In Oedipus the King, lines 1477-1484 form the conclusion of the play. After Oedipus is banished from Thebes, the Chorus addresses the people with this passage, explaining Oedipus’ success and downfall. This passage also indicates to the reader how throughout the play, the people’s perspective of Oedipus shifts from respect to shame. In the beginning of the play, the people of Thebes regard Oedipus with respect and envy. On line 14, a priest calls Oedipus “my country’s lord and master”, a title that displays the priest’s respect of his king. As he was highly regarded, Oedipus was the subject of the people’s envy: on line 1749, the Chorus proclaims Oedipus was the “Envy of all in the city who saw his good fortune”. The people’s admiration for…
Throughout the Oedipus trilogy by Sophocles, the Greek concept of hubris is a prominent cause of the constant disastrous results. Most characters who show great pride and self-confidence have disastrous consequences. The character most represented by this shortcoming is none other than Oedipus. Oedipus constantly shows his weakness of excessive pride.…
The selected text that will be examined in this essay is Oedipus the King and Plato ‘Crito’. Oedipus and Socrates play a major role in their own lives when it comes to their intelligence in resolving issues that are given to them. In contrast, there is a difference between our world and the Greek culture, which seems to be very alienating. The following discussion examines that Oedipus and Socrates stage mythical knowledge and autonomy in their presentation of themselves to the audience. It shows what implications self-reliance has for the authority of Oedipus’ and Socrates’ traditional beliefs.…
Sophocles wrote Oedipus the King in the 5th century BCE, in contrast with the work of the Roman Ovid. The character of King Oedipus demonstrates his attitude of overconfidence from the beginning, as he speaks to the children outside his palace and introduces himself as, “I, Oedipus whom all men call the Great” (Oedipus the King 73). As a result of this hubris, he tries to defy the prophecies given by the gods, but he goes on to follow the prophecy as it was laid out and do exactly what he was most afraid of doing (Oedipus the King 83). The Oracle of Delphi gives him the prophecy that he will kill his father and marry his mother, but his overconfidence convinces him that he can overcome this; instead of taking the advice of the prophet Teiresias, he attacks Teiresias in anger over the prophecy (Oedipus the King 80-81, 86). He embarks on an adventure towards Thebes from Corinth, and on his way, he kills an old man and marries the queen of Thebes (Oedipus the King 105), completely unaware that in doing so, he is fulfilling the prophecy. Throughout the story, his pride shines through both his actions and his attitude, as he attempts to prove that he knows more and is more powerful than the prophet, stating, “it has no strength for you because you are blind in mind and ears as well as in your eyes…You life is one long night so that you cannot hurt me or any…
Pride and self confidence induce Oedipus to despise the prophecy, and to feel utmost superior the gods. He mocks the chorus’ prayer in an arrogant way,…
Oedipus was not only known to behave aggressively in “Oedipus Rex” but also to have aggressive speech as well. In the first drama, the king of Thebes was shown to speak harshly to others who had done nothing to him (Fitts and Fitzgerald 17). In “Oedipus at Colonus,” Oedipus was shown to be kinder when he spoke. When Oedipus told the Chorus his name, the Chorus wanted him to leave the country immediately due to his “family curse” (Fitts and Fitzgerald 98). Despite this however, Oedipus spoke kindly to the Chorus and asked then of the promises that were made towards him (Fitts and Fitzgerald 98). Oedipus also spoke kindly to the King of Athens, Theseus. The son of Laius spoke to the king of Athens with great respect. When Theseus told Oedipus his actions were childish, Oedipus asked Theseus to get to know him first (Fitts and Fitzgerald 118). Oedipus’s aggressive speech changed upon realizing the mistakes made in “Oedipus Rex.”…
The people believed at the time of Sophocles that an individual achieves his destiny as a result of his own fate. This is true in the case of Oedipus the king, whose anger; pride and blindness towards the truth bring his tragic downfall. At the start of the play, Oedipus is depicted as a confident ruler, who saved Thebes from the curse of Sphinx, furthermore, he becomes the king overnight. He declares his name gladly just as it were itself a recuperating charm: “Here I am myself— / you all know me, the world knows my fame: / I am Oedipus” (7–9). At the end, this pride becomes the curse for him (Sophocles, 1882).…
While reading the play, a first impression of Oedipus can be portrayed as a compassionate and caring ruler and person. He wants the kingdom to be well and not to suffer. He shows confidence and intelligence to the people due to his previous encounter with the Sphinx. Furthermore, Oedipus wants to learn of the cities troubles himself as he stated "it would not be appropriate for me to learn of this from any other source, so I have come in person" showing his concern for his citizens. He is already showing his interest to aid in the troubles because the people "can be confident that [he] will help...[to] assist" them in any way that he can.…
In the study of Greek plays, one tries to recreate for an experience, to recapture something of what is meant to those for whom it was written. We know more about the life of Sophocles than we know do about the lives of any other Greek playwright, but this still is not a lot. Sophocles’ work has been said to be the pinnacle of Greek tragedy. Oedipus the King is something like the literary Mona Lisa of ancient Greece. It presents a nightmare vision of a world turned upside down; a decent man, Oedipus, becomes the king of Thebes, whilst in the process unknowingly fulfilling a prophecy that he would kill his father and marry his mother. As scholars, we are bound to relate this story through history, to ask what the writer really meant, how…
Dramatic irony is strewn throughout Oedipus, stemming from Oedipus’ vehement quest to find out Lauis’s murderer, and his fate that is foreseen by the seer Tiresias. In addition, Oedipus’s constant search for the truth, and his unwavering to ability to not heed to the warnings constantly given to him by Tiresias and Creon. Oedipus’ supposed “sight” in the play and his coexisting “blindness” are both inherent to the development of Oedipus throughout the play. Sight and blindness are important themes in the play Oedipus the King, in the scene where Tiresias talks with Oedipus sight is meant to represent knowledge and blindness ignorance, but at the end of the play when Oedipus cuts out his eyes, Sophocles gives the two themes an inverse relationship and sight is meant to represent ignorance and blindness knowledge.…
Although ruling with an iron ego, Oedipus has the admirable qualities that a leader of any place would and should possess; he has a deep devotion to the Theban population, “whose fame all men acknowledge” (Sophocles, 8). At the outset of the play, Oedipus’ intentions were honorable; he was determined to find Laius’ murderer and went to such lengths to end the plague on his people. His intentions were there and good. As a man of such noble status, he was dedicated to his people. Despite his dedication and apparent likability, it is his immense pride that disallows him from seeing his true nature: a hot-tempered, proud and cocky individual who ends up, in a paradox, blind as he “sees” the truth that he murdered his own father and has married and procreated with his mother, however unaware of that fact he was. Even in seeing his own truth, no pun intended, Oedipus begs for exile as a way to escape his cursed family; he asks his brother-in-law Creon to protect his daughters/half-sisters Antigone and Ismene in a move of selflessness counteracting his normally proud…
In the beginning of the story, priests appear at the front of his house. They say that Thebes has been struck with plague and they ask Oedipus to lift it off them. Oedipus says “the world renowned and glorious Oedipus” (8). Evidently, Oedipus is very proud of his accomplishments as he refers to himself as “world renowned and glorious.”. When he first arrived at Thebes, he was able to get rid of the curse of the Sphinx and ever since then, he has thought very highly of himself. Later in the story, Oedipus has a suspicion that he is the one that killed Laius. He begins to worry and sends for a peasant who might be able to confirm this suspicion. The chorus…
“Oedipus the King” is a drama that portrays misfortune that dwells among mankind. The tragic sequence of events first starts with the birth of Oedipus. His biological parents are stricken with grief when they discover a secret that causes them to banish their son from the city of Thebes. Little did they know that, despite their actions, fate would still play out which would, in turn, cause the society of Thebes to be stricken by the plague. Although many people suffered from the unfortunate destiny of Oedipus, perhaps the person that suffered the most was Oedipus himself. Oedipus endured an unforgiving reality check after being blindsided by the current state of his life.…
“I, Oedipus, a name that all men know” said a very hubristic and “blinded” Oedipus. There are three causes that result in hubris, or overwhelming pride, that occur through Oedipus numerous times throughout the play Oedipus The King, and many other leaders. These three causes are: A situation in which a kingdom or a society is experiencing a downfall and is in need of a savior, something fortunate happens that puts the character in a favorable position and in an ideal setting in place, and an above-average denial, ignorance, or “blindness” to new-found knowledge which may place the character in an unfavorable or degrading position or situation with people of the kingdom or society in which the character is located.…
Oedipus learned that sometimes is necessary to listen to what others have to say. Also he had to learn the truth that he neglected for so long. Whenever someone tried to tell him the truth he denied the evidence and arguments that were presented to him. An example, Oedipus was mad at Tiresias because he said to him you are the murdered that you seek (721).…