Every person is unique in their own sense of style, my hairstyle could be different from my friends or my fashion sense could be different from my siblings. Likewise, author’s have their own sense of style in writing. For example, Shakespeare's ways of writings are different from Sophocles's with maybe their use of metaphors or imageries. Sophocles uses serious and basic diction, meanwhile, Shakespeare uses strange words from the “Shakespearean language”. In Oedipus rex, originally written by Sophocles in 400B.C, figures of speech, diction, and ironies are used by Sophocles to make up his tragedies.
In the tragic play, Oedipus rex, figures of speech such as symbolisms and extended metaphors are used by Sophocles. He displays the whole play as an extended metaphor in order to be able to raise the reader's interest. Moreover, in the prologue of the play lines 26-27 the priest said, “ Thebes is tossed in a murdering sea and cannot lift her head from the death surge.” The
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The tragedy is filled with dramatic ironies due to Oedipus’ ambition in finding King Laius’s murderer. As Oedipus was addressing the people of Thebes about the consequences that will follow the murderer, “Be driven from every house, being, as he is, corruption itself to us”(Sophocles 227-228). The dramatic irony is that Oedipus is the murderer himself but he does not know it yet, so the proclamation that he said should be applied to him. Alternatively, Tiresias replied to Oedipus after he insulted him for being “sightless” and “ senseless” and said, “There is no one here who will not curse you soon, as you curse me.” Tiresias said this because even though he is blind he can still see the truth of who the true murderer is. Therefore soon the people of Thebes will start to cursing Oedipus once they find out he was the reason behind the
Durazo 1 Fabian Durazo Mrs. Jacobson English IV 23 February 2016 Oedipus short answer essays number 1 Irony is such a powerful dramatic element in this play. Oedipus murders his father, marries his own mother, has four children with her and causes a plague. The significance is that he thinks he is a king but realization he brings the city of Thebes misfortunes all by himself. This is considered dramatic irony because the audience knows something that the character is completely oblivious about.
In a way, Sophocles is playing with the natural impulses of human behavior. For example, the audience
Oedipus Rex represents the tragic hero archetype throughout the play; shown as he destroys his status and in turn himself as a result of his unyielding arrogance towards the gods; his hubris causes him to be blind to his foolishness and results in his destruction as he tries, again and again, to avoid his fate believing he can best Apollo and the destiny he had set out for him; his eventual demise causes him to recognize the errors of his ways, however like in any tragic play it is too late and he is plunged into a catharsis - blind, poor, and exiled from his kingdom.
Prior to the story, Oedipus was a hero to the people of Thebes because of his heroic efforts protecting against the Sphinx. As Oedipus rules as king for a few years after this incident, a curse plagues Thebes, and the leaders of the people come to their King to help with this tragic event. After learning this horrific news from the people, Oedipus sets out to seek a way to lift this ungrateful plague that is on his people. The king then sets his brother, Creon to receive the word from God at the shrine of Apollo on how to lift this curse that was brought onto his people. Later the word was that the curse would be lifted when the murderer of the late king Laius was unveiled and dealt with in the right way.
With the heroic light the people of Thebes have him under, he gladly baths in it. In an obstinate fashion he tells his subjects he will rid the kingdom of the plague by finding King Laius’ killer and goes forth to do so. This leads him to look to Tiresias, a prophetic man without sight. Oedipus then commands to get answers that will help him uncover the mystery of the death of the previous King. Tiresias respectively rejects to answering the questions remembering his place but Oedipus forges on his path for answers and an argument ensues: “…You are blind in mind and ears as well as in your eyes”
One of the essential reasons that Oedipus Rex is an elegant example of tragedy is because it renders the suffering of the main character, (Oedipus), who is of noble rank in society. Oedipus begins the story as king of Thebes, but soon realizes after an appalling truth that he is the man who killed his own father, married his own mother, and conceived children with her. Once he discovers that his wife/mother Jocasta has hung herself, he takes her brooches and gouges his eyes out screaming: “What good were eyes to me? Nothing I could see could bring me joy” (Lines 1471-1472). Oedipus speaks these words and elucidates the reason for why he gouged out his own eyes.
The world of literature offers many different works; some may offer similarities while there are differences between others. There are more similarities than differences between Odysseus and Oedipus. Two great examples of literature is the tragic play “Oedipus the King”, written by Sophocles and “The Odyssey”, an epic poem written by Homer who were both Greek poets. Both poets’ work shows similar examples of life altering changes that were ultimately controlled by the Greek gods.
In “Oedipus the king” translated by David Grene, a dialogue between different characters in which the idea of tone, attitude, and diction is amplified throughout this text using many rhetorical strategies and shifts supporting more emphasis to the text which brings it to life, as it also provides the tools for the audience to live through the text, and live through it’s reality. In the beginning as Oedipus mentions “I pity you, children” in a way it conveys not the the idea of sympathy, but the idea of sharing pain or close emotional feeling; providing the idea that words are often very good vehicles of communication. Oedipus uses children as a hook to grab people’s attention providing a patronizing yet audacious tone. As the text goes on Oedipus questions the priest “Why do you sit here with suppliant crowns?”
Oedipus the king gave a speech to his people in the city of Thebes and the priest on his front steps. The priest and followers are there to convince Oedipus through logos to help save them and their life sources. During these speeches Oedipus replied by showing two devices,ethos and pathos. The two devices he used in his side of the speech allowed him to gain more of the city’s trust in him, and have them rely on how serious he is about this matter.
Briefly following, Oedipus goes on to explain his perspective of Thebes saying, ‘"for what the light of the day has spared that darkness of night destroys”’ (Sophocles 198). Oedipus knows that the darkness that the city encounters and figures that he could help save it. After defeating the Sphinx and 15 years as being the King, Oedipus faces his first conflict; what man is responsible for the death of Laius? The immense pressure that the King of Thebes faces daily, Oedipus is frantic and reluctant to figure out the murderous man.
He uses an abundance of imagery like “red hail” and his blood spattered beard to describe the process and the look of the scene that occurred off set. He has to have someone describe the scene because Oedipus does not blind himself on stage. Someone else explains what happens to add a sense of imagination, and to show just how terrifyingly memorable the moment was. Sophocles also uses this passage to show just how terrible Oedipus feels about what has happened. He is so disgusted by what he did, that he blinded himself, and therefore completed the tragedy of the
This blindness towards doom is made even more ironic by the fact that he was made king by his knowledge and insight. Oedipus was known as the person who solved the famous riddle of the Sphinx, a monster which terrorized the citizens. As the play proceed, we can see how much of a contrast between the two groups of character there is, even the messengers knows stuff that the king doesn’t. Sentences like “My son, it is clear that you don’t know what you are doing” (Sophocles 55) salutes to the ignorance of the supposedly “wise” king. Using words like “son”, Sophocles gives an sign that even the messenger It illustrates the flaws that exist in Oedipus, amplifies it by comparing him to other who are supposedly
Sophocles uses dramatic irony to show the ignorance of Oedipus Rex as he cannot see the truth. Oedipus cannot see the truth because his hubris is encouraged by the people and himself. Oedipus’ ignorance is also clearly displayed after an effort to save his city. Although Oedipus is a fictional character created thousands of years ago, his actions can easily connect to many people in today 's society. The theme conveyed in Sophocles play Oedipus Rex is hubris often results in one 's ignorance.
Tiresias reveals that Oedipus has been blind to the truth his whole life and when he finally does find the truth, he loses his physical vision. Due to the truth, Oedipus blinds himself. In this case, those who are blind ultimately do have a higher vision- the truth. The theme of sight versus blindness in Sophocles’ work Oedipus the King is portrayed through
Oedipus the King is one of the most ironic plays ever written. Sophocles, the author, is a famous philosopher of the ancient times The Play is about Oedipus, the king of Thebes, who kills his father and marries his mother. An oracle warned Laius, the king of Thebes prior to Oedipus, that his son would murder him. Accordingly, when his wife, Jocasta, had a son, he exposed the baby by first pinning his ankles together. The infant, who was adopted by King Polybus of Corinth and his wife was then brought up as their very own.