Tradition is several shared customs passed from generation to generation. Customs can range from rituals, laws, holidays, food, and more. A specific custom in tradition is stories. Traditional stories can remind us how to carry ourselves in the present and share lessons from the past. Exodus, a story for the Jewish and Oedipus Rex, an important traditional play for the Greeks and Athenians, both serve as traditional stories for their culture and give them insight to pass on from generation to generation. While explaining an important part of the Hebrew’s history and the story of Moses, Exodus lays out certain traditions to influence how the Hebrews should behave. Exodus can be found in the Hebrew Bible, which can be passed on from generation …show more content…
For the Greeks and Athenians, Oedipus Rex displayed how both city-states should carry out their living. Oedipus Rex was a story about a king named Oedipus who discovered that his wife was his mother and he killed his father before becoming king. Traditions were highlighted in the play such as respect for the Gods. In Ancient times, the people looked towards the Gods for their way of living. In Oedipus Rex, Oedipus went against the Gods and the fate that was casted on him. He tried to beat fate when he discovered that he would soon kill his father and marry his mother. He disregarded what the Gods told him and still ran into his own fate by killing his real father while fleeing his town and marrying his biological mother in a new town. Oedipus stated, “Now I must fly into exile and there, a fugitive, never see my people, never set foot in my native land again— or else I must get married to my mother and kill my father, Polybus, who raised me, the man who gave me life. If anyone claimed this came from some malevolent god, would he not is right? O you gods, you pure, blessed gods, may I not see that day! Let me rather vanish from the sight of men, before I see a fate like that engulf me.” Despite what the Gods said and Oedipus running away from his home, he still ended up killing his father and marrying his mother. Showing this, it gave the Greeks and Athenians a lesson to always believe in the Gods and to listen to the Gods. From then on, Greeks and Athenians knew to keep depending on the
In the cause of Oedipus, Antigone’s father, his father learned that Oedipus was to kill him and marry his wife, Oedipus’ own mother, so he tried to avoid that fate by banishing Oedipus. He unknowingly put into play the events that led up to Oedipus killing him and marrying his wife. When Oedipus found out, he gouged out his eyes and prophesied that his own sons would kill each other in battle. This event ultimately comes to pass (Oedipus Rex). Sophocles’ stories generally revolve around the influence of fate and free will in ancient Greek life.
Oedipus fails to overcome the fate that has been set out for him by the gods. Though the case was different for him, as unlike Hamlet, Oedipus really couldn’t have done anything to avoid his fate of killing his father and marrying his mother. He believed that his real parents were in Corinth and the best way to avoid his fate was to flee the city. Unfortunately for Oedipus, what he had not known was that he was adopted, and his real parents lived in Thebes, the city he fled to. It was nearly impossible for him to have avoided his fate.
Sacrifice is a major theme that occurs throughout the play as it acts as a catalyst. Sacrificing Oedipus as a baby leads to multiple tragic events. Fearing that a horrendous fate will fall upon them and their son, Oedipus 's biological parents abandoned him. Hence, fear makes it a selfish sacrifice. The thought of having their son committing immoral and humiliating acts upon them and bringing their kingdom to shame, will naturally cause them to cast their son away so as to avoid the horrid accidents.
Oedipus the King is a tragedy that was written by Sophocles that emphasizes the irony of an irony of a man who was determined to trace down, expose and punish an assassin who in turn became him. Oedipus the King is also known as Oedipus Rex or Oedipus Tyrannus. The art is an Athenian play that was performed in ages approximated to be 429 BC. Oedipus the King would later in the play fulfill the prophecy that he would kill his father and later on marry his mother. There is a twist of an event in the play where Oedipus is looking for the murderer of his father to bring to a halt the series of plagues that are befalling Thebes but only to find he is in search of himself (Rado, 1956).
He was called into his adventure when someone told Oedipus that he was not he real son of Polybus. One man that Oedipus had met in a feast had prompted him into an adventure for truth. Oedipus was a notable tragic hero. Tragic hero comes from a noble family, very limited in thinking that leads the hero to mistake, and the fate is determined and chosen by the gods because tragic hero is an individual who could endure the misfortunes in his or her fate. Oedipus also did not choose his fate, but he managed to accept his fate.
He did not want to believe any of it he didn't listen , he thought he knew what was correct , and being the way he was , got the worst part. Oedipus showed disrespect to the gods. His power was a part of his ignorance , being king. He tries to put himself in a god's position , thinking he is that powerful.
After Oedipus realizes that he fulfilled his fate of killing his father and marrying his mother, Oedipus declares,”I have been saved for something great and terrible, something strange. Well let destiny come and take me on its way”(323). Then Oedipus gouges out his own eyes so that he cannot look upon his parents in the underworld, his children, or the city he once ruled. He then asks Creon to return him to the place he should have died as a young child, the mountain. The statement reveals that Oedipus fulfilled his fate and that Oedipus truly believes destiny set him on the path of destruction.
His parents chose to abandon him because of their fear of the oracle ’s foresight, he chose to leave because of his caution of it and he blinded himself because he’d driven himself to find the truth of his parentage. Oedipus’ situation caused him to do all
So, Oedipus consulted the oracle of Apollo, who told him he would sire children by his own mother and that he would kill his own father. So he left because he did not wish for it to happen. After he left Corinth, at a meeting place of three roads, Oedipus was offended by a man in a chariot. He killed the man and the others. From there he went on to Thebes, where he became the new king by answering the riddle of the Sphinx and won the hand of
Oedipus goes to a prophet to find out if he is adopted and who his real parents are, but learns about his curse instead. Frustrated and devastated, he leaves his adoptive parents whom he thinks are his real parents. On his journey, he bumps into an old man, who unbeknownst to him is his biological father. Describing the event, he says “The man out front and the old man himself began to crowd me off the road. The driver, who’s forcing me aside, I smash in anger.”
Oedipus’s selfishness and temper eventually lead to his downfall. Oedipus selfishness made everyone else mad at him for him not believing them. He kept digging and digging himself into a deeper hole. This eventually made his punishment at the end worse for him. He also could not handle the truth so this made him disrespect the gods.
The audience that has the pleasure of witnessing a performance of Oedipus Rex may come to pity and fear the character of Oedipus. Oedipus lives his whole life believing Polybus is his father, as a native from Corinth, and upon learning his prophecy that he will kill his father and bare children with his mother, he leaves to protect his family and save himself. When hardships in Thebes abrew, Oedipus is told he is the problem and must leave because he has fulfilled his prophecy, because of this Oedipus is fearful that anyone such as Creon is out to get him for his power. The audience witnesses Oedipus lose his sanity as he grows closer to the source to be told Laois is his father that he did indeed murder, Jocasta is his mother that he married
Oedipus was a tragic hero he was seen as a great man and was king,but he fell to misfortune because of his disability to see past his pride and anger which led to his demise. By not being able to see past his pride and anger Oedipus was not able to to avoid his prophetic destiny. He was blinded by his pride and anger so much that it became his tragic flaw ultimately leading him to his
First, he was blind to the truth about his own life. Oedipus had no idea that his real parents were Laius and Jocasta, he was so blind that he got mad at anyone that would even suggest an idea such as that. As the story went on though, Oedipus could no longer run from the truth; he was forced to open his eyes to the reality and truth of his life. Oedipus killed his father and married his mother; he is the brother to his own kids and the son of his own mother. Oedipus was the one that was causing all of the downfall and bad times in Thebes.
Thinking his real parents were in Cornith. Oedipus headed to thebes, on his way over their he confronted a problem with an old man and his servants. He ended up killing all, but one