Baffled by the reluctance of the people to heal, Oedipus, who became the king after he solved the riddle of the Sphinx, sends his brother-in-law, Creon, at first a good natured, and rational being, to find the cure for the city's current disaster. Creon informs Oedipus that in order to save Thebes, he must solve the murder of the previous king, Lauis, who was killed at crossroads years ago. ... When Oedipus told the story about when he killed travelers who threatened to push him off the road, the audience saw that Oedipus has the capacity to behave recklessly. ... Then, he demands that t...

• Word Count: 1098
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

The only negative character in this story is Oedipus´ actual father who ordered to have the boy killed and then in a karmic twist got killed by his son as foretold, the rest of the characters have no personal blame for what was to occur. In other words the shepherd who saved the boy, Oedipus running from Corinth, Jocasta marrying the man who she fell in love with and who saved the state; all had very noble motivations. ... In Oedipus this is manifested through his desire to find out the truth. ... In his essay "On Misunderstanding the Oedipus Rex", E.R. ... Furthermore in the case of ...

• Word Count: 1353
• Approx Pages: 5
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

Firstly, the story is one that introduces the main character, Oedipus, very positively. As soon as the play opens, he is thought of one who is very compassionate, a good leader and is very concerned about the well being of his people. This is evident on pages 12-13 when Oedipus says, "I am ready to help, I'll do anything." This immediately portrays Oedipus as a character who readers are appealed to due to his attributes that are conveyed during the beginning of the play. ... Overall, through the various techniques used by Sophocles, Oedipus the King is clearly a Greek tragedy th...

• Word Count: 511
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

Imitation, then, can be in many models, but Aristotle asserts that imitation that represent men in action must be of men who are "superior or inferior, either better than we know in life, or worse, or of the same kind- (Aristotle 5). ... In Oedipus the King, the major reversal occurs when the messenger comes to cheer Oedipus and free him from his alarms about his mother. But, by revealing who he is, he only confirms Oedipus's worst fears, thus creating the opposite effect from the one intended. ... In the example of Oedipus the King, Oedipus's realization that he is, in fact, his fat...

• Word Count: 1068
• Approx Pages: 4
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate