Essay on Oedipus the King A Classic Tragedy - 1003 Words

Oedipus the King, a Classic Tragedy Aristotle, in his work The Poetics, tries to delineate the idea of a tragedy. Throughout his work Aristotle says that the hero, or at least the protagonist in a tragedy must be substantially good, almost godlike. This hero must bring upon themselves their downfall, due to their fatal flaw. If the hero is not at a high point, an audience will not care about them, and won’t notice their fall. One must fall a long way in social class in order for it to be noticed by the outside man. Oedipus perfectly exemplifies a tragedy, in relation to modern society, effectively showing how too much pride can often lead to downfall or doom. Oedipus is a magnificent man. He is also the perfect example of a tragic†¦show more content†¦A catharsis is often a cleansing or healing of the mind and a teaching about the human condition. As the audience watches the events unfold throughout the play they feel a sense of fear or pity. All of these feelings are purified/cleansed when the protagonist falls into suffering. As a broken man, one who now only seeks to make right from what his pride blinded him from seeing, Oedipus asks for forgiveness. The people of Thebes need to see the suffering and what has become of Oedipus. After self-inflicting blindness upon himself Oedipus says, â€Å"Apollo who contrived my ruin, who worked my fall. But no-one blinded my eyes But myself, in my own grief† (Sophocles ll.1289-1292). It may have been originally Apollo’s curse that led Oedipus to this tragic end, but it was his stubborn pride that carried the curse to completion. The reader and Oedipus both experience a realization and cleansing when Oedipus confronts his subjects knowing that his pride and stubbornness are what have caused his suffering. Oedipus own pride has become second to the hopes that his children and those around him have a bright future. His only wish is that his children lead successful lives even though they are t he product of an incestual relationship. The fatal flaw is another necessary step for a tragedy to succeed. The protagonist has to move down from their high position because of a mistake that they make. In Aristotle’s TheShow MoreRelatedOedipus : The King Of Thebes And Tragic Hero Essay728 Words   |  3 PagesOedipus: The King of Thebes and Tragic Hero Ancient Greek Literature encompasses an assortment of poetry and drama to include the great masterpieces of tragedy. In Classic Literature, tragedies were commonly known for their elaboration of a protagonist fitting the classification of a tragic hero. This type of a tragic hero often collectively described as a character of noble birth, facing an adversity of some nature and a fate of great suffering. The characteristics of what encompassed a tragic heroRead MoreOedipus the King1164 Words   |  5 PagesThe ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle once identified the key ingredients of the tragedies that his culture is so famous for. These ingredients include a character with a fatal flaw, the realization of the fault for a particular problem and the final sudden reversal of fortune. For many tragedies, the fatal flaw is demonstrated as excessive pride, which usually serves as the driving force of the play’s action. It is common, even beneficial, to have pride in oneself, but when it becomes expressedRead MoreTragedy and Comedy Essay1248 Words   |  5 Pageseffect. Tragedy, represented by the weeping actors’ mask, usually features the title character’s fall from greatness to ruin, guided by the gods or fate. Oedipus Rex, written by Sophocles, is the epitome of classic Tragedy, as defined by Aristotle (96-101). Here, Oedipus falls from kingship to blindness and exile. 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For example, the entire reason Oedipus from Oedipus Rex by Sophocles became king of Thebes is because he defeated the Sphinx that was guarding the city, saving the citizens (info from the backstory). On page 11, a senator makes the comment, â€Å"if his bosom holds a grain of fear, curses like yours he never will abide.† The reader can assume the Athenians valued bravery because the senator makes a comment against