things to be aimed at” for a tragic hero according to Aristotle. Theses four traits include moral goodness‚ propriety‚ realism‚ and consistency. He also says that a tragedy must invoke catharsis‚ the purgation of the emotions pity and fear. A good example of an ancient Greek tragedy is the Oedipus Rex by Sophocles. The story of Oedipus Rex greatly supports Aristotle’s claims about tragedy. It’s obvious that to be a hero one must be good. Aristotle adds that “any speech or action that manifests moral
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The Six Elements of a Tragedy in “Oedipus Rex” Aristotle’s “The Poetics” describes the process of a tragedy. It is not the guide per se of writing a tragedy but is the idea’s Aristotle collected while studying tragedies. A tragedy‚ according to Aristotle‚ consists of six major points. The first and most important is the plot‚ which is what all the other points are based on. Such points are: character‚ language‚ thought‚ melody‚ and spectacle (Aristotle). A prime example of the usage of these
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Tragedy in Oedipus Rex The Greek drama Oedipus Rex is clearly a tragedy. It definitely meets the five main criteria for a tragedy: a tragic hero of noble birth‚ a tragic flaw‚ a fall from grace‚ a moment of remorse‚ and catharsis. Oedipus Rex clearly meets the first of these five criteria. Oedipus is the son of Laius‚ who was king of Thebes. Even at the beginning of the story‚ when we are told that Oedipus is the son of Polybus‚ he is still of noble birth; Polybus is king of Corinth. The
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Oedipus Rex as a Great Tragedy In approximately 330 B.C.‚ Aristotle wrote the Poetics‚ which became a guideline for identifying the properties of a great tragedy. He believed that a good tragedy should be serious‚ complete‚ and have a degree of magnitude. He also held that a good tragedy should evoke feelings of pity and fear in the reader and have a sense of universality. The ancient tragedy Oedipus Rex‚ by Sophocles‚ is recognized as a great piece of writing because it exemplifies these qualities
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Oedipus Rex: Tragedy of Fate Oedipus the King is widely regarded as a tragedy of fate. Briefly stated‚ it begins with a terrible plague that destroys the city. King Oedipus sends a messenger to the oracle at Delphi to find a cure. The answer that is received suggests to find out who the killer of King Laios was. Oedipus sends for the prophet Teiresias‚ who after much arguing‚ finally reveals that Oedipus himself is the murderer. Slowly but surely the history of Oedipus’ situation begins to
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Important Points of “On Misunderstanding the Oedipus Rex” • Oedipus Rex attempt to justify the ways of God to man by: 1. “Proving” that we get what we deserve. An example is how Oedipus treated Creon badly‚ so the gods punished him. 2. Oedipus Rex is “a tragedy of destiny”‚ the play “proves that man has no freewill and is controlled by gods. 3. Sophocles was “a pure artist”‚ so he is not interested in justifying the gods‚ and Oedipus Rex was merely an exciting play. • Oedipus did
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Oedipus Rex and Tragedy Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex is‚ in short‚ the story of a man who unknowingly kills his father and marries his mother. It certainly sounds like a tragedy‚ doesn’t it? But the classification and definition of ‘tragedy’ are one of the many things widely disputed in the realm of literary studies. So‚ for the purposes here we’ll use Aristotle’s five criteria of a tragedy: a tragic hero of noble birth‚ a tragic flaw or mistake‚ a fall from grace‚ a moment of remorse‚ and catharsis
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The Tragedy of Oedipus A Greek tragedy is not like stories today. Certain elements separate Greek tragedies from modern day plays. The main aspect that distinguishes the difference between Ancient Greece and now is the sense of pity and fear. Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex proves to be a Greek tragedy‚ according to Aristotle’s “The Art of Poetry”‚ through its plot and dramatic twists of events. One could classify Oedipus Rex as a Greek tragedy because it contains the elements‚ such as suffering‚ peripety
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Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex is one of Greek literatures classic tragedies. It supports and demonstrates Aristotle’s view on tragedy in the story‚ and ultimately defines how this drama is a tragedy. He talks about tragedy being “an imitation of a noble and complete action” (Witt‚ 165) along with being artistically enhanced with fearful incidents. Important parts of tragedies also include plot‚ character‚ diction‚ thought‚ spectacle‚ and melody. Tragedies are imitations of human action
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In Sophocles’ play‚ Oedipus Rex‚ there are many themes that are woven through the life of King Oedipus‚ and revealed through the key points of the plot. One of the most important themes is the inevitability of ones’ fate. Although fate is considered the usual genre of the Greeks in playwriting there‚ are specifics that Oedipus conducts unusual to our own way of thinking of a king during the Ancient Greek times. For example: Oedipus’s ignorance of believing what is said from his wife‚ Iocaste and
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