Oedipus Rex †The Women Essay - 2731 Words

Oedipus Rex – The Women Charles Segal in Oedipus Tyrannus: Tragic Heroism and the Limits of Knowledge explains the protagonist’s concern for Jocasta’s burial in Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex: Oedipus turns from his utter desolation and abasement to something of his old air of command, albeit in a chastened and softened tone. He asks Creon to expel him from Thebes as quickly as he can and gives orders for Jocasta’s burial (1446ff), a gesture of concern and responsibility characteristic of the Oedipus we saw in the opening scenes(73). Oedipus’ attitude toward Jocasta in death – is it the same as in life? This essay will answer the previous question and many other questions regarding women in Oedipus Rex.†¦show more content†¦The critic Ehrenberg warns that it â€Å"may lead to ‘hubris’† (74-75). Throughout the drama Sophocles draws out an ongoing contrast between the â€Å"godlike mastery† of the king and the softer, more balanced and selfless characteristics of Jocasta, his wife. She is a foil to Oedipus. Shortly thereafter Creon, Jocasta’s brother, is returning from the Delphic oracle with the fateful words of the god’s command: â€Å"He fell; and now the gods command is plain: /Punish his takers-off, whoeer they be.† Immediately Oedipus boldly launches a campaign to do what is best for his people and for himself: I also, as is meet, will lend my aid To avenge this wrong to Thebes and to the god. Not for some far-off kinsman, but myself, Shall I expel this poison in the blood; For whoso slew that king might have a mind To strike me too with his assassin hand. Oedipus, in his public proclamation regarding punishment for the killer of King Laius, shows more lenient treatment toward the guilty party if he confesses his crime: â€Å"I summon him to make clean shrift to me./And if he shrinks, let him reflect that thus /Confessing he shall scape the capital charge†. Oedipus, in his cross-examination of the holy man Teiresias, shows his mastery to be more human and less godlike: â€Å"Monster! thy silence would incense a flint. /Will nothing loose thy tongue? Can nothing melt thee, /Or shake thy dogged taciturnity?† The king is confronted with Teiresias’Show MoreRelated Women in Oedipus Rex Essay2712 Words   |  11 PagesWomen in Oedipus Rex  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚         Charles Segal in Oedipus Tyrannus: Tragic Heroism and the Limits of Knowledge explains one of the pivotal functions of Jocasta in Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex:    The second series begins with Jocasta. . . .Now Oedipus is pursuing the killer as possibly the same as himself. . . . In this set his goal shifts gradually from uncovering the murderer to discovering his own parents. The confidence and power that he demonstrated in the first series of encountersRead More Significance of the Women in Oedipus Rex Essay2638 Words   |  11 Pagesthe Women in Oedipus Rex  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚         Michael J. O’Brien in the Introduction to Twentieth Century Interpretations of Oedipus Rex, maintains that there is â€Å"a good deal of evidence to support this view† that the fifth century playwright was the â€Å"educator of his people† and a â€Å"teacher†. Sophocles in his tragedy, Oedipus Rex, teaches about â€Å"morally desirable attitudes and behavior,† (4) and uses three women to help convey these principles of living. This essay will explore the role of women in theRead MoreGods vs. Mortals in Oedipus Rex the Bacchae1572 Words   |  7 PagesDionysus. In the stories Oedipus Rex and The Bacchae, these gods conflict with men that are not just average mortals, but respected kings. Although the political position of these kings makes them feel superior to all, the gods in the two stories show them that immortals are far superior to any man. In this way, Oedipus Rex and The Bacchae present a tension between politics and religion, the result of which reveals that religion indubitably prevails. In Oedipus Rex, the presence of religionRead MoreEssay on The Arrogance and Hubris of Oedipus and Creon724 Words   |  3 PagesCreon they would first have to look at the story of Oedipus the King. In Oedipus the King, a plague has fallen upon the city of Thebes. Forced to take action Oedipus sends Creon to the oracle in Delphi to rid the city of this plague. Creon returns with the message, the plague will end when the murderer of Laius, the former king of Thebes, is caught and expelled; the murderer is within the city. Tiresias tells Oedipus that he is the murderer. Oedipus accuses both Creon and Tiresias of a conspiracyRead More Horror and Self-punishment in Sophocles Oedipus Rex850 Words   |  4 PagesHorror and Self-punishment in Sophocles Oedipus Rex An ancient plate portraying Oedipus listening to the riddle of the Sphinx. Oedipus Rex is a play whose qualities of inscrutability and of pervasive irony quickly come to complicate any critical discussion. It is a play of transformations in which things change before our eyes as we watch; where meanings and implications seem to be half-glimpsed beneath the surface of the text only to vanish as we try to take them in; and where ironical resemblanceRead MoreThe Flaws Of Arrogance In Oedipus Rex By Sophocles796 Words   |  4 PagesBenjamin Whichcote once said, â€Å"None are so empty as those who are full of themselves.† The words ring true through the character Oedipus whose tragic flaw of arrogance brought his downfall. In his timeless play, Oedipus Rex, author Sophocles unflinchingly illuminates the haughtiness and hubris displayed by the hero Oedipus. Through his candid exploration of the ship/captain and light/dark motifs, Sophocles makes an effort to ultimately bring the reader to the realization that arrogance creates anRead MoreA Dolls House As A Tragic Hero Analysis967 Words   |  4 PagesA tragic hero is defined as a person â€Å"who has achieved, or who has the ability to achieve greatness but who through a weakness, or tragic flaw in his character, falls into the depths of misery and often to his death† (Ingham 1). Within Oedipus Rex, Sophocles laid the foundation for what is now considered the ideal tragic hero. Within A Doll’s House, Ibsen creates a modern hero in Nora Helmer; a woman who was oppressed for going against social rules for saving her husband. Nora follows the AristotelianRead MoreComparing The Tragedy Of Sophocles And Henrik Ibsen1147 Words   |  5 Pageschained to what society told them to do. Oedipus Rex was a tragedy written by Sophocles around 429 BC. His tragedy portrayed Oedipus, a king who was strong, powerful and almighty just as a king should be - in common stories. Ibsen wrote a contemporary tragedy called A Doll’s House. Here he presented Nora, a housewife whose sole purpose in life was to grow up, get married and have kids. Though centuries apart these tragedies both convey the same problem. Both Oedipus’ and Nora’s worlds, though differentRead MoreOedipus Rex Controversy Essay1397 Words   |  6 PagesCosby was recently accused of drugging and sexually assaulting over fifty women. When he was finally put on trial the judge declared a mistrial. But at the end of the day we have a man famous for his good father character revealed to be a serial rapist. The tale of an ideal male who ultimately creates his own destruction has been constantly seen within history and literature. Take for example Sophocles’ play of Oedipus Rex, in this play, we learn about a man whose past endeavors and choices causedRead MoreTragedy and Comedy Essay1248 Words   |  5 Pagesdrama, have consistently achieved this effect. Tragedy, represented by the weeping actors’ mask, usually features the title character’s fall from greatness to ruin, guided by the gods or fate. Oedipus Rex, written by Sophocles, is the epitome of classic Tragedy, as defined by Aristotle (96-101). Here, Oedipus falls from kingship to blindness and exile. Drama’s other great genre, Comedy, is represented by the laughing actors’ mask. In Comedy the action is usually propelled by a problem or crisis of