Oedipus Rex by Sophocles

Dramatic Research Paper (Grade 92)

"Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles

Introduction/Thesis

"Oedipus Rex" was a Greek Tragedy written by Sophocles in the fifth century BC. It was the first of a trilogy of plays surrounding the life of Oedipus. Sophocles wrote over 120 plays approximately 100 years before Aristotle even defined a tragedy and the tragic hero. Aristotle's definition of a tragedy is "... an imitation of an action of high importance, complete and of some amplitude; in language enhanced by distinct and varying beauties; acted not narrated; by means of pity and fear effecting its purgation of these emotions" (Kennedy and Gioa 2010). According to Aristotle there were six elements to a tragedy: the plot, the character, the thought, the spectacle, the diction, and the music. He believed that "[t]he plot, then, is the first principle, and, as it were, the soul of a tragedy; character holds the second place" (Aristotle 1999). The character (tragic hero) being the second most important element of the tragedy, he must be of nobility, he is not infallible and his downfall is due to an error in judgment, and is capable of making his own choices and, most important, accepting the consequences for those choices. "Oedipus Rex" is not only a classic example of Aristotle's definition of a tragic plot; Oedipus (the protagonist) has all the characteristics of a tragic hero. Oedipus is the son of a king and eventually becomes a King; his character is also that of a nobleman by possessing high moral virtues of determination and tenaciousness; these self-same traits of his moral character later becomes arrogance, pride, and pig-headedness that lead to his downfall; because of these choices, he accepts the consequences for his actions.

Outline

I. Introduction/Thesis

II. The Tragic Hero's Nobility

III. Tragic Flaws

A. Arrogance and Pride

B. Arrogance and Paranoia

C. Pride

D. Pig-headedness

IV. Downfall

V. Conclusion

Dramatic Research Paper

"Oedipus the King" by Sophocles

"Oedipus Rex" was a Greek Tragedy written by Sophocles in the fifth century BC. It was the first of a trilogy of plays surrounding the life of Oedipus. Sophocles wrote over 120 plays approximately 100 years before Aristotle even defined a tragedy and the tragic hero. Aristotle's definition of a tragedy is "... an imitation of an action of high importance, complete and of some amplitude; in language enhanced by distinct and varying beauties; acted not narrated; by means of pity and fear effecting its purgation of these emotions" (Kennedy and Gioa 2010). According to Aristotle there were six elements to a tragedy: the plot, the character, the thought, the spectacle, the diction, and the music. He believed that "[t]he plot, then, is the first principle, and, as it were, the soul of a tragedy; character holds the second place" (Aristotle 1999). The character (tragic hero) being the second most important element of the tragedy, he must be of nobility, he is not infallible and his downfall is due to an error in judgment, and is capable of making his own choices and, most important, accepting the consequences for those choices. "Oedipus Rex" is not only a classic example of Aristotle's definition of a tragic plot; Oedipus (the protagonist) has all the characteristics of a tragic hero. Oedipus is the son of a king and eventually becomes a King; his character is also that of a nobleman by possessing high moral virtues of determination and tenaciousness; these self-same traits of his moral character later becomes arrogance, pride, and pig-headedness that lead to his downfall; because of these choices, he accepts the consequences for his actions.

The play opens with the city of Thebes being besieged by a plague. Oedipus has been the King of Thebes for several years now and showing the characteristics of a perfect citizen and great leader, the citizens of Thebes admired him greatly. After several years of prosperity, the crops were dying, the people were starving, the women were barren or their babies were still born. Oedipus was determined to save his people. Because of his commitment to his people and their suffering, he sent his brother-in-law, Creon, to Delphi to see the gods to find out why his city is under such a great plague and what he can do to stop it. Creon returns and says, "... It was murder that brought the plague-wind on the city" and that it was King Laios that was murdered years ago (Prologue, 104-105). Vowing to bring the murderer to justice and being a just King, Oedipus decrees that if the murderer reveals himself he will not be killed, he will be exiled. This determination and tenaciousness was the beginning of the end of King Oedipus.

The first incidents of Oedipus' arrogance and pride were when he went to the Oracle of Delphi about his lineage. Even though the Oracle did not answer the question about his lineage, the Oracle did give him a prophecy that he would kill his father and marry his mother. Thinking that he was doing the right thing by putting as much distance between his parents and himself, it was arrogance and pride that ruled him. He believed that he could out run the gods and defy prophecy. Another example of Oedipus' arrogance was when he was forced off the road by another chariot; he lost his temper when the old man angered him causing the death of the old man and his aides. Because of his intelligence and his keen sense being able to solve riddles; again, his arrogance was when he solved the riddle of the Sphinx. The Sphinx was so distraught that someone actually correctly answered one of her riddles, she killed herself. The people of Thebes contributed to his arrogance and pride by making him King and began calling him the savior of Thebes. Later, his arrogance and pride, again, gets the better of him. Even though he sends Creon to the Oracle of Delphi to find the reason for the plague, he was going to be the one to rid the city of this plague and "save" his people again.

Arrogance, again, rears its ugly head coupled with paranoia. Being frustrated that no one came forward, Oedipus sends for the blind