Oedipus Rex Essays and Term Papers
Last update: August 22, 2014-
Essay on the Ironic Qualities of Sophocles' Oedipus Rex
Essay On The Ironic Qualities of Sophocles' Oedipus Rex Abstract: This essay discusses the ironic qualities of Sophocles' Oedipus Rex. The play is very ironical in that it entwines the themes of free will as well as predestination. Even though we are sickened by the tragic life of Oedipus and the other characters, we are still able to appreciate the ironic characteristics of the play itself. Indeed, we eventually come to realize that man is
Rating:Essay Length: 650 Words / 3 PagesSubmitted: February 2, 2010 -
Oedipus Rex
Edward Kaikumba Theatre 101 Sept. 17, 2006 Oedipus Rex: The Collage Oedipus Rex is a very interesting story involving a king, Oedipus, who is on the search for the murderers of the former king Talius. The story is very involving with many twists and turns. The story starts with Oedipus a man who through hard work (and a few extra traits) rose to power and eventually married the queen to become king after the first
Rating:Essay Length: 285 Words / 2 PagesSubmitted: February 5, 2010 -
Oedipus Rex - Dripping with Irony
Oedipus Rex- Dripping with Irony Sophocles’ masterpiece Oedipus has both fascinated and terrified audiences for centuries. The story offers unique insight into the complexities of human nature, of pain and suffering. King Oedipus is fortune’s fool, and at the mercy of fate throughout the entire play. It is, however, his own decisions and actions which ultimately cause his demise. With creative use of irony, Sophocles makes apparent how tragic both fate and even free will
Rating:Essay Length: 595 Words / 3 PagesSubmitted: February 5, 2010 -
Oedipus Rex
Man controls his fate by the choices that he makes. In being able to chose what his own actions are, fate is a result of his decisions. In Oedipus the King, the Greek writer, Sophocles, uses characterization and dramatic irony to project a theme throughout the play providing the idea that man is responsible for his own fate. Sophocles lived 90 years, revealing a plethora of amazing, prize-winning tragic Greek plays. Sophocles was born
Rating:Essay Length: 292 Words / 2 PagesSubmitted: February 15, 2010 -
Oedipus Rex
In the play "Oedipus Rex" the main character, Oedipus, has to deal with his predetermined fate and his own nature. He is cursed from the beginning of his life when a soothsayer tells of his fate upon his birth. It is predicted that he will kill his father, and marry his mother, and raise a family. Oedipus was born to Laios and Iocaste who were the king and queen of Thebes. Upon his birth, his
Rating:Essay Length: 617 Words / 3 PagesSubmitted: February 19, 2010 -
Oedipus Rex the Hero
Throught Oedipus Rex, Oedipus displays his heroism many times. From the Prologue of the play to the moment in which he leaves Thebes, Oedipus' heroics become extremely apparent; however, at the same time, the decisions which make Oedipus a hero ultimately become the decisions which bring him to shamefulness and exile. From before Oedipus was born, he was doomed to become the child who would kill his father and marry his mother, a very
Rating:Essay Length: 789 Words / 4 PagesSubmitted: February 28, 2010 -
21st Century Audiences Feel Differently Than Ancient Audiences About Oedipus Rex
21st Century Audiences Feel Differently Than Ancient Audiences about Oedipus Rex In the Sophocles play, “Oedipus Rex,” the story of a hubristic king is told. In ancient times, audiences saw Oedipus as a tragic figure, and left the play feeling a catharsis of fear and pity. However, in the 21st century, audiences tend not to feel the same way about Oedipus or get same feelings as the ancient audiences did. Reasons for this are differences
Rating:Essay Length: 474 Words / 2 PagesSubmitted: March 1, 2010 -
Oedipus Rex
Oedipus, since the day he was born, always had control over his fate. The gods had never intervened in Oedipus’ life, but rather or simply gave a ‘hint’ as to what Oedipus is to face in the future. This ‘hint’ could supposedly be to try and help Oedipus avoid his downfall. And so, decisions as to which paths to take were not up to the gods, but to the individual, Oedipus. Logically speaking, the gods
Rating:Essay Length: 457 Words / 2 PagesSubmitted: March 4, 2010 -
Oedipus Rex - Bliss in Ignorance
One of the most memorable and meaningful Socratic quotes applies well when in context of Sophocles' Theban Trilogy. "The unexamined life is not worth living," proclaims Socrates. He could have meant many things by this statement, and in relation to the play, the meaning is found to be even more complex. Indeed, the situation of Oedipus, king of Thebes, the truth of this statement is in question. Would Oedipus have been better off if he
Rating:Essay Length: 639 Words / 3 PagesSubmitted: March 5, 2010 -
Tragic Fall of Oedipus Rex: Self-Inflicted or Fate
The tragic fall of Oedipus in Sophocles play “Oedipus Rex” is both self-inflicted and result of events drawn from his own destiny. First off early on in Oedipus’ life his first deadly mistake towards succeeding his self-inflicted downfall was the murder of his father the former king. In a blind rage without any motive, he kills Liaus and his men at a rode crossing. Fate may have had led him to that point but it
Rating:Essay Length: 840 Words / 4 PagesSubmitted: March 6, 2010 -
Oedipus Rex Broken Down
Oedipus Rex Broken Down Oedipus Rex is a classic tragedy that shows how King Oedipus does some detestable things that led to his misfortune and eventually end his reign as the “King of Thebes.” I will be breaking down the Plot, Structure and Setting of this play, and then go more in depth into the theme. The Plot in Oedipus Rex had a set pattern. The play opens with a Prologue, which is in the
Rating:Essay Length: 972 Words / 4 PagesSubmitted: March 10, 2010 -
Fate in Oedipus Rex
The characters in Oedipus the King express many different views on fate, prophecy, and the power of the gods. Characters like the chorus and the leader have solid beliefs in the gods and prophecy, but their faith is shaken many times and is changed based on the events that happen. Other characters like Jocasta refuse to accept the prophecies as truth. Towards the end of the play, however, all have no hesitation in their minds
Rating:Essay Length: 866 Words / 4 PagesSubmitted: March 11, 2010 -
Oedipus Rex, Hamlet, & Willy Loman Comparison
“Still, the Truth Remains” An immense desire for personal satisfaction, and extraordinary reputation can often result in a sickly, perverse distortion of reality. In Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex, a man well known for his intellect and wisdom, finds himself blind to the truth of his life, and his parentage. William Shakespeare’s Hamlet also contains a character that is in search of the truth, which ultimately leads to his own demise, as well as the demise of
Rating:Essay Length: 1,516 Words / 7 PagesSubmitted: March 11, 2010 -
Oedipus Rex
 Oedipus Rex, a tragic victim of fate, easily meets the criteria of the tragic hero. According to Aristotle, a tragic hero can not be extremely virtuous or evil, they must be on the middle ground. This is true of Oedipus, in the eye of the public, he is a concerned, caring individual, but he is also capable of atrocities. He does have the blood of his own father on his hands. The fact that
Rating:Essay Length: 304 Words / 2 PagesSubmitted: March 11, 2010 -
Oedipus Rex Versus Antigone
In Oedipus Rex Sophocles uses Creon for a foil to Oedipus. In Antigone Sophocles uses Creon as the Greek tragic hero. In Oedipus Rex the character of Creon serves as a foil to Oedipus. Creon is portrayed as a rational, ethical, and dutiful leader who represents the need for a stable society. All the while Oedipus is portrayed as a rash, unreasonable, and overly confident king, who is constantly trying to keep up with his
Rating:Essay Length: 518 Words / 3 PagesSubmitted: March 16, 2010 -
Oedipus Rex
Oedipus Rex a Greek tragedy written by Sophocles is considered by Aristotle, one of the most important and influential philosophers of all time, the model of Greek tragedy and Oedipus as the model of a tragic hero. Oedipus character in this Greek tragedy perfectly fits Aristotle’s description of real tragic hero. Oedipus was not entirely a flawed or evil person, but he is a person who also has good character. Oedipus good characteristics were most
Rating:Essay Length: 676 Words / 3 PagesSubmitted: March 24, 2010 -
Oedipus Rex - a Tragic Figure
Oedipus Rex: A tragic figure The events in Oedipus the King, written by Sophocles, show a relationship of man's free will existing within the fate, which the Greeks believed, guided the universe. Man was free to choose and was ultimately held responsible for his own actions. Both the concepts of fate and free will played a major part in Oedipus' destruction. Although he was a victim of fate, he was not controlled by it. Oedipus
Rating:Essay Length: 961 Words / 4 PagesSubmitted: March 27, 2010 -
Oedipus Rex
Irony is an element of literature very well known in Greek epics. In Oedipus the King irony is well demonstrated in a series of events. Verbal, situational and dramatic irony are used in this play. The play itself is a classic dramatic irony at its finest and fullest, and inside it the different parts are full of irony, too. The play is about a prophecy in which Oedipus’ fate is to kill his father
Rating:Essay Length: 908 Words / 4 PagesSubmitted: April 1, 2010 -
Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex
Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex The primary characteristic of Sophocles' Oedipus Rex is that it is an ironic play. The play’s irony grasps the audience in a profound way because of the awareness that occurs regarding everything that is going on. Even though we, as observers, are sickened at the tragic life of Oedipus and the other characters, we are still able to appreciate the ironical characteristics of the play itself. The irony primarily exists in
Rating:Essay Length: 553 Words / 3 PagesSubmitted: April 6, 2010 -
Oedipus Rex Vs Hamlet
Compare and contrast Oedipus and Hamlet. Is Oedipus more a man of action? Or is he more a man driven by whim and sudden, rash decisions? Which character is more selfless? Does Hamlet show any signs of selfish motives in his actions or inactions? Which protagonist seems more learned? wiser? more religious? more loving? more incestuous? Which seems to be a better murder investigator? Does Oedipus have any of Claudius' motives when he kills the
Rating:Essay Length: 1,310 Words / 6 PagesSubmitted: April 11, 2010 -
Oedipus Rex
Just as in real life, you get to know the characters in a piece of literature by their words, their actions, and of course, by the words of others. This method of acquainting the reader with a character is called characterization. Direct characterization portrays a character through his or her own words, whereas indirect characterization illustrates a character through the author's or other characters' words. Direct and indirect characterization allow us to see not
Rating:Essay Length: 817 Words / 4 PagesSubmitted: April 15, 2010 -
Oedipus Rex
Oedipus Rex In reality, I think when anything bad happens to a good person it is considered to be a tragedy. Sophocles was a Greek playwright who wrote the play, Oedipus the King. In reading this story I found Oedipus Rex to be a true tragic hero. He is a good man, strong, smart, and compassionate. He is a king well liked by his people. Oedipus’s down fall is the result of him finding the
Rating:Essay Length: 1,296 Words / 6 PagesSubmitted: April 20, 2010 -
Oedipus Rex
At one time in our lives there is a moment when we may think that of ourselves as better than someone or something. There may also be a point in our lives when making a decision may lead to an error in judgement. In the play Oedipus Rex, written by Sophocles, both of these characteristics can be seen in the main character. These characteristics are known as the tragic flaw. these flaws are like hubris
Rating:Essay Length: 288 Words / 2 PagesSubmitted: May 11, 2010 -
Compare Oedipus Rex and Odysseus from Homer's Odyssey; How Much Control Do You Think one Can Have on the Power of Fate?
Compare Oedipus Rex and Odysseus from Homer's Odyssey; How much control do you think one can have on the power of fate? This paper is comparing Oedipus Rex and Odysseus from Homer's Odyssey, personalities and the control each one has on their fate. In order to have an understanding of these characters it is best to give a slight description of each play. Oedipus, the king of Thebes, is the protagonist of the play. Oedipus
Rating:Essay Length: 1,195 Words / 5 PagesSubmitted: May 29, 2010 -
Oedipus Rex and the Riddle
Oedipus Rex, written by Sophocles is a Greek tragedy built on the basis of a riddle given by the maleficent Sphinx, who in Egypt is considered the protector of the three pyramids, however, the perspective given to us by the narrator in this drama allows us to view that it is really a “disease” which plagues, torments and confines the citizens of Thebes. Despite that fact, the Sphinx can represent all that is rational about
Rating:Essay Length: 1,522 Words / 7 PagesSubmitted: May 31, 2010