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Greek Tragedy and "Oedipus Rex", 2002.
Examines the history of Greek tragedy and describes "Oedipus Rex" as the greatest of all Greek tragedies.
2,015 words (approx. 8.1 pages), 4 sources, £ 45.95
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Abstract
This paper examines the historical evolution and maturation of tragedy in ancient Greece, and the characteristics of a tragic hero. The author focuses on one of the most famous Greek tragedies, Oedipus Rex, and greatly details the story of Oedipus and his tragic flaws. The paper also discusses all elements in an ancient Greek production, such as the prologue, chorus, and exodus.
From the Paper
"Oedipus Rex is a story of one man?s pursuit for truth. Although Oedipus falls victim to obstacles he is unable to overcome, he encounters these obstacles along his journey to find the truth. In the view of Sophocles, the tragic hero must accept the responsibility for his actions, as does Oedipus in the final scene, regardless of his original motives and inability to control or understand the forces in which rule his life. The plot, Oedipus? search for truth, and the chorus are all contributing factors that make Oedipus Rex the greatest in the history of all Greek tragedies."
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Conventions of Tragedy in "Oedipus Rex", 2002.
Examines the components of Greek tragedy upon which Sophocles' "Oedipus Rex" are based.
2,283 words (approx. 9.1 pages), 5 sources, MLA, £ 50.95
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Abstract
By 500 B.C., Greek tragedy had reached a high point of popularity and was celebrated in religious festivals honoring Dionysus, god of wine and fertility. The paper shows that, taking it for granted that their audiences were familiar with the characters and themes, writers during this time based their dramatizations on myth and ritual. It discusses how, in addition to being familiar with the stories acted out on stage, the audience was aware of the workings of a Greek tragedy: how it progresses, what constitutes a tragic hero, what kinds of conflicts characters face, what moral statement or observation is being made. The paper shows that these four components provide the foundation for "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles and its enduring success as one of the greatest tragedies of all time.
From the Paper
"As does the plot, the characterization of the main character Oedipus revolves around situation more than interaction with other characters. Oedipus is the epitome of tragic heroes, doomed by the excess of some good quality within himself and willing to take responsibility for his ensuing actions (Richards 742). This quality in Oedipus, his hamartia, or tragic flaw, is an unquenchable desire for truth no matter what the cost, a desire that stems from his pride of intellect. Initially, Oedipus, still basking in the glory of having solved the riddle of the Sphinx, exhibits great selfconfidence in his wisdom, oblivious to the fact that his own identity remains concealed from himself. It is this ignorance of the adage "Know thyself," combined with Oedipus' quest for truth, that constitutes tragic character. In terms of Greek tragedy, Oedipus' suffering from hybris, an arrogance resulting from excess (pride, in Oedipus' case), leads to hamartia, the aforementioned tragic flaw that brings about his downfall (Brown 96). The chorus recognizes that "the tyrant is a child of Pride/Who drinks from his great sickening cup/Recklessness and vanity/Until from his high crest headlong/He plummets to the dust of hope" (Sophocles 57)."
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The Tragedies of Oedipus Rex and Othello, 2002.
A comparative analysis of the use of tragedy in the "Oedipus" Trilogy by Sophocles and the play "Othello" by William Shakespeare.
650 words (approx. 2.6 pages), 3 sources, £ 18.95
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Abstract
This paper will discuss the two characters Oedipus Rex in the "Oedipus" Trilogy by Sophocles, and the character Othello in the play "Othello" by William Shakespeare. By understand the usage of tragedy in these plays we can learn much from the way that it is sued within this medium of playwriting. With the notion of both characters eventually meeting other doom, we can see why they did not meet on the same terms their fates.
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"Oedipus Rex" as a Tragedy, 2004.
A discussion of the way that the play, "Oedipus Rex", is a tragedy.
816 words (approx. 3.3 pages), 2 sources, MLA, £ 20.95
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Abstract
In his classic work, "Poetics", Aristotle describes the elements of a tragedy. One of the most important elements is the tragic hero. The major characteristic of the tragic hero is a fatal flaw that results in their demise. Other common elements of a tragedy include the use of irony, the inclusion of an anagnorisis, and the catharsis that the audience experiences. These elements of the tragedy are all observed in "Oedipus Rex". Each of these elements are described in this paper.
From the Paper
"The first element present is the tragic hero, with King Oedipus taking on this role. King Oedipus's decline is based partly on his fate, where he is fated to kill his father and then marry his own mother. Importantly, it is not just this fate that results in his decline. If this were true, then it would not be his fatal flaw leading to the downfall. The fatal flaw, which Aristotle referred to as Hamartia, is Oedipus's ego and pride. His excessive pride and his strong ego results in Oedipus ignoring the fate, which represents the will of the Gods, and believing that he can overcome his fate. This results in King Oedipus leaving what he thinks is his own homeland and travelling to his real homeland where he kills his father and then marries his mother. This illustrates how his fatal flaw results in Oedipus causing his fate to become a reality."
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Sophocles' "Oedipus Rex", 2006.
A summary and analysis of the famous Greek tragedy by Sophocles, "Oedipus Rex".
1,872 words (approx. 7.5 pages), 4 sources, MLA, £ 42.95
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Abstract
This paper summarizes the plot of "Oedipus Rex" and analyzes the theme of the tragedy, explaining that the tragic story of Oedipus Rex was meant to serve as a lesson to others. That lesson, the paper explains, was that the punishment visited on the ruler was a sort of proof that the gods did not give special favor to the noble people and that the rules applied to everyone.
From the Paper
"In Greek tragedy, the hero is punished for some sin, made to pay the price even though in many cases what he will do has been foreordained. Aristotle surveyed the drama of his time and developed certain concepts regarding the nature of the tragic hero. The tragic hero must be an important person with a character flaw that causes him to make a great mistake leading to tremendous suffering and a fall from his high status. The tragedy derives from the fact that none of what occurs is the tragic hero's fault, for the tragic flaw predetermines his actions and seals his fate. Modern audiences may consider this inexplicable, for while viewers understand when someone is punished for a crime they commit intentionally, it is less clear how fault should be ascribed when the crime is not intentional."
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"Oedipus Rex", 2008.
An analysis of the character of Oedipus in Sophocles Greek tragedy, "Oedipus Rex."
1,008 words (approx. 4.0 pages), 0 sources, MLA, £ 25.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses the Greek tragedy, written by Sophocles, "Oedipus Rex." The paper questions whether Oedipus is the puppet of fate or the creator of his own fate or if he can be a combination of the two. The paper then contrasts the characters, Oedipus with Teiresias. It discusses how Oedipus at the beginning of the play contrasts with the Oedipus at the end. It also looks at the theme of seeing and blindness.
Table of Contents:
The Puppet of Fate or the Creator of His Own Fate
Oedipus Contrasted with Teiresias. Seeing and Blindness in the Play.
From the Paper
"Oedipus chooses to flee his fate by leaving his parental home. This is an act of free will. However, it is dramatically ironic that by this very attempt to flee, he fulfills the prophesy. Therefore, while he chooses freely to leave his home, he does so without knowing that the people who raised him are not in fact his parents. They however have chosen not to tell him the story of his abandonment and survival as an infant. If they had, they might have averted the disaster. What his adoptive parents choose to do is beyond Oedipus' control, and can therefore be viewed as fate from his point of view - there was nothing that he could do that would change this. Furthermore, it appears that Oedipus' very free will moves him closer to the fate dictated by the prophesy."
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The Greek Tragedy, 2002.
This paper provides a thorough analysis of Greek tragedy, with emphasis on Aeschylus, Euripides, and Sophocles.
2,715 words (approx. 10.9 pages), 8 sources, £ 58.95
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Abstract
This paper provides an in-depth look at the history of ancient Greek tragedy. The author discusses the works of Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides, and looks at how tragic drama evolved. The paper also examines stage customs, mythological roots of performance customs, and human ties with gods.
From the Paper
"The Greek tragedy represents the details of a very short period of history that ranges from about 480 BC, at the time when Aeschylus's early plays were performed, till the period when the last plays of Sophocles and Euripides were being performed at the end of the fifth century. The tragedies written by Sophocles and Euripides are the plays written in the fifty years from 480 BC, the time when the war with Persia came to an end, to 430 BC, the start of the Peloponnesian War with Sparta which later destroyed Athens as an independent city-state. It is quite interesting to note that the majority of mature plays of Sophocles and Euripides were written against a background of continuous war. There is no real evidence as to from where the tragedy writing originated, however it is widely believed that the development of tragic dialogue may have been influenced by dramatic presentations of classic and other forms of poetry but its harmonic origins are less well known."
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Greek Tragedy and Japanese Noh Drama, 2002.
A compare and contrast analysis of ancient Greek tragedy and Japanese Noh Drama.
2,835 words (approx. 11.3 pages), 7 sources, MLA, £ 60.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses the similarities and differences between Greek tragedy and Japanese Noh Drama. It examines how although they are separated by nearly two millennia, by thousands of miles and by cultural differences, both were theatrical traditions involving masked performers, frequent use of music and dancing, on-stage choruses and historic-mythological themes and stories drawn from traditions. It looks at how later centuries' understanding of them, depends heavily on Aristotle's "Poetics" and Zeami's essays on Noh drama and how the two writers' approaches indicate the principal difference in the two traditions.
From the Paper
"Greek drama originated in the choral hymns sung to the god Dionysus. Mimed episodes were enacted to accompany the dithyrambs of the seventh century and, as Aristotle has it, a "long series of changes" ended only on Tragedy's "attaining to its natural form" (Aristotle 670). The alternation of choral song and dance with enacted scenes predominated until Aeschylus introduced the second actor and "made the dialogue, or spoken portion, take the leading part in the play" (Aristotle 670). Sophocles introduced the third actor and scenery. And tragedy acquired its magnitude by expanding its scope and increasing the dignity of its presentation. The playwrights proceeded by discarding the trochaic meter, more appropriate to dancing, for the iambic which was more like natural speech."
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"Oedipus Rex" versus "Hamlet", 2007.
An analysis of the influence of the Sophoclean Grecian tragedy, "Oedipus Rex" on William Shakespeare's "Hamlet, The Prince of Denmark".
2,414 words (approx. 9.7 pages), 2 sources, MLA, £ 52.95
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Abstract
This paper evaluates the influential aspects of the Sophoclean Grecian tragedy on the latter forms of Shakespearean tragedy used within the Elizabethan period. It discusses the various psychological and political issues that abound in "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles and how Oedipus acts as a clear role model for the insanity that Hamlet exhibits within Shakespeare's "Hamlet, The Prince of Denmark".
From the Paper
"In conclusion, the reemergence of the Greek tragedy in the Elizabethan era can be readily seen through the works of William Shakespeare through the influence of Sophocles. The plays Hamlet: The Prince of Denmark and Oedipus rex provide textual examples of the psychological and political disposition of the heroic character that is doomed to death due to errors in judgment. By understanding the principle aspects of the tragic hero in the work of Sophocles, one can realize why Shakespeare uses many of the literary devices that define tragedy along the Greek model. This inevitably appears in Hamlet and Oedipus through the presence of insanity in their thought process, but also in their lack of control over the political forces that seek to destroy them. This is how William Shakespeare readily provides an example of the reemergence of Greek tragedy in the Elizabethan era through the tragic works of Sophocles."
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Female Bonding with Marriage in Greek Tragedy, 2002.
This paper takes a look at female-female bonds in the Greek tragedy and how those bonds contribute to the demise of marriage.
1,825 words (approx. 7.3 pages), 5 sources, £ 41.95
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Abstract
This paper examines wives? relationships with other women, be they mothers, daughters, or confidantes, as a destructive force in the minds of ancient Greek men.
From the Paper
"There are two main types of women that can change the course of an ancient Greek play by their effects on the tragic heroine: mother and confidante. In the Homeric Hymn to Demeter, we see the first of these types. Demeter, a mother distraught over her daughter?s abduction and rape, is only pacified by the breakup of Persephone?s marriage for four months out of the year. In this case, the cost of preserving the mother-daughter bond is the sacrifice of the daughter?s marriage for a third of every year. The maternal bond and the marriage bond seem to be incompatible; here, the two are unable to coexist spatially or temporally. It is Demeter who, by her passive-aggressive registration of disapproval, manages to become every son-in-law?s nightmare by turning his newlywed wife against him. "
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"Oedipus Rex", 2002.
A look at the themes of vision, perception and fate in the tragedy "Oedipus Rex", by Sophocles.
780 words (approx. 3.1 pages), 1 source, MLA, £ 19.95
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Abstract
According to the author, this work is filled with many seemingly tragic yet ironic occurrences. Whenever a character attempts to change fate, this is ironic to an audience who knows that the tragic outcome of the story cannot be avoided. Metaphors are analyzed which deal with eyes, sight and vision as well as distorted perception.
From the Paper
"It has been said many times that people have been blinded by the truth. The answer to their question or problem might have been right in front of their eyes all along. Yet, the fail to see the answer. Being blinded by the truth. This irony plays a role in Oedipus Rex. Oedipus while gifted with sight, is blind to himself. The blind may not have physical sight, but they have a different kind of vision that is just as precious. In Oedipus Rex, Teiresias, the blind prophet, presents the truth to King Oedipus and Jocasta. When Oedipus does find the truth, he loses his vision. Because of the truth, Oedipus gains a second vision. In Sophocles tragedy Oedipus Rex, Oedipus is blessed with the gift of perception, yet he cannot see what is right before his eyes. Blinded by the truth, this fleeting view was critical for development of self-awareness and growth of Oedipus."
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Fate in "Job" and "Oedipus Rex", 2005.
An analysis of the themes of fate and destiny as represented in the "Book of Job" and Sophocles' "Oedipus Rex".
1,244 words (approx. 5.0 pages), 0 sources, £ 30.95
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Abstract
Classical literature is filled with stories of capricious deities playing with human lives as if they were only pawns and the Greek tradition of tragedy is based upon celebrating this very aspect of the nature of the pantheon of Greek gods. This paper examines how Sophocles finds a perfect example of this celebration of fate, in the tragedy "Oedipus Rex". In comparison, it looks at how the story of Job uses the dramatic tension of a "wager" between God and Satan on the sincerity of Job's devotion to God. It shows that where Oedipus' life is bound up by fated situations and their fated outcomes, Job's story is one of choice in the midst of supernaturally imposed difficulties. While both strive to teach resignation to the will of God, they each espouse quite different attitudes in resignation.
From the Paper
"In Oedipus Rex, Sophocles presents a view of life fixed by fate. This fate, predetermined by the gods, is the sole factor in deciding human destiny. Tiresias expresses his understanding of the unchangeable fate of Oedipus, laid out by the gods, as he argues with the King about revealing the truth of all the Theban troubles. When Oedipus, frustrated by the lack of cooperation, insults Tiresias, he responds "I pity you, flinging at me the very insults / each man here will fling at you so soon."(p 628) An interesting and important aspect of this Greek notion of fate is the utter helplessness of the human players. No matter the choice made by the people involved in this tragedy, the gods have determined it and it is going to come to pass."
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Oedipus Rex, 2007.
An analysis of the story of "Oedipus Rex" by discussing Pier Paolo Pasolini's movie "Oedipus the King" and the original Greek play by Sophocles.
1,167 words (approx. 4.7 pages), 2 sources, MLA, £ 28.95
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Abstract
This paper analyzes the story of "Oedipus Rex" by looking at the movie by Pier Paolo Pasolini and the original Greek play by Sophocles. It highlights and explains the reasons for the discrepancies between the movie and the play. The writer discusses irony which is a constant theme that runs throughout both the play and the movie. The writer also looks at the psychoanalytic concept introduced by Freud - the "Oedipus Complex" and its importance in the story. The writer concludes that even though Pasolini adds a epilogue to the end of his version of the story, the audience leaves with the same feeling from both works of art.
From the Paper
"In Pasolini's 1967 film adaptation of "Oedipus the King", the filmmaker mostly stays faithful to the main plot of the story. The differences in the movie, "Oedipus Rex" and the play "Oedipus the King" mostly have to do with the way the story is presented visually and a few tweaks with theme. Sophocles used far more dialogue in his version of the story. That was an important aspect of the ancient Grecian plays. In the movie, Pasolini is able to use more modern set designs, scenery, and facial expression to tell the storyIn Pasolini's 1967 film adaptation of "Oedipus the King", the filmmaker mostly stays faithful to the main plot of the story. The differences in the movie, "Oedipus Rex" and the play "Oedipus the King" mostly have to do with the way the story is presented visually and a few tweaks with theme. Sophocles used far more dialogue in his version of the story. That was an important aspect of the ancient Grecian plays. In the movie, Pasolini is able to use more modern set designs, scenery, and facial expression to tell the story."
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"Prometheus Bound" and "Oedipus Rex", 2003.
An examination of how the Greek plays, "Prometheus Bound" and "Oedipus Rex" interpret the ideas of fate and free will.
1,095 words (approx. 4.4 pages), 2 sources, MLA, £ 27.95
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Abstract
This paper identifies the "Moment of Revelation" or the "Reversal and Recognition" in each of these plays and discusses what they imply about the relationship between fate and free will in the Greek mind. This paper provides a summary of the Greek plays, "Oedipus Rex" and "Prometheus Bound" to identify these specific moments, followed by a discussion of what they imply about the relationship between fate and free will in the Greek mind. A summary of the research is provided in the concluding paragraph.
From the Paper
"The debate over whether mankind is possessed of free will that allows for individual decisions in the "Great Scheme of Things," or the view that humanity is merely "puppets on a god-string" has been the source of much controversy over the millennia. The ancient Greeks explored some serious thoughts about the concept of humanity's free will in the face of what must be considered destiny, and the tragic moral dilemmas that resulted in their plays concerning mankind's encounters with a preordained divine wall provided them with both a source of entertainment as well as some perplexing moral questions that provide some insights into how people have come to view these issues today."
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