oedipus is closely the intermediate kind of person stipulated by Aristotle‚ not much wicked‚ not much virtuous. The complete reversal
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DRAMA FIRST ASSIGNMENT: TRAGIC HERO DR.LAJIMAN JANOORY GROUP A SEMESTER 3 2012/2013 FARIDA HAMIMI BT MUHAMAD SAIDI D20111047721 AT06-TESL FACULTY OF LANGUAGES AND COMMUNICATIONS Questions: Aristotle in the Poetics defines the tragic hero as someone who is neither excessively evil‚ someone who is rather like ourselves‚ who falls from prosperity into adversity because of an error and/or character falling. Discuss this statement with close reference to main characters from plays you have studied
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Oedipus likes himself and Oedipus lets his audience know this from the very beginning of the play and quite often. Even within the first words of the play "My children" (page 43‚ line 1) we see him asserts all the citizens of Thebes as his subordinates. Even before another character talks he states "I‚ Oedipus‚ who bears the famous name‚" (43‚ 8) shows his boastful self love. This pride in himself acts as an inhibiting factor for his as well which prevents him from seeing his own mistakes. These
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Critical Examination of Tragic Heroes Throughout our history‚ many genres have survived the test of time. One of the most well known and popular genre is the tragedy. A tragedy tells a story of the downfall of a basically good person through some fatal error or misjudgment‚ producing suffering and insight on the part of the protagonist and arousing pity and fear on the part of the audience. One of the main authorities on tragedy is ancient Greek philosopher‚ Aristotle. His piece of literature‚ Poetics
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as perfection or is it merely as fleeting hope? A tragic flaw by definition is a flaw in the character or personality of someone. In the play written by Sophocles‚ Oedipus‚ the protagonist‚ falls victim to his own imperfection. Oedipus’ pride leads him down the path of the truth and therefore‚ pushes the theme of fatalism forward in the play. Oedipus’ tragic flaw that is portrayed in the play is his pride and because it‚ he learns that despite his best efforts‚ the prophecy that was foretold came
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In our novel Hamlet‚ our protagonist is faced with the task of avenging his father’s death. Who was wrongfully murdered and Hamlet knew so but despite that he still had trouble killing the man who killed his father. This is what makes Hamlet a tragic hero‚ he uses indecision and procrastination to drive him to his downfall. Oedipus on the other hand is completely different. Oedipus was in denial he tried to stop his own fate‚ but ended up running “smack dab” into it. He was also filled with rage
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mistake? A tragic hero is a great or virtuous character in a dramatic tragedy that is destined for downfall. In the play Oedipus the King‚ written by Sophacles‚ the main character is a tragic hero by displaying error in judgement‚ excessive pride‚ and reversal of fortune. Oedipus Rex displays an error in judgement by escaping the Corinth prophecy‚ believing that Teiresias is lying about the prophecy‚ and also believing that Creon is only there to doom him. By escaping the Corinth prophecy Oedipus still
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Aristotle‚ an ancient Greek philosopher noted for his enduring influence on modern literature‚ built the basic foundation for the construction of a tragic hero in his most recognized work‚ Poetics. In Poetics‚ he often mentions Oedipus‚ the protagonist in Sophocles’ Oedipus the King‚ as the most fitting example of a tragic hero. The plot of Oedipus the King begins with a terrible plague in the city of Thebes‚ where Oedipus rules as king. Oedipus sends his brother-in-law‚ Creon‚ to the Oracle of Apollo
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