Preview

The King's Decisions In Sophocles Oedipus The King

Satisfactory Essays
Open Document
Open Document
287 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
The King's Decisions In Sophocles Oedipus The King
In the novel Oedipus The King, written by Sophocles, Oedipus, the main character had many personalities as well as problems. He had great confidence in himself than had anger problems, made hasty decisions throughout the play, and lost all of his confidence to the very end.

Oedipus was sent away as a newborn away from Thebes due to a prophecy. He was sent out to die with metal stakes in his ankles but a shepherd took him and gave him to the King Polybus ruler of Corinth. Oedipus heard King Polybus wasn't his real dad so he left to go find the truth and there was when his confidence set in. Oedipus met some people in a chariot where three roads and he ends up killing all of those people and one of them was his dad, King Laius. Than he gets
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Oedipus The King: A Tragic Hero
    • 471 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Oedipus The King: A Tragic Hero

    Oedipus, is brought into the world by Queen of Thebes, Joecasta and King, Laios. In his early life he did not have an ideal childhood. King Laius is presented a prophecy where his fate is reveled. Luckily for Oedipus, the servant who of which was summoned to kill this baby, places him on the hill where he would be found and rescued by a Shepard. Oedipus was soon adopted by the King and Queen of…

    • 471 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Theme Of Hubris In Oedipus
    • 389 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Theme Of Hubris In Oedipus

    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.…

    • 389 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Hubris In Oedipus The King
    • 1852 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Hubris In Oedipus The King

    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…

    • 1852 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Pride In Oedipus Rex
    • 316 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Pride 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).…

    • 316 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Oedipus Flaws
    • 836 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Oedipus Flaws

    In the play Oedipus Rex by Sophocles, the Greek audience experiences Oedipus’ heartbreaking journey to find out who he really is and how his hubris and many other fatal flaws contribute to his downfall. The Greeks loved a good tragedy and Oedipus Rex did not disappoint. In this play Oedipus was put on a mountaintop as a baby because his birth parents, King Laïos and Queen Iocastê, were told that one day Oedipus would kill his father and marry his mother. To prevent this from happening King Laïos and Queen Iocastê put holes through his ankles and tied them with leather so Oedipus would not crawl away from the mountaintop and eventually come back and fulfill his prophecy. King Laïos and Queen Iocastê left baby Oedipus to the Gods on top of the…

    • 836 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Free Will In Sophocles Oedipus The King
    • 676 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Free Will In Sophocles Oedipus The King

    Oedipus the King, a play written by Sophocles, is the story of Oedipus and his prophecy. The prophecy stated that he would kill his father and marry his mother. Against all efforts to prevent this prophecy from becoming true, Oedipus discovers the truth behind his past and how he unknowingly fulfilled the prophecy. Was Oedipus responsible for his actions, or was he bound by the fate of the Gods?…

    • 676 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Analysis Of Sophocles Oedipus The King
    • 783 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Analysis Of Sophocles Oedipus The King

    Sophocles’s use of both plot and character within his classic tragedy “Oedipus the King” portray the religious and ethical views of the Classical period of Ancient Greece to such an extent that Knox goes so far as to say that “the audience which watched Oedipus in the theatre of Dionysus was watching itself.” Marlowe uses similar tools of character construction and plot in “Dr Faustus” to reflect the beliefs and moral attitudes held in Elizabethan England. The playwrights both use the conceptions of their protagonists to present contemporary beliefs; for example, the initial portrayal of the characters of Oedipus and Dr Faustus demonstrate ideological characteristics of a man within their respective contexts. On the other hand, with the…

    • 783 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Oedipus The King Research Paper
    • 610 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Oedipus The King Research Paper

    “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.…

    • 610 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Oedipus The King Research Paper
    • 526 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Oedipus The King Research Paper

    Sophocles’ Oedipus The King is a great tragedy, possibly one of the best. It is with pride that Oedipus in a way contributes to his downfall. Pride is the greatest factor when it comes to identifying his tragic flaw. His pride is what lead him to kill his father, leave Corinth, marry his mother, to answer the Sphinx’s riddle and etc. Oedipus did indeed possess a tragic flaw that lead to his downfall. This is how his tragic flaw lead to his…

    • 526 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Oedipus The King: A Tragic Analysis
    • 1506 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Oedipus The King: A Tragic Analysis

    A tragic hero is defined as “a [great] man who is neither a paragon of virtue and justice nor undergoes the change to misfortune through any real badness or wickedness but because of some mistake” (“Aristotle”, n.d.). Therefore, a tragic hero has some sort of tragedy that surrounds their life. A tragic hero also makes dramas more interesting and makes readers think. Dramas sometimes either exemplify or refute Aristotle’s definition of a tragic hero. Oedipus by Sophocles exemplifies Aristotle’s definition in four different aspects. The first aspect involves both Oedipus’ ignorance and knowledge of his life situations, the second involves his hamartia, the third involves the actual plot itself, and the fourth involves the characterization of…

    • 1506 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Sophocles Quotes From Oedipus The King
    • 809 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Sophocles Quotes From Oedipus The King

    Once the shepherd had delivered his account of my birth origin, I felt as though I could’ve been ill. “Oh, Oh, Oh, they will all come, all come out clearly! Light of the sun, let me look upon you no more after today! I who first saw the light bred of a match accursed and accursed in my living with them I lived with, cursed in my killing.” (Sophocles 19)…

    • 809 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Oedipus The King Research Paper
    • 674 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Oedipus The King Research Paper

    The play Oedipus the King, translated by Robert Fagles, is a story of drama and tragedy. Oedipus’ pride and morals cause him to take fate into his own hands and it ends up blowing up in his face. He was abandoned as a baby and was raised by the king and queen of Corinth. When he reached manhood, he was informed by an oracle that he would one day kill his father and marry his mother. He left Corinth forever and along his way he came to cart carrying his real father. Out of rage, he killed everyone including his father. In Thebes, he defeated the Sphinx. His reward was kingship and the dead king’s wife, his mother. Oedipus tried to change his future but eventually fate caught up with him.…

    • 674 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Tragedy: Oedipus vs Hamlet
    • 620 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Tragedy: Oedipus vs Hamlet

    Oedipus is the main character in the play Oedipus the King. Oedipus is thought of as a tragic figure because he was doomed from birth. Tiresias, an old blind prophet, told Oedipus' parents about Oedipus' fate. He told them that Oedipus would kill his father and sleep with his mother. So, his parents decided to have him killed, only it did not happen that way. He was passed off by two shepherds and finally to the King and Queen of Corinth, Polybus and Merope to raise him as their own. Oedipus finds his way back to Thebes and on the way kills his father, but Oedipus did not know that one of the men he killed was his real father. This is the beginning of the prophecy coming true. In short Oedipus obtains the throne, Marries his mother and has kids with her. Oedipus' fate has come together without him even realizing what is going on. Eventually he is told what has happened and asks to be banished by his uncle/brother-in-law Creon. The tragedy in Oedipus' life began with his birth and the realization by his parents that his whole life was doomed.…

    • 620 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Oedipus The King: Justice And Injustice
    • 484 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Oedipus The King: Justice And Injustice

    In this world, there exists justice and injustice. In order for there to be justice, the people must enforce it themselves because that is how life works. It is up to you to do something to benefit yourself or the rest because some people don’t have the courage to make a change. In the work “Oedipus Rex” the protagonist, Oedipus tries to show what justice means to him.…

    • 484 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Oedipus the King Essay
    • 529 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Oedipus the King Essay

    Sight and Blindness has many different meanings throughout the world. The concept of blindness can be seen as the literal inability to look at the world and it is also perceived as being blind to a situation or event that is obvious. The Sophocles Tragedy, Oedipus the King, portrays both of the viewpoints of sight and blindness. The characters in Sophocles’ work live a hectic, ever-changing, life with twists of fate.…

    • 529 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More

Related Topics