How Does Oedipus Change

From the beginning Oedipus was destined to fulfill a terrible prophecy, but through particular events that follow the steps of the Hero’s Journey, Oedipus becomes a powerful king of Thebes, only to be destroyed by the prophecy that should have ended his life as a child. The Hero’s Journey typically leads to self-confidence and power, however; the Hero’s Journey of Oedipus leads to his tragic demise. The Hero’s Journey lays out the steps of Oedipus’s future actions, which create suspense, fear, pity, and other emotions that captivates the audience. Similar to many famous stories, Oedipus the King, written by Sophocles in 430 B.C., follows the Hero’s Journey path, which is evident in Oedipus’s departure, initiation, and return.

Do human beings have free will over their fate? Many writers express their thoughts reflect upon this concept as it is explored through various works such as “Censors” by Luisa Valenzuela, Oedipus Rex by Sophocles and “Cranes” by Hwang Sun-won. In “Censors,” the protagonist, Juan, is pressured by society to become someone who he does not want to become. In Oedipus Rex, the protagonist, Oedipus, becomes obsessed with finding his identity, which in the end hurts him more than it helps. “Cranes” by Hwang Sun-won is a story about two childhood friends, Song-sam and Tok-chae, that grow apart and encounter each other by chance as enemies.

The art of writing has been displayed through timeless classics and modern tales that bring people together, but whether a piece is written in the 4th century BC or the 1990s, all authors captivate their audiences by connecting to them to the story and establishing an emotional connection to its characters, plot, or theme. Stories such as Sophocles’ play Oedipus Rex, Shakespeare’s play MacBeth, or Tim O’Brien’s novel The Things They Carried establish intriguing storylines which develop emotional connections and relationships between the audience and the text. Throughout all three works, fear is a motif that is used to express the theme of main characters sharing a fear of displaying weakness. Characters in Oedipus Rex, MacBeth, and The Things They Carried establish fear as a motive for using poor judgement and acting out to protect themselves from displaying weakness.

This conversation between Oedipus and Creon play a significant role in whole drama. Ironically Oedipus who was proud of his position, his power and his throne at the end of the drama loses everything, but Creon who did not want to be a ruler, received an opportunity to be a king. Life for both of these characters changed dramatically one loses and other one gains, but both in this situation act with honor. Even when Oedipus did mistakes in the past he found strength to accept the truth at the end, and he judge himself. He shows that he has a power to judge who is guilty even if it was him.

Some truths are better left in the dark. Sophocles’ tragic play, Oedipus the King, tells about the lack and gain of knowledge and reveals that people can not always handle the consequences of the information they uncover. The tragedy begins with Oedipus, the King of Thebes, reigning over the city riddled with plague. As Oedipus is sought after and admired by his citizens, he vows to solve the source of the defilement. However, an oracle from the Greek god, Apollo, reveals that the plague will only be lifted once the murder of the deceased king, Jocasta’s first husband, Laius, is solved.

Blindness can mean that someone is unable to see or someone does not know the truth. Blindness in Oedipus means that someone does not know the truth. Blindness serves as a motif in multiple ways in Oedipus the King. The motif of blindness in Oedipus the King, written by Sophocles in 430 B.C., keeps Oedipus and Jocasta from the truth they are seeking.

Oedipus’s Forms of Blindness LEAD IN. The famous tragedy of “Oedipus the King,” written by Sophocles, is a drama telling the story of a great king’s personal suffering with their true meaning and fate. Once Oedipus discovers his true actions, he … THESIS. Oedipus experiences both physical and metaphorical blindness through being unaware of his own actions, being unaware of the truth of a fate that has followed him his whole life, and the physical act of blinding himself.

Throughout the play Oedipus the King by Sophocles, there is continual use of vision and blindness foreshadowing the events to come near the end of the play due to Oedipus’ ignorance. Ironically, most of the main characters with their sight still intact are blind to the truth and revelations that come to pass while the few that are blind see what is to come and what becomes of those spoken of in the prophecy. In a paradoxical trend, sight in the play can equal deception or ignorance while blindness represents truth or revelation. Oedipus is a brash man.

It is often said that an anti-climax work is more admired than its counterparts. For reasons, the struggle of humans, the ultimate failure of a hero, and the corruption of mortal spirit have always hold its ground against classic comedy. From the ages of Oedipus Rex, a tragedy carries the irony of an egoistic giant trapped in predestined downfall. Oedipus was almost certain that he had escaped the arranged destiny. This confidence led him to pursue the murderer of Thebes until, at the end, he made the horrible discovery that his wife was his mother, and that his daughters were instead, his sisters.

In Ancient Greek mythology, fate is the focal point of many plays and is significant in establishing the catharsis that Greek tragedies provide for the audience. The playwrights use the catharsis to allude to the general theme that people cannot escape their fate, and using symbolism is an effective way to emphasize the theme. Sophocles, the Ancient Greek playwright of Oedipus Rex, uses the symbolism of blindness to develop the play’s theme and teach the audience a lesson about fate. Sophocles uses blindness to symbolize to ability to see truth and accept fate.