Is What Happens to Oedipus Fair Are We Supposed to...

Sophocles uses a mixture of both visual and emotional imagery to create the morally questioning, Greek tragedy ‘Oedipus Tyrannos. He presents the audience with an intense drama, which addresses the reality and importance of the gods that the Greeks fervently believed in. The play also forces the audience to ask themselves if there is such a concept as fate. From the very beginning of Oedipus, it is made clear that his destiny be one of fate and worse. The irony is that Oedipus unknowingly repeatedly predicts his own fate: It was I who called down these curses on that man. Oedipus has unconsciously married his mother and killed his father, just as the Oracle predicted. Fate is proven to be unavoidable to Oedipus as the play†¦show more content†¦The Greeks believed greatly in the gods just as this play reflects, this enhances the feeling of being disappointed with Oedipus. He appears to have been reckless: after all, as Oedipus says himself, only a bad man would ignore what the God says. Yet he does: he blames Kreon and Tyressias who informed them of the truth and labels them liars. At every interval in the play, the characters pray to the gods for their help and blessings. This would be appropriate because this play was originally performed at a religious festival. It is only in the gods that the Greeks hold all their faith; they beg them to defend us, give us strength to drive out the pollution. Ironically, Oedipus is, in fact, this ‘pollution and Sophocles again informs the audience that Oedipus fate is irreversible, the gods decisions always there, around him, encircling, tightening. Sophocles uses the chorus to represent the audience and reflect their thoughts and emotions. The chorus is shown to respect and admire Oedipus, saying he was good to the city and therefore they cannot believe that he is evil. It is perhaps because they respect Oedipus so much, and because of their refusal to believe that he has committed any crimes, that they are left so angry and let down by their ruler when they learn the truth: We called you our king and we honoured you. When they learn of his deeds, theirShow MoreRelated Hamlet Essay: The Unlike Characters of Gertrude and Ophelia3420 Words   |  14 PagesShakespeare’s picture of the Queen is explained to us by Hamlet’s speech to her in her closet. There we see again the picture of sin as evil willed by a reason perverted by passion, for so much Hamlet explains in his accusation of his mother:    You cannot call it love, for at your age The hey-day in the blood is tame, it’s humble, And waits upon the judgement; and what judgement Would step from this to this? . . . O shame! Where is thy blush? Rebellious hell, If thous canstRead MoreDefinition of Adolescent Development14194 Words   |  57 Pagesin England: There is a tide which begins to rise in the veins of youth at the age of eleven or twelve. It is called by the name of adolescence. If the tide can be taken as flood, and a new voyage began in the stream and along the flow of its current, we think it ill move on to fortune. 1 2 3 4 Adolescence: A period of ‘Stress and Strain’ Adolescence is typically a time of great stress and strain on the body, mind and emotions. E.A. Peel (1956) is of the view, â€Å"The adolescent is beset by problemsRead MoreDefinition of Adolescent Development14200 Words   |  57 Pagesin England: There is a tide which begins to rise in the veins of youth at the age of eleven or twelve. It is called by the name of adolescence. If the tide can be taken as flood, and a new voyage began in the stream and along the flow of its current, we think it ill move on to fortune. 1 2 3 4 Adolescence: A period of ‘Stress and Strain’ Adolescence is typically a time of great stress and strain on the body, mind and emotions. E.A. Peel (1956) is of the view, â€Å"The adolescent is besetRead MoreDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words   |  1617 Pagessolution for courses in Principles of Management, Human Resources, Strategy, and Organizational Behavior that helps you actively study and prepare material for class. Chapter-by-chapter activities, including built-in pretests and posttests, focus on what you need to learn and to review in order to succeed. Visit www.mymanagementlab.com to learn more. DEVELOPING MANAGEMENT SKILLS EIGHTH EDITION David A. Whetten BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY Kim S. Cameron UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Prentice