(855) 4-ESSAYS

Type a new keyword(s) and press Enter to search

Literary Analysis of Oedipus the King

            One of the most long lasting questions throughout all of time is whether or not humans have free will or have lives that are predestine by some higher power. This idea of predestination is seen in the play Oedipus Rex by Sophocles. In this play the character Oedipus goes to an oracle to hear his feature but when he doesn't like what he hears he try's to stop it by fleeing the situation when in reality he was actually walking right into it. In Sophocles" play Oedipus Rex, Sophocles portrays his main idea of predestination through the use of discovery and reversal. .
             The first major character who goes through a reversal in this play is Oedipus" mother and wife Jocaste. Throughout most of this play Jocaste doesn't belive in soothsayers and predictions of destiny. We can see how she feels about the soothsayers when she says "If it is a question of soothsayers, I tell you that you will find no man whose craft gives knowledge of the unknowable"(Sophocles 185-186). This quote shows us that Jocaste doesn't believe that a person can get messages from the Gods about the destiny of a person. Jocaste does believe that a person has a destiny and reason for living but "It is God himself who can show us what he wills, in his own way"(Sophocles 199-200) and not the oracles. When Jocaste starts to get more information on the matter she starts to see that the oracle was right. When she finally puts all the pieces together she realizes what has happened she kills herself. .
             The next major character who goes through a reversal is Oedipus. It is clear to us that Oedipus believes in the prediction of the oracle at first because he leaves behind the people that he thought were his parents so the prediction would not come true. We can see he feels this way when he says "I wandered farther and farther on my way to a land where I should never see the evil sung by the oracle"(Sopholces 272-274). Then many years later when Oedipus talks to Teiresias, who is a soothsayer, Oedipus changes his belief on the nature of fate because Teiresias tells him that he was the one who killed king Laios which causes Oedipus to disbelieve the prophecy and the notion that a person can change their fate.


Essays Related to Literary Analysis of Oedipus the King

1. Oedipus Rex Literary Analysis

He is the self-assured king in search of the murderer of Laius, and after that in a quest of his own identity. ... After consulting an oracle, for fear that he will one day kill his father and marry his mother, Oedipus' biological parents, King Laius and Queen Jocasta, sent their son away to be killed. ... King Polybus and Queen Merope welcomed the unwanted being into their home. ... Oedipus, after solving the riddle of the Sphinx, is crowned King of Thebes because their former king had unexpectedly been slain. ... The information given to Oedipus from the aged shepherd, the man that h...

  • Word Count: 734
  • Approx Pages: 3
  • Grade Level: High School

2. In What Ways Does Oeddipus Tyrannus Exemplify or Deviate Fro

Aristotle's definition of tragedy is one of the most influential and important analysis" to come out of the literary world of ancient Greece. His analysis of the ideal form of tragic plays became a guideline for later playwrights in Western civilisation. ... Oedipus Tyrannus is considered by many to be your typical tragedy, Oedipus is the King and his land is suffering from plagues. He believes that to save his land he must bring to justice that murderer of the previous King- unbeknown to him- he killed the king who was also his father and he then married his mother. ... Oedipus is tak...

  • Word Count: 1959
  • Approx Pages: 8
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

3. Heroes and Blame in Greek Literature

In most literary tragedies, the hero is to blame for the tragic fall he or she undergoes. The responsibility for downfall is clear through analysis of a hero's free-willed actions, state of ignorance, and tragic nature. ... Similarly, in Oedipus the King, Oedipus is given the chance to learn the truth about his real parents when the blind prophet Tiresias accuses him of being "all unknowing,"" and shouts "you are the scourge of your own flesh and blood"" (Sophocles, 183). ... Oedipus, a true tragic hero, receives sympathy rather than rage from the chorus as they collectively shout "you de...

  • Word Count: 660
  • Approx Pages: 3
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

4. The Choral Ode - Analysis Essay

A blind prophet, Tiresias, has accused their current king, Oedipus, of being the murderer. Upon hearing this, Oedipus is outraged, and the townspeople are concerned. ... Through the chorus, Sophocles employs literary devices such as imagery, repetition, and shifting of tone to convey how the townspeople feel in this current situation. ... It is extremely difficult for them to fathom how their seemingly noble king can possibly murder their previous king. ... The last line of the ode, "Never will I convict my king, never in my heart " (line 572), essentially is what wraps up the townspeople'...

  • Word Count: 950
  • Approx Pages: 4

5. To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf

In general sense, the way of telling the story is called point of view and this literary term has its subtitles which are divided for now into three groups; first person narration, second person narration, and third person narration and also these subtitles have their own subtitles. ... This essay examines one of the pioneer's work, To the Lighthouse and the significance of stream of consciousness technique throughout the novel in order to understand the psychological analysis of the characters in To the Lighthouse. ... Virginia started with reviewing a clerical paper called the Guardi...

  • Word Count: 2838
  • Approx Pages: 11
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: High School

Got a writing question? Ask our professional writer!
Submit My Question