Oedipus Rex: Fate vs. Free Will Essay Questions for Students

Oedipus Rex Essay "Crossroads, and hidden glade, oak and the narrow way at the crossroads, that drank my father's blood offered you by my hands, do you remember still what I did as you looked on, and what I did when I came here?" (Oedipus Rex, 1575–1580). Precisely placed at the crossroads of fate and autonomy, Oedipus struggles to define what, exactly, is fate and what, exactly, is left to his own discretion; Oedipus Rex challenges the common thought of Greek Society. Transcending more than one thousand years, questions often posed within the context of this play come to light in high school classrooms across America. What is seemingly an ineffective, antiquated piece of literature from Ancient Greece, actually should serve as a piece of required reading ...show more content... Sophocles , through his writing, begins to engage in a contemporary debate of the time period: fate versus free will. Philosophers of ancient Greece would often debate whether or not the gods had control over one's life, and Sophocles entertains all aspects of this debate. Through the use of a meticulously crafted plot, humanity appears to have solved the issue prophesied at the birth of Oedipus. Ultimately, however, Sophocles demonstrates the revolving way in which preordination of action ultimately comes to fruition. This is epitomized when Oedipus is met by King Laius, his father, at the crossroads. When Oedipus is faced with the decision of whether or not to kill the man in front of him, he fulfills the prophesy which had been placed upon him before his birth. While this concept might seem like an ancient event that leads to an archaic discussion, it still invades relevant, personal philosophy of the world. The high school years require each student to arrive at a crossroads in their own life. Decisions permeate their existence. Behind everything, each student has to arrive at a conclusion as to who is the driving force behind each decision; is it themselves or is a higher power commanding everything to happen? This debate allows students to expand their thought in order to engage a metaphysical debate relevant to discussions of society. Sophocles uses the plot of the play to teach a lesson Get more content on StudyHub.Vip

Oedipus Rex by Sophocles Essay Oedipus Rex by Sophocles In Sophocles' "Oedipus the King" which is a tragic play, which discusses the tragic discovery that Oedipus has killed his father and married his mother. Oedipus is the embodiment of the perfect Athenian. He is self–confident, intelligent, and strong willed. Ironically these are the very traits which bring about his tragic discovery. Oedipus gained the rule of Thebes by answering the riddle of The Sphinx. Sophocles used the riddle of The Sphinx as a metaphor for the 3 phases of Oedipus' life and to further characterized him as a tragic hero. The Sphinx posed the following riddle to all who came to obtain the rule over Thebes: "What is it that walks on 4 feet and 2 feet and 3 feet and has only one voice, ...show more content... By becoming king of Thebes he marries Jocasta the Queen of Thebes and his own mother. Many years later after bearing children with Jocasta a plague kills many of the inhabitants of Thebes. Oedipus is told by the gods to find the killer of Laius. He is very diligent in the inquiry and finally comes to the horrible truth that he himself is the murderer. Jocasta kills herself at the horrible realization that she has laid with her son. Oedipus puts out his eyes, at which time he finally sees the truth. This fulfills the final part of the Sphinx's riddle for Oedipus will have to walk with a cane for the rest of his life because of his blindness. This will give him the walk on 3, which man walks with at the end of his years. The Sphinx's riddle was used by Sophocles to characterize Oedipus as a tragic man and as a parallel to his life. The riddle describes the 3 stages, which Oedipus went through in his life. Also in answering the riddle Oedipus inevitable brought about his own tragic ending by a horrible discovery. The statement that Joseph Campbell makes that defines a hero as "someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself," I believe very much that this applies to the story of Oedipus the King . He alone had to realize a life lesson and by doing so hurt himself and the ones he had loved. Oedipus in his journey showed others that you must not physically open your eyes up, but as well open them in a fourth Get more content on StudyHub.Vip

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Oedipus Rex Hubris Goes Before a Fall Greek literature is stocked full of characters that possess excessive pride. This is often referred to as hubris. Having too much pride is rarely seen as a good thing, which is demonstrated in Sophocles' Oedipus Rex. Oedipus' land of Thebes falls under a terrible curse, and naturally as a king, he wants to solve it, which is usually the sign of a great ruler, however, Oedipus ' journey to alleviate the plague for his people brings about the realization of his fate. Oedipus is a character deeply flawed because he believes that he is a great ruler for the city of Thebes and that he cannot be the reason why the plague has befallen them, only the one who can solve the problem. Oedipus' plight in Sophocles' Oedipus Rex illustrates hubris, specifically the realization that having excessive pride is damaging, which is a moral presented to the reader over the course of the play. At the start of the play Oedipus is blissfully unaware of his fate, however, the more he digs for the truth, the more his hubris demonstrates that this is a tragic flaw. During the beginning of the play, Oedipus is a man full of pride, denying that he could be a person affected by fate and prophecies. He boasts about his accomplishments and how he is the one who had saved Thebes before. For example, Oedipus says, "But then I came, Oedipus, who knew nothing. / yet I finished her off, using my wits / rather than relying on birds. That's the man / you want to overthrow, hoping, no Get more content on StudyHub.Vip

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Essay about Oedipus Rex With its popularity equivalent to the modern day version of the tale of Snow White, the title character of the Greek tragedy of Sophocles' Oedipus the King can turn iron–fists into timorous wimps. As an honorable king and a miracle worker, the positive attributes of Oedipus would have been worthy of taking into account had he not committed one of the greatest sins of human life – and yes, this was even worse than a verbal sin. Portrayed as the protagonist and villain, Oedipus ' situation was destined by the supreme will of the gods and any attempt to escape the evil that the gods intimidate him with would eventually fail, because his hubris towards his power and position would instigate more castigation from the gods. Although he was ...show more content... This is where dramatic irony comes to play. Oedipus thinks that he has killed a stranger, a king, the former husband of his wife and that he has escaped the impasse of his fate, since he is far away from his parents. The audience knows that Oedipus' biological parents are Laius and Jocasta and that his oracle came all too soon; he kills his father during his running away and marries his mother after becoming a hero of Thebes. Had Polybus and Merope been Oedipus' biological parent, Oedipus would have made a successful effort in averting his fate. However, the gods gave him ignorance so that he would not be exposed to the truth, and therefore, he would go wrong in his attempts of running from them. Ever since he became King of Thebes, Oedipus regards his power and position honorably. There are some instances where he shows too much pride, especially in his intelligence. At times he takes his heroic act – saving the Thebans from the riddling Sphinx – for granted. Take for example the argument between Teresias and Oedipus when the blind prophet was unwilling to give out any information and Oedipus said, "There was a riddle, not for some passer–by to solve – it cried out for a prophet. Where were you? Did you rise to the crisis? Not a word...No, but I came by...I stopped the Sphinx! With no Get more content on StudyHub.Vip

oedipus rex In Sophocles' play, Oedipus Rex, there are many themes that are woven through the life of King Oedipus, and revealed through the key points of the plot. One of the most important themes is the inevitability of ones' fate. Although fate is considered the usual genre of the Greeks in playwriting there, are specifics that Oedipus conducts unusual to our own way of thinking of a king during the Ancient Greek times. For example: Oedipus's ignorance of believing what is said from his wife, Iocaste and others. Also there is the prophecy and tragedy portrayed in the story. The action and plot/structure of the play is part of what makes it one of the most studied Greek, plays ever. Even today one of the most famous themes is the idea that ...show more content... Yet, it is because of his character as a great discoverer of truth and a man determined to find out what he has decided to discover, that Oedipus meets with tragic reversal. In the scene where he is cross–examining the shepherds, Iocaste begs him not to carry the investigation further, but he pays no heed to her words, in page 1336 the shepherd says, "In God's name do not torture a old man. Unhappy king! What more do you wish for?" It is this determination of Oedipus to find out the whole truth at any cost, which makes him tragic. According to Aristotle, the tragic hero must be a person of noble birth and prosperity whose misfortune results, form depravity or vice but from some hamartia. Hamartia is translated as an error of judgment by most critics, but interpreted as tragic flaw by some. Oedipus is clearly the intermediate kind of person stipulated by Aristotle. However, it is difficult to say that his misfortune befalls him because of some flaw in his character, or some error of judgment committed by him. There is no doubt that his character has several flaws, and that he commits some errors of judgment, but the question is whether these errors are the cause of his tragedy. Oedipus is no doubt rash, impatient, irritable and passionate. He is also very proud of his intelligence, and believes that he can find the answer to every problem. Yet, if we take his tragedy to be the basic actions of incest and parricide, then these flaws and errors of Oedipus are quite Get more content on StudyHub.Vip

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Oedipus Rex Essay In Oedipus Rex, Sophocles explores the conflict between a man's intellectual reasoning and the universe beyond his grasp. This may seem like a generalization, but the play's minor conflicts are arguably derivatives of the main struggle. As we would see, the fate or destiny that opposes Oedipus does not act directly on him, but creates a domino effect that through other conflicts drive him to face his destiny by unearthing his true identity. Similar to the Sphinx's riddle that gave power to Oedipus , he must travel the different stages of life in order to "know thy–self" (Rudnytsky 264). The play opens with what may seem like a trivial conflict between Oedipus and the forces of nature, but the plague and other misfortunes that afflicted ...show more content... Creon tells that "Apollo commands to take revenge upon whoever killed him [King Laius]", and Oedipus without any further reasoning proclaims that the murderer must be exile, bringing to himself doom (DiYanni 1310). Nevertheless, is the oracle Teiresias by accusing Oedipus of committing the murder who really sparks the conflict between Oedipus and Creon, the conflict of man versus man. Believing Creon is behind a plot to overthrow him and lacking any concrete evidence, Oedipus fails to his proclaimed intellect and fearing the prophecy could be true, mocks Teiresias for his blindness and charges Creon with treason. When the tension between both characters begins to build up Jocasta enters to give a solution by giving hopes to Oedipus stating that the prophecies were wrong because a herdsman, witness to the murder, had different information. This only prolongs the inevitably truth until the servant to which Jocasta gave up Oedipus dissipates any doubt of the "patricide and incest" Oedipus innocently committed (Letters). Both Oedipus and Jocasta thought the truth was more powerful than the prophecies or the will of the gods. Even though, their biggest mistake was based on the initial prophecy in which he would kill his father and marry his mother, which made Jocasta to give up Oedipus and Oedipus to wrongly flee from Corinth. They both, unknowingly, trying to disprove the supernatural with Get more content on StudyHub.Vip

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Oedipus Rex Research Paper 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 ...show more content... 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 Get more content on StudyHub.Vip

Is Oedipus Responsible For His Own Downfall In both the current era and the time of the ancient Greeks Sophocles' play Oedipus Tyrannus is seen as the quintessential model of Greek Tragedy. This is due to the intricate questions of morality that are masterfully woven into the literature and the fact that "perhaps no classical Greek play that has stimulated as much critical discussion" (Harris and Platzner Classical Mythology: Images and Insights, p.648). One of the dominant arguments the tragedy generates is whether Oedipus is responsible for the abhorrent crimes of patricide and incest. The answer to which is yes. To be human is to have choice and it is evident throughout the play that Oedipus's reckless decisions are to blame for the violations against his parents. Due to ...show more content... Oedipus is incapable of clear thought and unfortunately it was of the utmost importance to criticize the oracle and act accordingly. Oedipus's character suggests that he "believes all questions have answers and that humans can ascertain those answers by applying their wits and their logic"(Harris and Platzner Classical Mythology: Images and Insights, p.656). This being the case, Oedipus should have been able to avoid making a rash, senseless choice in his reaction to the oracle. Because of his complete faith in Apollo's oracle, he immediately leaves Corinth in an attempt to avoid the despicable atrocity of killing his father and engaging in incest with his mother. Regrettably, it is this very action that charts his course towards a violent path of destruction. One can see that as a result of Oedipus's recklessness he has allowed the prophecy to become "self–fulfilling" and if had not heeded the oracle's forecast it would have never become a harsh reality (Harris and Platzner Classical Mythology: Images and Insights, p.649). Near the end of Sopholcles's distinguished tragedy, Oedipus finally recognizes the truth and he insists his actions are the fault of Apollo. He shrieks blame upon the god for the monstrous events and he violently cries, "Apollo it was, Apollo, friends who brought to pass these evil, evil woes of mine" (Oedipus Tyrannus, 1274–1278). Oedipus is consumed by Get more content on StudyHub.Vip

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Mythology in Oedipus Rex Essay examples Mythology in Oedipus Rex In "The Oedipus Legend" Bernard M. W. Knox talks of the advantages accruing to Sophocles as a user of myths in his dramas: The myths he used gave to his plays, without any effort on his part, some of those larger dimensions of authority which the modern dramatist must create out of nothing if his play is to be more than a passing entertainment. The myths had the authority of history, for myth is in one of its aspects the only history of an age that kept no records. . . . the myths served as typical patterns of the conduct of man and the manifestation of the gods (85). This essay seeks to explore the life of the flawed mythological person, Oedipus , as protagonist of ...show more content... The epic was most probably put into writing early in the seventh century before the present era. . . . "And I saw the mother of Oedipodes, fair Epicste, who wrought a monstrous deed in ignorance of mind in that she wedded her own son, and he, when he had slain his own father, wedded her, and straightway the gods made these things known among men. . . .She made fast a noose on high from a lofty beam, overpowered by her sorrow." (Bowra 33). From this we can deduce that the myth used by Sophocles in Oedipus Rex had to be older than the seventh century BC because Homer employed it at that time. C. M. Bowra in "Sophocles' Use of Mythology " gives the rationale behind the Attic dramatists' preference for myths in their plays: Myth provided the framework of drama, which illustrated in a highly concrete and cogent way some important crisis or problem, and that is why Greek tragedy can be called symbolical. The old stories are indeed told again for their own sake, and there is no lack of dramatic tension and human interest, but they also exemplify some far–reaching problem, which is admirably presented in this individual shape(31). The Homeric myth provides the story of the fall of a man from prosperity to adversity. Sophocles takes the myth and dramatizes it in such a way that every word and action makes an impact on the Get more content on StudyHub.Vip

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Mythology in Oedipus Rex Essays Mythology in Oedipus Rex E. T. Owen in "Drama in Sophocles' Oedipus Tyrannus" comments on the mythological beginnings of Oedipus Rex: Professor Goodell says: "Given an old myth to be dramatized, Sophocles' primary question was, 'Just what sort of people were they, must they have been, who naturally did and suffered what the tales say they did and suffered?" That was his method of analysis (38). The Greek Sophoclean tragedy Oedipus Rex is based on a myth from the Homeric epic Odysseus. With his tragic flaw the protagonist, Oedipus, lives out the main episodes of the Homeric myth. In his essay "Sophoclean Tragedy" Friedrich Nietzsche searches out the mythology in this drama, and finds that the ...show more content... From this we can deduce that the myth used by Sophocles in Oedipus Rex had to be older than the seventh century BC because Homer employed it at that time. C. M. Bowra in "Sophocles' Use of Mythology" gives the rationale behind the Attic dramatists' preference for myths in their plays: Myth provided the framework of drama, which illustrated in a highly concrete and cogent way some important crisis or problem, and that is why Greek tragedy can be called symbolical. The old stories are indeed told again for their own sake, and there is no lack of dramatic tension and human interest, but they also exemplify some far–reaching problem, which is admirably presented in this individual shape(31). The Homeric myth provides the story of the fall of a man from prosperity to adversity. Sophocles takes the myth and dramatizes it in such a way that every word and action makes an impact on the audience. The audience can see the error that beset Oedipus, and see his living state of mind as reflected in themselves; they empathize with him in his moral decline. Aristotle's analysis admits that the tragic flaw in Oedipus could be either a moral misjudgment or an intellectual error on the part of the king. In his essay "On Misunderstanding the Oedipus Rex," E. R. Dodds takes the reader back to Aristotle in his consideration of this question of the flaw: I shall take Aristotle as my starting point. . . .

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Oedipus Rex Essay Questions

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