Unraveling the Riddle of Oedipus Study Guide PITTSBURGH PUBLIC THEATER’S STUDY GUIDE Oedipus the King by Sophocles Translated by William Butler Yeats September 28 – October 29‚ 2006 TABLE OF CONTENTS SOPHOCLES Sophocles’ Life 3 Works by Sophocles 4 THOUGHTS FROM THE DIRECTOR 5 OEDIPUS THE KING Synopsis 6 Characters 7 Glossary 8 The Translator 9 Themes 10 The Riddle of the Sphinx 11 ANCIENT GREECE Daily Life 12 Why Ancient
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Antigone‚ from the play Antigone‚ is like her father Oedipus‚ from the play Oedipus Rex‚ through the two classical values‚ justice and courage. Antigone showed justice by doing what she believed was right. Her brothers body‚ he was killed in war‚ was cast from the city with no rights and without a proper burial‚ and no one was allowed to bury it. Antigone‚ seeing this as an injustice decided to make it right by burying her brother anyway at the expense of herself. This shows justice because to do
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Causing our own grief In Oedipus Rex‚ written by Sophocles‚ some of the characters cause their own problems. The idea applies not only to the story but to real life as well. In fact‚ “The greatest griefs are those we cause ourselves.” The significance of this quotation is that people bring on their own sadness by their own doings. Other people do not cause the grief. In Oedipus Rex‚ Oedipus causes his own grief by trying to escape the fate of the oracle’s prophecy. He cannot blame his grief on
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awaken to find out the truth. In Oedipus the King‚ A Doll’s House‚ and Fences‚ Oedipus‚ Nora and Corey experience an awakening from secondary characters through their interactions. Oedipus‚ the main character in Oedipus the King by Sophocles awakens when he realizes the truth has been in front of him the whole time. There is a plague destroying the city of Thebes‚ Oedipus learns that the killer of Laius needs to be prosecuted so Thebes can be restored. Oedipus wants to find out who murderer of
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Oedipus Symbolism Many stories from ancient times as well as present times use symbolism to prove a point or to help with the understanding of the story. Symbolisms are used in stories and plays of all kinds to help get a point across or to help clarify the meaning of the story‚ and the play‚ Oedipus the King‚ is no different. There are many things throughout the play that are symbolic and very important to the understanding of the play. Two of the major symbolic things in the play are blindness
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intentions were irrelevant if the result was chaos or disaster." The gods expect justice to follow their own set of rules‚ and those who refuse to comply‚ must suffer the consequences. A fine example of this can be seen in the Greek tragedy King Oedipus by Sophocles‚ translated by E.F. Watling. The tragedy explores three different ways that justice can be handed down to the people of Thebes. Some receive poetic justice‚ others receive a form of civil justice‚ and the rest are served with rough justice
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Oedipus Rex Sophocles‚ 496-406 B.C. Main Characters Oedipus - The story revolves around Oedipus and his search for the cause of the blight on his city finding it to be himself. Iocaste - Iocaste is Oedipus’ wife and mother who was very supportive of Oedipus’ search of the truth until she found out that she was part of that truth when she committed suicide. Creon - Creon‚ Iocaste’s brother‚ helps Oedipus find the murderer‚ but when the truth begins to come out through Teiresias‚ Oedipus
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Oedipus Rex‚ also known as Oedipus Tyrannus and Oedipus the King is the first installment in a trilogy commonly referred to as the three Theban plays (Goldhill 231). The second installment is Oedipus Coloneus also known as Oedipus at Colonus with the last being Antigone. Oedipus Rex and Oedipus at Colonus are both about the tragedy of Oedipus‚ a man born a prince in Thebes‚ raised a Prince in Corinth‚ reigns as King in Thebes and dies full of shame and regret in Athens (Goldhill 232). The totality
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The story of Oedipus is a tragic story. The story starts out with Oedipus being cursed by Apollo with a prophecy. The prophecy said that Oedipus will kill his father and sleep with his mother. Later‚ Oedipus leaves his parents and heads for Thebes. Along his way‚ comes a man in the center of a three way road way. Oedipus tells him to move and he refuses and Oedipus kills Laius‚ the king of Thebes and Oedipus real father. Then later on Oedipus becomes the King of Thebes and marries Jocasta‚ the Queen
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Oedipus Rex the Tragedy Aristotle created elements to prove a story is a tragedy. Aristotle was a philosopher and a scientist. Aristotle wrote his definition of a tragedy twenty years after Sophocles wrote the play Oedipus Rex. The play Oedipus Rex uses these elements. Oedipus Rex uses suitable language‚ dramatic form‚ and fear and pity wording throughout the play. Oedipus Rex is a true tragedy according to Aristotle’s prescribed elements. Oedipus Rex includes appropriate and pleasurable language
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