Sophocles Oedipus Rex as Modern Tragedy Essay examples

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. By any standard, Oedipus Rex clearly meets these five criteria. In The Poetics, Aristotle uses Oedipus to illustrate the ideal tragedy. Aristotle writes Oedipus is a model tragic hero because he is a man of high standing, but not†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬ËœHamartia’ is a tragic flaw, or literally in Greek a ‘mistake’, which accompanies the tragic hero but does not lead to the hero’s death. Oedipus’ tragic flaw was his pride, s elf-righteousness, and perhaps even his temper. He displays his temper when he kills Laios and all the travelers with him; â€Å"Swinging my club with this right hand I knocked him out of his car, and he rolled on the ground. I killed him. I killed them all.† His temper is also displayed when Teiresias reveals his fate and the answer to the question that he has posed to all of Thebes. â€Å"†¦Damnation Take you! Out of this place! Out of my sight!† Both of these examples can no doubt be classified under his pride as well, and perhaps even more pointedly because it is his pride that causes his temper; and, it is specifically his pride that ironically leads to his fulfilling the prophecy. His self righteousness is displayed most clearly by his desire to be a hero by vowing to find Lauis’ murderer, as mentioned above. In another stroke of irony, it is this self-righteous desire that leads to the awful realization of the prophecy’s fulfillment. The t hird criteria Aristotle uses is ‘Peripateia.’ Peripateia is the complete reversal of plot in relation to the tragic hero; or, in other words, a fall from grace. Oedipus starts out as the king of Thebes. In relation to peripateia, the only way that Oedipus can have a complete reversal is for him to go down hill in aShow MoreRelated Comparing A Dolls House and Oedipus Rex Essay1672 Words   |  7 PagesComparing A Dolls House and Oedipus Rex Ibsens drama A Dolls House, serves as an example of the kind of issue-based drama that distinguishes Ibsen from many of his contemporaries. The plays dialogue is not poetic, but very naturalistic, and the characters are recognizable people. Given the sense of modernity which the play possesses it seems unusual to compare it to a Greek tragedy produced more than two-thousand years previously. On closer examination however, thereRead MoreOedipus: Aristotelian or Formalist Theory772 Words   |  4 PagesTeiresias’s speech at the end of scene one of Sophocles’ play Oedipus Rex is fairly short but it is in this encounter between Oedipus and Teiresias where the main conflict of the story begins to unfold. This is a pivotal speech in the play as it helps to develop some of the major themes in the play as well as begin to build up the tragic irony at the center of the story. When this speech is analyzed using either Aristotelian or Formalist theory key elements can be found that are effective inRead MoreOedipus Rex As Modern Tragedy : Catharsis Or Cognitive Emotion883 Words   |  4 PagesOedipus Rex as Modern Tragedy: Catharsis or Cognitive Emotion Oedipus Rex, an Athenian tragedy written by Sophocles, tells the tale of a noble king brought low by a serious of harrowing events set in motion by the Gods and unwittingly furthered by the actions of the king. Aristotle believed that Oedipus Rex was the prime example of the tragedy; however, modern readers might entertain that the play is unworthy of such praise. In this paper I will put forth the argument that Oedipus Rex, though heartfeltRead MoreOedipus Rex As Tragedy : The Philosopher Must Be Crazy845 Words   |  4 PagesOedipus Rex as Tragedy: The Philosopher Must Be Crazy Throughout the ages many scholars have agreed with Aristotle s assessment of Oedipus Rex (the Athenian tragedy written by Sophocles) as the truest form of tragedy; however, modern viewers might remark that it is unworthy of such praise and instead should be exemplified as the proof that an addition to Aristotle s ideal of tragedy itself is required: the element of timelessness. 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But the modern reader, coming to the classic drama not entirely for the purpose of enjoyment, will not always surrender himself to the emotional effect. He is apt to worry about Greek fatalism and the justice of the downfall of Oedipus, and, finding no satisfactory solutionRead MoreComparing Oedipus Rex And Death Of A Salesman By Arthur Miller1255 Words   |  6 Pagesa. Tragedy†¦ we all will go through this at least once in our lifetime. It is inevitable. It has been around since the beginning of time. The ancient Greek’s used it in a manner in which we still use it today in Modern times. b. Today I will be comparing the two works such as Oedipus Rex, which is a playwright written by the great Sophocles and another playwright named Death Of A Salesman written by Arthur Miller. c. Through out the years, there has been a lot of controversy on whether or not DeathRead MoreAn Analysis and Comparison of Modern Tragedy in Drama1485 Words   |  6 PagesAristotle thoroughly describes his understanding of the tragedy in the Poetics and bases this conception on certain requirements. According to Aristotle the three most important variables that define a tragedy are plot, characters, and theme. Using Oedipus Rex as a sort of ideal, this philosopher demonstrates how a tragedy functions in order to evoke catharsis while exploring themes and human flaws, or mistakes. In Oedipus Rex, the main figure, Oedipus the King is a subject of fate, unable to escape himselfRead MoreTragedy and Comedy Essay1248 Words   |  5 Pageseffect. Tragedy, represented by the weeping actors’ mask, usually features the title character’s fall from greatness to ruin, guided by the gods or fate. Oedipus Rex, written by Sophocles, is the epitome of classic Tragedy, as defined by Aristotle (96-101). Here, Oedipus falls from kingship to blindness and exile. Drama’s other great genre, Comedy, is represented by the laughing actors’ mask. In Comedy the action is usually propelled by a problem or crisis of some sorts, but unlike tragedy it usuallyRead MoreA Dolls House As A Tragic Hero Analysis967 Words   |  4 Pagesthe depths of misery and often to his death† (Ingham 1). Within Oedipus Rex, Sophocles laid the foundation for what is now considered the ideal tragic hero. Within A Doll’s House, Ibsen creates a modern hero in Nora Helmer; a woman who was oppressed for going against social rules for saving her husband. Nora follows the Aristotelian journey of a tragic hero, from hamartia through her tragic fall into catharsis. She is considered a modern day heroine, but critics argue that Nora does not represent the