... of the perfect Athenian. He is self-confident, intelligent, powerful, rich, and strong willed. Ironically, these are the very traits, which bring about his tragic discovery. Oedipus gained the rule of Thebes by answering the riddle of Sphinx. Sophocles used the riddle of the Sphinx as a metaphor for the 3 phases of ... Sphinx would have killed him for answering the riddle incorrectly. Sophocles used this to characterized Oedipus as a tragic man for he came about his tragic discovery not because of an evil act or an evil trait, but because of the person he was. Oedipus" traits, which ulti...

• Word Count: 1375
• Approx Pages: 6
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... of his psyche. Oedipus has repressed the disturbing memories of killing his father into that part of his psyche, which is his unconscious mind. The understanding that Oedipus has unconscious knowledge of his crime is supported by the similarity between the play's narrative and structure and the psychoanalytical process laid down by Sigmund Freud. The play follows the template of the ... his past in order to figure out the meaning of this current situation. In this sense, the conflict is not simply one where Oedipus makes a discovery about his past but, he is also bringing his unconsciou...

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

... similar to that of the use of dark throughout the play. Night is in reference to lies. Everything that he, or his eye, has seen has all resulted in the discovery of a lie. From the parents he thinks he has, to the family that he has, the world he has created centers around a lie. Until the moment he discovers that he ... use of light and dark symbolizes awareness of truth. The idea of light embodies truth in its purest form, while the dark emits the idea of naiveté and false knowledge. As he makes the transition from innocence to experience changes in character occur, heightening tragi...

• Word Count: 1365
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

... to utter the heavy secrets of my soul - and yours." Teiresias is uncertain about telling Oedipus what he doesn't yet know, however the audience does know, thus creating a sense of knowledge. This encourages the reader to be more involved. The suspense is built through use of irony in this conversation thus creating a greater fall when Oedipus unearths his unfortunate fate. Teiresias ... quote of the chorus on page 62 "Such suffering needs be borne twice; once in the body and once in the soul." Ironically, only after his huge journey of self-discovery does Oedipus reveal what he had been...

• Word Count: 1597
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School