... for harmony to exist, a person should have a perfect mix of light and dark, good and evil or triumphs and tragedies. Therefore, when trying to compare and contrast the themes of Oedipus Rex and Lysistrata, readers should analyze them both with a Ying and Yang state of mind. Both these plays seem to share three main characteristics. They both embrace, the concept of fate ... the prophecy. It is quit apparent that love and war cannot exist with out one another. Both Lysistrata and Oedipus Rex use the concept of love and war/hate to consolidate the main themes of each play. In order to avo...

• Word Count: 1200
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• Grade Level: High School

... was told by Sophocles, is the epitome of a Greek tragedy according to Aristotle. In Oedipus Rex the main character, namely Oedipus Rex, was faced with many devastating and unequivocal tragedies that would test the courage of any man. Oedipus grew up in Corinth, but left when an oracle predicted that he would kill his father and marry his mother. After leaving his faults were revealed ... his banishment makes this a truly woeful and saddening tragedy. The characters in Oedipus Rex develop the plot in the story and make it a complete tragedy. The main character, Oedipus, had some undesira...

• Word Count: 410
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... was told by Sophocles, is the epitome of a Greek tragedy according to Aristotle. In Oedipus Rex the main character, namely Oedipus Rex, was faced with many devastating and unequivocal tragedies that would test the courage of any man. Oedipus grew up in Corinth, but left when an oracle predicted that he would kill his father and marry his mother. After leaving his faults were revealed ... his banishment makes this a truly woeful and saddening tragedy. The characters in Oedipus Rex develop the plot in the story and make it a complete tragedy. The main character, Oedipus, had some undesira...

• Word Count: 410
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• Grade Level: High School

... someway."(Grade saver, Online) In Oedipus's case he is superior, not only because he is smart, but also because he is the only one who solved the Sphinx's riddle. Another major element of tragedy is the tragic situation. The tragic situation must have no solution and involves the characters in a tragedy. Another form of literature involved in "Oedipus Rex" is the role that fate ... plays in the play. Oedipus's fate is pre-determined by a prophecy. During the play, Oedipus's fate is determined and the truth of the prophecy is revealed. A writer once said, "Fate is something ... characte...

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... Greek tragedy of Oedipus Rex, written by Sophocles, owes much of its impact to the audience's previous knowledge of the characters and their fate. This circumstance allowed the playwright to make powerful use of irony and allusion. Throughout the story Oedipus searches for his identity, and the answers to his questions are visible to the audience, but not to Oedipus. Sophocles illustrates ... these answers, the truth, by using irony. There are three types of irony, and I will define each of them and discuss their use in Oedipus Rex. I will also discuss the significance of irony to the pl...

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... of free will vs. fate is thoroughly examined through the tragedies of Oedipus, Jocasta, and several other characters. Sophocles justifies his belief in fate in telling the legend of Oedipus. In the Oedipus trilogy, most characters rely heavily on the words of prophets. In fact, the legend begins with a prophecy. In the beginning of Oedipus Rex, Creon is returning from the Oracle at Delphi. He brings news ... , in his dreams, has shared his mother's bed. Take such things for shadows, nothing at all " Live, Oedipus, as if there's no tomorrow!- --Oedipus Rex, Lines 1068-1078 Later, Oedipus ...

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... are the cause of joys and disappointments in life. Oedipus Rex obviously shows that Sophocles, the playwright, supported the idea of fate. It is not by ones own actions that make our final outcome, but we are all destined from the beginning. Many of the characters believed in oracles and fate. " Fate rules us and ... nothing can be foreseen" (p 345). When Oedipus was an infant, Jocasta tried to kill him so she could sidestep her fate. Unfortunately the oracle could not ... great effort to separate himself from whom he thought was his real parents. Sometimes one might try to overcome fa...

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Reflections and Commentary On Oedipus Rex Humanities 211 In Evaluating the Play Oedipus Rex three important elements we must consider are the following... Who was Oedipus? Oedipus - is the principle character in the tragedy Oedipus Rex. He has become the king before the play begins. In retrospect, you as the observer, discover that Oedipus is a very clever man, and that he saved ... of the play, He doesn't know himself at all, neither his parents" names nor his own unnatural crimes. Who killed King Larius? Oedipus , the main character of the play is confronted with the element of a prophecy c...

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... downfall. "How terrible to seek the truth when the truth is only pain to him who sees! "(P.g. 176). Upon hearing this from Tiresias, Oedipus inadvertently lets his emotions control him by suddenly accusing Tiresias of the crime. It is not until the blind prophet Tiresias says, "Creon is not your ... , no you are your own," " (pg.181; line 432) that Oedipus's decisions will affect the rate in which the prophecy comes to light. Despite Oedipus's determined search for the truth, he knowingly ignored the warnings given to him by other characters in the play. Tiresias, Jacasta, and the herdsm...

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... Oedipus Rex starts off with the plague, which is happening in the city of Thebes. As Thebes's King, Oedipus has to solve this plague. However, by soling this plague, Oedipus finds his origin and his background of where he came from. And here it comes the plot of the dramatic conflicts of the drama. Oedipus ... brother to find out how to solve the problem. Creon brought news that Thebes suffers because the former king Laios's murder has not been avenged. Oedipus decided to seek this murderer, not only for the purpose of avenged but also the fear that murder might also be a threat to his...

• Word Count: 1308
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... Oedipus Rex starts off with the plague, which is happening in the city of Thebes. As Thebes's King, Oedipus has to solve this plague. However, by soling this plague, Oedipus finds his origin and his background of where he came from. And here it comes the plot of the dramatic conflicts of the drama. Oedipus ... brother to find out how to solve the problem. Creon brought news that Thebes suffers because the former king Laios's murder has not been avenged. Oedipus decided to seek this murderer, not only for the purpose of avenged but also the fear that murder might also be a threat to his...

• Word Count: 1308
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• Grade Level: High School

... Oedipus Rex starts off with the plague, which is happening in the city of Thebes. As Thebes's King, Oedipus has to solve this plague. However, by soling this plague, Oedipus finds his origin and his background of where he came from. And here it comes the plot of the dramatic conflicts of the drama. Oedipus ... brother to find out how to solve the problem. Creon brought news that Thebes suffers because the former king Laios's murder has not been avenged. Oedipus decided to seek this murderer, not only for the purpose of avenged but also the fear that murder might also be a threat to his...

• Word Count: 1308
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... respected men of his day, Sophocles uniquely combined Greek mythology with tragedy into the two of his most known plays: Antigone and Oedipus Rex. At the beginning of Oedipus the King, Oedipus is highly confident, and with good reason. He has saved Thebes from the curse of the Sphinx and becomes the king of the ... been corrupted by power. In Greek mythology the gods are rarely wrong in their predictions of the future. Yet some characters still ignore their predictions. Oedipus was a sharp man furnished with wit and intellect, yet his lack of self-knowledge and his arrogance led to his t...

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• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... if not all, of the other characters. The plague terrorizing Corinth, Laios" and Jocasta's death, and the demise of the sphinx were all caused by Oedipus" actions and decisions. Not to mention how his children were affected. The ironic thing about this play is that many of Oedipus" choices were intended to prevent ... was his unrelenting quest for the truth and for self-discovery that lead to his eventual downfall. The tragic vision of Oedipus Rex is increased by the fact that for all of Oedipus" actions he is never the lone sufferer. Whether it be his birth parents, his children or even ...

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Even though I did not enjoy the ending of Sophocles' Oedipus Rex, I did however, find the first part of the play to be interesting. It was almost like a puzzle for me, in the sense that I had to figure out what was going on from the way the characters spoke. Despite this, I was able to understand with the help ... signifies the punishment that Apollo placed upon her for trying to change the fate of her and her husband's life -- trying to kill her own baby boy-Oedipus. I think the Gods have a plan for each of them and it is going to be fulfilled no matter which path they think they can take to...

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... intellectual errors. OEDIPUS is proud and over confident;he harbours unjustified suspicions against teiresias and creon; in one place he goes so far as to express some uncertainity about the truth of oracles. OEDIPUS REX is not a detective story but a dramatized folk love.exceptional qualities of head and heart must be present in a tragic hero.With Greeks all the principal characters must be of ... heroic stature. OEDIPUS litrally means "swoolen feet"some critics say that play has started with climax "Sophocle's tragedies ... he begota son that son was fated to kill him and marry his w...

• Word Count: 263
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... and ultimately leads to their demise. The King's flaw is his pompous, arrogant attitude that he uses to place himself above those around him. This hubris also leads Oedipus to have a quick, violent temper when his ego feels threatened. One of his greatest threats was the words spoken by the blind prophet, Tiresias. As Tiresias tries ... finally they all come together and he realizes their truthfulness and how wrong he is. His own intelligence, hubris and excessive pride bring the character of Oedipus Rex to his demise. Even though Oedipus is blessed with a superior intelligence, he sti...

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... two tragedies in which the main characters are memorable. In Oedipus, the king's dangerous pride ultimately leads to his downfall. Throughout the play, other characters constantly beg him to stop his search for the truth, but he will not until he has learned that he in fact murdered his father and slept with his mother. ... In the First Ode, the chorus calls upon the gods to save Thebes from the horrible plague that is upon it. In the scene immediately following this entreaty, Oedipus takes ... being able to pay for the house, and it is a shame that Willy will not be there to enjoy the...

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ACCEPTING RESPONSIBILITY In the tragedies of Sophocles, human responsibility plays an important role to the significance of the characters. Oedipus accepts responsibility as a tragic hero, as does Antigone. It seems however, that Antigone shows a greater willingness to accept her responsibility. Oedipus" basic flaw is his lack of knowledge of his own identity. He starts out as a good king, and finds out laios is killed, threatening the killer to a severe punishment. He doesn't know, however, that is was actually him that killed him until later. Oedipus' unyielding desire to uncover the truth a...

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... . I shudder to think of a world where Luke doesn't have Han Solo by his side! All kidding aside, supporting characters are what make stories great and memorable, and these three plays prove that amazingly. Oedipus Rex, what a sad poor man. But he himself wasn't really all that deep or memorable of a character. Yes the ... Tiresias. The blind leading the blind, I guess you could say. In Antigone, we again follow the bloodline of Oedipus, through his daughters and sons. Again though, you see major development in the secondary characters. Again we see our old friend Tiresias, although I fee...

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... as a device to pray or to call on the Gods in a story. The Chorus can be used for many different things. In the three plays, Agamemnon, Oedipus Rex, and The Bacchae, the Chorus is used for a variety of different reasons. These are three plays from ancient Greek times. They are from three different authors. In ... That is when the Queen confesses to killing Agamemnon and Cassandra. The Chorus ends with saying that Agamemnon's son will return to avenge his father's death. In Oedipus Rex the Chorus again is used for a variety or different reasons. When the Chorus first enters the play they a...

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... most respected men of his day, Sophocles uniquely combined Greek mythology with tragedy into the two of his most known plays: Antigone and Oedipus Rex. At the beginning of Oedipus the King, Oedipus is highly confident, and with good reason. He has saved Thebes from the curse of the Sphinx and becomes the king of the ... been corrupted by power. In Greek mythology the gods are rarely wrong in their predictions of the future. Yet some characters still ignore their predictions. Oedipus was a sharp man furnished with wit and intellect, yet his lack of self-knowledge and his arrogance led to...

• Word Count: 1256
• Approx Pages: 5
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... quot;Oedipus Rex", by John Bennett and Moira Kerr, is a story about a young man named "Oedipus", son of the Corinth, who attempts to escape his fate of killing his father. In "Antigone", by E.F. Watling, Antigone, the daughter of Oedipus, ... true! ...All the oracles had been right: Laius had been murdered by his own son, Oedipus," (2-3, Bennett and Kerr). Oedipus was overjoyed that he evaded the fate of killing his own father, the king of Corinth. But ... and the people grew hungry; disease spread among the Thebans, and they could not be cured" (2, Bennett and Kerr). Oedipus had everyt...

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... Oedipus Rex, or Oedipus the King has set the standard for the formula of a Tragedy. Unfortunately, most people today are unable to see the play in real time; they have only read the lines from the play, usually in form of a short story. By just putting those words into a book, it is hard to grasp the emotional feelings emitting from the characters ... . But, reading the play for yourself or in a group is a different experience that cannot be described, imagination and creativity takes place when you read. By either reading or watching Sophocles" play "Oedipus Rex" you experience the class...

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... described as the difference between what the audience knows and what the characters know to be true. One example of irony would be in Oedipus Rex. In Scene 1 on page 54, Oedipus is talking about the murder of Laios. Starting on line 222, Oedipus is telling his people what they should do if they meet up ... that man. Or speak to him, no matter who he is or let him join in sacrifice, lustration or prayer." This example of irony continues as Oedipus continues to say, "I decree that he be driven from every house, Being as he is corruption itself to us: the Delphic Voice of Zeus has pronoun...

• Word Count: 370
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• Grade Level: High School