Oedipus Rex Research Paper - 2420 Words

Dramatic Research Paper (Grade 92) â€Å"Oedipus Rex† by Sophocles Introduction/Thesis â€Å"Oedipus Rex† was a Greek Tragedy written by Sophocles in the fifth century BC. It was the first of a trilogy of plays surrounding the life of Oedipus. Sophocles wrote over 120 plays approximately 100 years before Aristotle even defined a tragedy and the tragic hero. Aristotle’s definition of a tragedy is â€Å"†¦ an imitation of an action of high importance, complete and of some amplitude; in language enhanced by distinct and varying beauties; acted not narrated; by means of pity and fear effecting its purgation of these emotions† (Kennedy and Gioa 2010). According to Aristotle there were six elements to a tragedy: the plot, the character, the†¦show more content†¦Because of his commitment to his people and their suffering, he sent his brother-in-law, Creon, to Delphi to see the gods to find out why his city is under such a great plague and what he can do to stop it. Creon returns and says, â€Å"†¦ It was murder that brought the plague-wind on the city† and that it was King Laios that was murdered years ago (Prologue, 104-105). Vowing to bring the murderer to justice and being a just King, Oedipus decrees that if the murderer reveals himself he will not be killed, he will be exiled. This determination and tenaciousness was the beginning of the end of King Oedipus. The first incidents of Oedipus’ arrogance and pride were when he went to the Oracle of Delphi about his lineage. Even though the Oracle did not answer the question about his lineage, the Oracle did give him a prophecy that he would kill his father and marry his mother. Thinking that he was doing the right thing by putting as much distance between his parents and himself, it was arrogance and pride that ruled him. He believed that he could out run the gods and defy prophecy. Another example of Oedipus’ arrogance was when he was forced off the road by another chariot; he lost his temper when the old man ang ered him causing the death of the old man and his aides. Because of his intelligence and his keen sense being able to solve riddles; again, his arrogance was when he solved the riddle of the Sphinx. The Sphinx was so distraught thatShow MoreRelatedOedipus Rex Research Paper1035 Words   |  5 PagesOedipus Rex Oedipus Rex is one of the most well written plays. Oedipus Rex has a tragic flaw which leads to his destruction. Oedipus’ flaw leads him to suffer and arouses Pity and Fear from the crowd; Scared that it could happen to them. The Unity of Plot has a beginning, middle and end, along with that Oedipus grows in knowledge about his birthing, but is ignorant for not realizing he brought the problems on Thebes. Oedipus is a confident, wise and strong-willed character, but these characteristicsRead MoreLiterature: Compare and Contrast - Literary Devices5483 Words   |  22 Pagesliterary works by authors of all ages, writing non-fiction and fictional stories, poetry, and essays. The act of analyzing two different authors by both comparing their work and isolating their contrasting elements, can be difficult, yet rewarding. Oedipus Rex (Sophocles), written in 429 B.C., offers the authors use of Greek Mythology, oracles, Greek gods, deception, and murder. 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In the sequel to Oedipus, Antigone, his four children are also punished for their parents having been incestuous. The fable was also used by Sigmund Freud (Sociologist) to name the Oedipus Complex, which will be discussed later in our paper. Incestuous unions were frownedRead MoreSeminar: Literary Theory Applied to H.P. Lovecraft-Notably â€Å"the Beast in the Cave†6821 Words   |  28 PagesTheoretical Analysis of H.P. Lovecraft’s â€Å"Beast in the Cave† | Senior Seminar | | Cory J. Dahlstrom | 7/28/2012 | H.P. Lovecraft has been called â€Å"one of the best, worst authors of our century.† In the following paper, I will explore his earliest work, â€Å"The Beast in the Cave,† a story written when he was around fifteen years old. I will explore its meanings and context through the lenses of reader response, deconstructionism, new historicism, and psychoanalytic