The Vindication Of Oedipus The King Essay - 1547 Words

The Vindication of Oedipus Rex In the midst of a rife plague, Athens held their annual Dionysia festival. The festival was comprised of a collocation of dramatic performances honoring the Greek god Dionysus. During the festival in 429 BC a local playwright named Sophocles entered the festivities with his presentation of the tragedy Oedipus Rex. Oedipus the King by Sophocles introduces a city, much like Athens, that is being threatened by a troublesome plague, much like Athens, and whose people are in search for the cause epidemic. After further investigation, it is divulged that their king, Oedipus, is the one who is to blame for the plague. Based on the plot of the play, it is Oedipus fault that Thebes has come down with a sickness. However, when considering the social context of the play and of its audience, it becomes difficult to assign blame to Oedipus beyond a shadow of a doubt. This essay will discuss the evidence brought up against Oedipus in determining his guilt along with reasons why it is near impossib le to fault him within the context of the period. Then this essay will conclude with an interpretation of why the question of blame is irrational, but imperative for any city under a faceless threat. When readers interpret the tragedy of Oedipus they may first cite the prophecy he received from the Oracle before leaving his home on his heroic journey. It stated â€Å"that [Oedipus] was doomed to marry [his] own mother, and to shed with [his] own hands [his] father’sShow MoreRelated Tragedy In Drama Essay1713 Words   |  7 Pagesfatal error in judgement that would lead to his fall. Oedipus Rex is considered by most as the source for Aristotle’s ideas about tragedy, as it is a classic example of a hero with a tragic flaw that brings about his downfall. Again, we have a person of high standing in Oedipus, who is neither entirely good nor entirely bad. However, it is Oedipus’ pride that pervades as his tragic flaw throughout the play. It is pride that causes Oedipus to believe the rumor of his questionable parentage and furtherRead More Abuse of Power Reflected in the Politics and Drama of Ancient Greece2047 Words   |  9 Pagesdemocratic society in a tumultuous world of kings and emperors, and they were proud of their ideology. Considering their fervent belief in rule by many, its not surprising that many Greek dramas revolve around an individual hero or a kings fall from power because of pride or some other personality flaw. Well-known characters in some of the greatest Greek tragedians plays illustrate this idea. In Aeschyluss Agamemnon, the tit le character is a returning king who behaves arrogantly and thoughtlesslyRead MoreThe Origins of Greek Theatre Essay2307 Words   |  10 Pagesis a historical tragedy about the Battle of Salamà ­s, the scene being laid in Persia at the court of the mother of King Xerxes I.The Seven Against Thebes, produced in 467 BC, is based on a Theban legend, the conflict between the two sons of Oedipus, Eteocles and Polyneices, for the throne of Thebes. It is believed to be the third play of a trilogy, the first two being Laius and Oedipus. Prometheus Bound, a work of uncertain date, portrays the punishment of the defiant Prometheus by Zeus. It is probablyRead More Destiny, Fate, Free Will and Free Choice in Oedipus the King - Victim of Fate3445 Words   |  14 PagesVictim of Fate in Oedipus Rex The question has been raised as to whether Oedipus was a victim of fate or of his own actions.   This essay will show that Oedipus was a victim of fate, but he was no puppet because he freely and actively sought his doom, although he was warned many times of the inevitable repercussions of his actions. When first considering this topic, I speculated that maybe it was the destiny of Oedipus to suffer, but a friend asked me to explain why Oedipus, in the act ofRead MoreCleanth Brookss Essay Irony as a Principle of Structure9125 Words   |  37 PagesShakespeare * Edward Young: Conjectures on Original Composition * Gotthold Ephraim Lessing: Laocoà ¶n * Joshua Reynolds: Discourses on Art * Denis Diderot: The Paradox of Acting * Immanuel Kant: Critique of Judgment * Mary Wollstonecraft: A Vindication of the Rights of Woman * William Blake: The Marriage of Heaven or Hell, Letter to Thomas Butts, Annotations to Reynolds Discourses, A Descriptive Catalogue, A Vision of the Last Judgment, On Homers Poetry * Friedrich Schiller: Letters on the