Sophocles "Oedipus the King" is a tragic play which discusses the tragic discovery of Oedipus that he has killed his father and married his mother. The story of Oedipus was well known to the Athenian's. The main character Oedipus is the king of Thebes by solving the riddle of the Sphinx. ... According to Aristotle's definition of tragedy, Oedipus the king is the perfect example because it has many incidents that arouse pity or fear, it has a tragic hero, and it accomplishes catharsis (purification by release) of such emotions. ... In the play Oedipus says, Polybus was my father, ...

• Word Count: 319
• Approx Pages: 1
• Grade Level: High School

Aristotle was a great admirer of Sophocles'  'King Oedipus'. ... One of the effects of the tragedy is catharsis (cleansing) of the tragic emotions of pity and fear. The Greek word for "purgation" is Catharsis. ... Hegel thinks that Sophocles' Antigone is a perfect example of a tragedy. ... For example, Antigone was caught between doing the right thing from the religious point of view (burial of her dead brother) and doing the right thing from the point of view of law (obeying the king's orders). ...

• Word Count: 559
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School