Sophocles Oedipus The King

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).

Jocasta had just explained the prophecy given to her. Oedipus recalls his memories before running away from home

When, decades prior to the start of the play, Jocasta and Laius are given the prophecy that their son is fated to slay Laius they “pierced his ankles and by the hands of others cast him forth upon a pathless hillside” (Oedipus Tyrannus 718). If logic and reason were truly more powerful than fate, these actions would have been more than enough to ensure that the prophecy never came true, and baby Oedipus would have died before to being old enough to even understand what a prophecy is. It is highly unlikely that an injured baby, left out to die of exposure on a pathless road, would be able to survive, however Fate could not be circumvented-- Oedipus survived, grew up, and moved inexorably forwards his fate’s

In the play “Oedipus the King” by Sophocles, many crimes are committed by many different people, making it possible for a person to blame any character. However, the murder of Laius falls on one person and one person only, Oedipus himself. There is ample evidence pointing towards his guilt: more than one person was killed that day; prophecies are not clear, he had options; and he deliberately tried to ignore the gods. Oedipus admits to killing more than just Laius where the three roads meet at Delphi.

Sophocles “One who knows how to show and to accept kindness will be a friend better than any possession. ”(Sophocles quotes) A wise quote given by a wise man. Sophocles, a man who grew up in the area of philosophy and art, was a great and noble man. Although not much is known about his earlier life, some facts and anecdotes remain.

Oedipus is a mystery play starting out with the town of Thebes in a crisis. The plague that has taken over the town has affected not only citizens of Thebes, but also the livestock and land. Oedipus turns to the gods for help, and they say that the land will be cursed until the killer of Laios, the king who ruled before Oedipus, is found. Oedipus then starts a thorough investigation to find the killer so the land can prosper again. Oedipus summoned a blind prophet named Tiresias to find out more details about the murder, but Tiresias accused Oedipus of committing the horrible crime.

After long-term search on the true murderer of King Laius, his son, or the new king Oedipus was found guilty of the crime. Queen Jocasta, Oedipus’ wife and mother, hanged herself committing a suicide after learning this horrific truth as she wept for her gone husband and her cruel fate. Guilty Oedipus who saw his wife dead in her room stabs his eyes as he cried out that he does not deserve to see the world now that he has learned the truth. The former king, Laius, and his travelers who were on their way to consult an oracle were killed by a band of thieves all but one.

Dodd also says that “no oracle said that he must discover the truth” (183) and what lead to his destruction is “his own strength and courage, his loyalty to Thebes and the truth’(183). Oedipus did not have to go looking for the murder of Laius and when he started to realized that he was the murder he should have stopped looking for the truth. Instead, after Jocasta explained to him how Laius died and even though the story sounded familiar, he still didn’t not believe that he was the murderer. Oedipus should not have let his emotions from the reveal of the prophecy led him into killing the man [ Laius] that could be old enough to be his father. After entering the city of Thebes, he should not have accepted Jocasta as his wife since she was old enough to be his mother.

Oedipus the King, by Sophocles, is renowned as one of the most edifying tragedies of its era and its influence on both theatre and society is still evident today. Through the development of one of the most profound characters in literature, the play offers an insight on themes such as fate, free will, recognition, relationships, religion, and duty. The play was first performed in about 429 B.C in the City Dionysia, where it secured second place, and it continues to be performed today through different platforms including films, plays, and operas. This paper will provide an in-depth analysis of Oedipus the King. It will also include an overview of Sophocles’ biography, examine the plays’ historical context, provide an overview

Oedipus was told by the oracle that it was Oedipus himself that had killed his father. In a rage, he sent the oracle away. After talking to Jocasta and discussing their prophecies, Oedipus began to wonder if it could be true. Jocasta fears what Oedipus may find out when they are told about a shepherd, who knows about Oedipus. She suspects the truth then and runs away.

Brilliantly conceived and written, Oedipus Rex is a drama of self-discovery. Achieved by amazing compression and force by limiting the dramatic action to the day on which Oedipus learns the truth of his birth and his destiny is quite the thriller. The fact that the audience knows the dark secret that Oedipus unwittingly slew his true father and married his mother does nothing to destroy the suspense. Oedipus’s search for the truth has all the tautness of a detective tale, and yet because audiences already know the truth they are aware of all the ironies in which Oedipus is enmeshed. That knowledge enables them to fear the final revelation at the same time that they pity the man whose past is gradually and relentlessly uncovered to him.

Tragic playwright, Sophocles, in his play, Oedipus the King, relates the tale of the downfall of the King of Thebes, Oedipus. Sophocles’ purpose is to show his audience the eventual product of hubris. He adopts a sympathetic tone in order to convey to his audience that, although it seems unfair, it is of no matter how many virtues one possesses if one is arrogant and defies the gods. Sophocles utilizes the ongoing theme of light and darkness to enlighten moral issues and create a sense of irony and foreboding.

Ironically, in seeking the truth, Oedipus incriminates himself, for he is the murderer of Laius. He is also presented with news that he is not the biological son of his parents in Corinth and vows to discover the identity of his real parents. Jocasta is the first to make the discovery that Laius is Oedipus's father, and she, his wife, is his mother. The shocking realization motivates her to discourage her son from making the discovery himself. Jocasta pleads “ Call off this search!

Upon seeing this, Oedipus stabs his eyes out with the broaches from Jocasta’s robe. In the end, a prophet’s prediction has come true: Oedipus

Another place in the tragedy where there is dramatic irony is when Oedipus and his mother/wife Jokasta are talking and Jokasta states, “he was tall with some gray salting his hair. He looked then not very different from you now” (227). Another example of the outrageous dramatic irony that is found in this tragic play is that Oedipus vows to kill whoever