Oedipus The King Character Analysis - 1429 Words

Prabesh Adhikari Mrs. Long-Goldberg Honors World Lit/Comp 26 September, 2017 Ignorance Can Lead to Great Agony Plays were of great importance in early Greek culture. Plays were the main source of entertainment, and one of the most prominent examples is Oedipus the King written by Sophocles. The drama is uplifted by the character development and excellent structure Sophocles has put forward. Interactions between characters and each character’s motivations generate brilliant themes throughout the play. Sophocles uses a technique called recognition, which illustrates a character’s turn from ignorance to the truth. The play is about the city of Thebes, which is racked by a plague and a crisis that is quickly wiping humans from the†¦show more content†¦Oedipus does not want to put any effort into studying the truth because his domination is his top priority and he wants his people to see him as a savior. Moreover, when Tiresias reveals that Oedipus is Laius’ killer, Oedipus fumes in anger and states â€Å"Blind,/ lost in the night, endless night that nursed you!/You can’t hurt me or anyone else who sees the light-/you can never touch me† (425-428). Oedipus does not think about what Tiresias is saying, as soon he hears his name being misused he became enraged. Oedipus does not think about his involvement in the whole incident, instead his ignorance leads him to think Creon and Tiresias are plotting against him. Oedipus is the king and he thinks he is the most powerful man ever. He thinks Tiresias cannot hurt him because he is blind. The combination of Oedipus’ ego and selfishness steers him to become completely blinded to the truth and does not want to even think about taking responsibility. Oedipus’ main motivation for ignoring Tiresias’ prophecy is the authority he has over the citizens. Consequently, Oedipus refuses to see the truth when it’s right in front of him. His selfishness and ignorance propels him to be close minded rather than being open to multiple possibilities. As the play continues, Oedipus goes through a phase of recognition in which he is forced to accept the truth as he learns more about his origin, but his ignorance is still his weakness.Show MoreRelatedCharacter Analysis Of Oedipus The King1419 Words   |  6 PagesCan Lead to Great Agony Plays were of great importance in early Greek culture. Plays were the main source of entertainment, and one of the most prominent examples is Oedipus the King written by Sophocles. The drama is uplifted by the character development and excellent structure Sophocles has put forward. Interactions between characters and each character’s motivations generate brilliant themes throughout the play. Sophocles uses a technique called recognition, which illustrates a character’s turnRead MoreOedipus the King Character Analysis1321 Words   |  6 PagesLancaster ENG230 11/25/2010 Oedipus the King Character Analysis Oedipus the King had accomplished many great things during his reign of Thebes and in his life time. Oedipus found out during his reign in Thebes that the Gods who loved him also knew his devastating fate. As a young man when Oedipus answered the riddle the Sphinx he soon found his self having everything want and need. He earned his spot as the new King of Thebes, he had a great wife and lovely set of childrenRead MoreCharacter Analysis Of Oedipus The King1961 Words   |  8 PagesCharacter Analysis of Oedipus: Oedipus the King Oedipus the King is a Greek tragedy play written by Sophocles, and it made its first debut around 429 BCE. It is one among the Theban trilogy plays. 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He determines a tragedy as a drama that brings about a sorrowful conclusion, arousing fear and pity in the audience (Roberts and JacobsRead MoreOedipus Rex and Aristotle Essay example894 Words   |  4 PagesThe Six Elements of a Tragedy in â€Å"Oedipus Rex† Aristotle’s â€Å"The Poetics† describes the process of a tragedy. It is not the guide per se of writing a tragedy but is the idea’s Aristotle collected while studying tragedies. A tragedy, according to Aristotle, consists of six major points. The first and most important is the plot, which is what all the other points are based on. Such points are: character, language, thought, melody, and spectacle (Aristotle). A prime example of the usage of theseRead MoreOedipus the King: A Greek Tragic Hero Essay516 Words   |  3 Pagesstructured analysis of the â€Å"tragic hero† of Greek drama. 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