The dramatic story of Oedipus is one that was acted for years before Sophocles even wrote The Tree Theban Plays, and play of fate and pride still endures today. Critics and historians attribute Oedipus the King's long life to its timeless examination of fatal human flaws as well as to its poignant portrayal of the human condition. Even though our society is drastically different from that of classical Greece, Oedipus's tale of woe is still taught and performed in modern times. But how applicable can this ancient tale be to us? What if the events of Oedipus the King happened in contemporary America? It would be an entirely different story altogether.…
William Shakespeare’s Hamlet is a play about indecision, apprehension, and inner turmoil. Hamlet, the main protagonist, struggles within himself, attempting to muster the courage to avenge his father’s death by the hand of the current King, Claudius, who is also his late father’s brother. There seem to be many possible reasons for Hamlet’s delay in doing so. However, the one theory that answers all the questions is that Hamlet was possessed by his own Oedipus Complex , that is, he was deeply in love with his own mother, Gertrude. This can be seen throughout the play in several ways. Hamlet was understandably upset over his father’s death, but he was much less angry about the loss than he was disgusted with his uncle. His “girlfriend” Ophelia was not his lover, the relationship was a cover-up for his true feelings. King Hamlet’s spirit was aware of this. When he finally gave his blessing to Hamlet and Gertrude, he still did not act against Claudius. And most significantly, when Hamlet finally did take revenge and murder Claudius himself, he only did so because he knew Gertrude would approve at that point.…
For centuries, it has been human nature to strive for freedom. We struggle to create our own futures, regardless of our presumed fate. Songwriters, artists and even play writes constantly include stories of free will and destiny. Sophocles, a famous Greek playwright, beautifully includes fate and free will as themes in his plays Oedipus the King and Oedipus at Colonus. This motif is so abundant in Greek literature because oftentimes characters try to avoid an oracle that they don’t want to accept to be true; this opens up an opportunity for human nature to fight fate, which is what Sophocles sets the basis for his plays. Although each character’s fate is chosen for them, they try to fight their destiny because they want a brighter future.…
In the book,Oedipus Rex, part of the Sophocles series, Oedipus, the powerful king of Thebes, is a very ego full ruler. He believes that one must prove himself in order to be a leader. “I am aware that no king can expect his subject’s complete loyalty without proving himself first.” Oedipus demonstrated to his peoples that he was qualified to govern them after saving the province of Thebes. “You saved us from the Sphinx, that flinty singer, and the tribute we paid her so long; yet you were never better informed than we, nor could we teach you: It was some god breathed in you to set us free.(pg.5)” The people are declaring how he saved them once, and now can save them again from a sickness. What Oedipus does not realize is the sickness is his…
* showcase your critical thinking skills through analysis and insight and must demonstrate control of the topic at hand.…
"Oedipus the King" by Sophocles has been considered one of the greatest Greek tragedies. It is a Greek myth that may have been inspired by real events and people. With that thought in mind this play has indeed, help us get a better understanding of Aristotle's, a philosopher, thoughts of a Tragic Hero and Sigmund Freud's, a psychoanalytic theorist, thoughts on the affects of the same on our lives (especially male children and their psychological development). Both Aristotle and Sigmund Freud also belief that Oedipus was not in control of his actions, but in fact, was acting in a manner that was a part of his fate.…
rule of thebes: "What is it that walks on 4 feet and 2 feet and 3 feet…
Usually the Oedipus complex is when a child has the desire to sexually possess the parent of the opposite sex, where males are attracted to their mothers and females are attracted to their fathers, but it can also sometimes be substituted with other things. It doesn’t always have to be sexually possessive urges and it also doesn’t also have to be parents. Sometimes, it can even be objects. Some examples are Marusa in “Head Cook at Weddings and Funerals”, and Winston Smith in “Nineteen Eighty-Four”.…
Being ignorant of the world around oneself is worse than being blind. The truth is hard to observe if one is not thinking critically and be open minded. When one is self absorbed in his own hubris, he will lose track of values that are much more important to him, including his own prophesized fate. In Oedipus Rex, Oedipus’s “blindness” towards the decisions he made and his past added to his inevitable downfall.…
Oedipus Rex, or Oedipus the King is Sophocles 's first play of "The Theban Cycle." It tells the story of a king that tries to escape his fate, but by doing so he only brings about his downfall. Oedipus is a classic example of the Aristotelian definition of a tragic hero. Aristotle defines a tragic hero as a basically good and noble person who causes his own downfall due to a flaw in his character.…
In the Phallic stage of psychosexual development, a boy’s decisive experience is the Oedipus complex describing his son–father competition for sexual possession of mother. This psychological complex indirectly derives from the Greek mythologic character Oedipus, who unwittingly killed his father and sexually possessed his…
Thesis/Map: The truth of Oedipus’ fate is expressed by a blind prophet, Jocasta, and a servant.…
In literature, there is a protagonist and an antagonist that depict the good and the evil. O’Connor portrays these good and evil facets through the Grandmother (the protagonist) and The Misfit (the antagonist). She is able to support her theme through foreshadowing near the beginning of the story. The grandmother tells her son, Bailey:…
The critical applications of the famous theory of the Oedipus complex to the tragedy of Hamlet are innumerable. It was Freud himself who, in an essay published in 1905, was the first to try and resolve in psychoanalytical terms the enigma offered by Hamlet's behavior. According to Freud, the personal crisis undergone by Hamlet awakens his repressed incestuous and parricidal desires. The disgust which the remarriage of his mother arouses in him, as well as the violent behaviour during their confrontation in the queen's bedroom, are signs of the jealousy which he constantly experiences, even if unconsciously. Hamlet is absolutely horrified by the thought that his mother could feel desire for Claudius, whom he describes as a 'murderer and villain,/ A slave that is not twentieth part the tithe/ Of your precedent lord'.…
"My Oedipus Complex" is the story of a young boy named Larry who is forced to confront issues of jealousy and confusion. Larry is forced to confront these issues when his father, who he does not know that well, comes home from the war. The "Oedipus Complex" is a term coined by Sigmund Freud in which a male develops an excessive love for his mother usually accompanied by a hatred for his father. This is extremely evident throughout the story.…