Description
I have provided a synopsis of the Oedipus Rex Myth to orient your viewing of the play:
The son of Laius and Jocasta, King and Queen of Thebes, Oedipus is the unfortunate main protagonist of “one of the best-known of all legends” in Ancient Greek – or any other – mythology. Left, while still a baby, to die in the mountains by his father – who had been warned that his son would kill him and marry his wife – Oedipus was eventually adopted by the childless King Polybus and Queen Merope of Corinth. After accidentally finding about the gruesome prophecy himself, in fear and disgust, the young Oedipus fled Corinth and – guided by cruel destiny – wound up crossing paths with his real father at a narrow crossroad; after a brief argument with Laius’ charioteer over who had the right to go first, Oedipus killed both of them. Wandering aimlessly, he subsequently reached the city of Thebes where he encountered the monstrous gate-guarding Sphinx; after he answered her riddle, the Sphinx went mad and hurled herself to her death. As a reward for rescuing the city from this vicious beast, Oedipus was afterward offered the vacant throne of Thebes and the hand in marriage of the ex-king’s widow, his very own mother. Jocasta bore her son four children – Polynices, Eteocles, Antigone, and Ismene.
Sophocles's play begins at this point. Oedipus is unaware that in trying to escape his fate (prophecy), he has run directly into it. The gods send a plague on Thebes for this taboo marriage and procreation, and Oedipus sends Creon (brother-in-law/uncle) to the Oracle at Delphi to gain some insight into how to rid Thebes of Plague.
And, so the play begins...
This is the link
Essay Prompt:
Discuss how effectively Sophocles is able to produce feelings of PITY for the Hero and FEAR in the audience through his crafting of character and plot in order to produce Catharsis--the purging of these emotions.
What specific qualities, as denoted by Aristotle in his Poetics, does Oedipus reveal that allows us to sympathize with his character and feel pity at his fall?
How is the plot and action constructed in such a way as to make Oedipus' decisions, based on his character makeup, almost necessary and inevitable; thus, the audience suspends its disbelief, gets caught up in the events, because they are so plausible, and fears that they might act in the same way if they were the character in the tragedy?
Possible outline:
Thesis: State an evaluation of how effectively Sophocles produces catharsis through Pity and Fear. State that you will support your view through an analysis of Character and Plot based on Aristotle's "rules" for each so as to produce pity and fear.
Body Paragraphs:
Character qualities and actions that inspire Pity
Support through citation reference to the Play
Discussion of support
Plot constructs based on cause of effect (possibility, probability, necessity) lending themselves to a realistic situation.
Support through citation reference to the Play
Discussion of support
Conclusion
Explanation & Answer
View attached explanation and answer. Let me know if you have any questions.
Running head: OEDIPUS REX ANALYSIS
Oedipus Rex Analysis
Student’s name:
Institutional affiliation:
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OEDIPUS REX ANALYSIS
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Oedipus Rex Analysis
Thesis: Oedipus Rex, which is a play that focusses on the life of Oedipus offers a complex
tragedy in which the hero is also the villain – creating a story that evokes pity and fear in the
audience, since Oedipus unknowingly fulfills the prophesy in a miraculous manner.
Discuss how effectively Sophocles is able to produce feelings of PITY for the Hero and
FEAR in the audience through his crafting of character and plot in order to produce
Catharsis--the purging of these emotions.
Sophocles manages to produce feelings of pity for Oedipus the hero of the play by first
associating him with a curse, where his father discovered from an oracle that Oedipus would
eventually kill his father and marry his own mother (Sophocles & Young, 1991). This is a
pitying discovery for viewers since the birth of a child is usually a blessing and a point of
celebration rather than concern about the curse the child brings. Sophocles also enhances pity for
the hero of the play by showing that Oedipus was then sentenced to death by his father, who
gave him over to his own mother to kill him. The death of a new born by way of execution is
definitely a pitying incident, especially if the child is associ...
