... a supernatural power." Although partly true, it is not entirely accurate in Sophocles' Oedipus the King. In the story, Oedipus is shown, on multiple occasions, as someone who, through his choices, seals his own fate. Throughout the story, Sophocles repeatedly shows that Oedipus' fate lies in the hands of, none other than, himself. Through his choices ... of leaving his adoptive parents, to his sheer determination, to his promise to his people, Oedipus' actions, unknowingly to him, can be seen as the ... he not left home, and remained with Polybus and Merope, his chances of bypassing the...

• Word Count: 690
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... it, Aristotle defines the three key elements that consist of the tragic plot ("muthos"): the reversal of the situation, the recognition ("agnorisis"), and the scene of suffering ("pathos"). The story of Oedipus begins with Laius, King of Thebes, who learns from the oracle that his son will kill him and marry his wife Jocasta. When a son is finally born, the king orders ... city, of Laius, former king of Thebes, is caught and banned. Through Oedipus" determination to seek the murderer, the shepherd who "rescued" Oedipus the baby comes forth, revealing his story, which leads to the downfa...

• Word Count: 696
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... a set up by Creon and plans to judge death or exile upon him. Oedipus turns to Jocasta the Queen and his wife, who is his mother and Creon's sister, to set things straight. She, as widowed wife to King Laius, recalls the story of the visit from an oracle to Laius that told him how his own ... son would be the one to cause his death, and how in the fear of this fate, Laius bound his three-day-old son's ankles and disposed of him on an uninhabited mountain. Oedipus was sent away from ... of the house of King Laius. At that climax, Jocasta realizes the dreadful truth. She did not wish to s...

• Word Count: 1933
• Approx Pages: 8
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... attempt to use the audience's knowledge to his advantage, Sophocles opens the play seventeen years after Oedipus murders his father, Laius and marries his mother, Jocasta. The sequence in which the story unravels reveals the strong psychological focus towards Oedipus' character. In search of his identity, Oedipus' enigmatic quality and moral ambiguity compels readers to question whether his ignorance renders him morally blameless. The ... vagueness about Oedipus' intellectual state can be interpreted as unconscious knowledge, which may make him morally culpable. Guilty ... ...

• Word Count: 631
• Approx Pages: 3
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... by Sophocles, the main character Oedipus is seen to follow his prophesized fate, which ends in his downfall. Strangely, it cannot however be said that the course of this hero's demise can be blamed on his weakness. It is in some ways quite contrary. The story is one of a man who ... is struggling with destiny and every choice he makes effects the outcome of the story dramatically. Oedipus is undeniably strong willed and self-assured and it is these steadfast qualities that cause ... him to make the very decisions which will eventually leave him distraught, blind, and exiled from his kin...

• Word Count: 859
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... leave it to another person to kill Oedipus. If Laius were to kill Oedipus himself, nothing would have happened. Another option for Laius would have been to imprison Oedipus and throw away the key, thereby keeping Oedipus alive and knowledgeable who his father is but ... was, gave him to King Polybus. This would later turn against Oedipus because of his ignorance of who his real parents are. Briefly mentioned and never seen, the most influential of Oedipus' father figures, Polybus could be seen as guilty or innocent when ... his part in dealing with Oedipus' fate. On the guilty side, Pol...

• Word Count: 483
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

The Golden Rule of Civility In the epic of The Odyssey, Homer explores a variety of different themes that heavily influence Odysseus" quest to return home and re-claim his throne as the rightful King. These themes are prevalent throughout the story and they significantly affect the fate of the entire Greek kingdom that Homer portrays. Equally as important, they reflect the dominance of these traditions in the Greek culture during the classic time period. While there were numerous themes in the epic, the role of hospitality was one of the most prominent. Throughout the story, Homer depicts scen...

• Word Count: 1626
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... an illustration of the social function of literature - encouraging the reader to question and delve deeper rather than assuming one version to be correct. Oedipus also is a study in ideology, paralleling itself with texts such as The Waste Land and Paradise Lost. Some ideological concerns, however, may ... have been altered during translation as preconceived notions and ideals often rule interpretation. The issues raised by King Oedipus such as incest, parricide, genetics, values and faith are all relative to that period in time. Subjects that may have been taboo during ... has been paro...

• Word Count: 1933
• Approx Pages: 8
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... He represents new rational decision making independent of the gods in part or in whole. Another medium in which reason is evident is through the play, Oedipus in which Oedipus really is a very rational and reasonable person, as he should be being king of Thebes. He does ask the gods for help but he also chooses ... to take on the responsibility to help rid Thebes of the Plague. Oedipus fears he may suffer the same fate as Laios if he does not banish his murderer, a highly rational decision especially considering that it was not specifically ... ordered sequence of events. The play is ba...

• Word Count: 1116
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: Undergraduate