Oedipus Rex The Pursuit Of Self Knowledge - 1822 Words

Oedipus Rex: The Pursuit of Self-Knowledge Ciara J. Peterson ENG 200: World Literature- Wilson 03/15/2016 The most famous scene in Sophocles’, Oedipus Rex, is when Oedipus gouges out his eyes. But, that’s not the only example of sight and blindness in this play. In Sophocles plays there was always extensive content where he paid considerable attention to the element of â€Å"spectacle† in his plays. When observing the theme of vision, it invites the audience to look at the action with a double perspective, through their own eyes and through the eyes of those on stage. Within this play, sight and blindness are the underlying themes. Sight is commonly associated with light or positive overtones, and blindness is attached to darkness or negative undertones. The approach to describing blindness deals with not only physical blindness but also metaphorical blindness. Oedipus blindness changes from bad to worse at different scenes of the play. Although the word blindness seems quite simple, it can be very debatable. Blindness or the inability to â€Å"see† consis t of two elements; Oedipus s ability to see vs his desire to see. Throughout many scenes, the two elements are used in pattern form. Some scholars mention the two aspects of the play in addition to discussing the theme of knowledge. Lazlo Versenyi, Thomas Hoey, Marjorie Champlain, analyze the play from different perspectives. Versenyi says the play was â€Å"a tragedy of self- knowledge†, with the use of termsShow MoreRelatedEssay about Oedipus the King1164 Words   |  5 Pagesto Websters Dictionary, fate is defined as A power that supposedly predetermines what is to happen (257). In the play Oedipus Rex each character is touched by fate directly or indirectly. The author of the play Sophocles pens the story of a man who was destine from birth to be both martyr and hero, he could never be one without the other. Another view of Oedipus Rex is that some critics view him as a tyrant and not a hero because he did not come into power by natural succession, butRead MoreOedipus Rex, A Symbol Of Fate1517 Words   |  7 PagesThe most famous scene in Sophocles’, Oedipus Rex, is when Oedipus gouges out his eyes. But that’s not the only example of sight and blindness in this play. In Sophocles world, eyes play a big part in society, as the theme of vision invites the audience to look at the action with a double perspective, through own eyes and through the eyes of those on stage ( Mastronarde pp. 179-182). Considering eyes as an essential piece, it places them as a motif of the play. Within Greek literature, scholars focusRead MoreThe Tragic Hero of Oedipus Rex Essay1383 Words   |  6 PagesThe Tragic Hero of Oedipus Rex According to the ancient Greeks and Aristotle the hero is a person who possesses superior qualities of mind and body, and who proves his superiority by doing great deeds of valor, strength, or intellect. In Sophocles Oedipus Rex the main character Oedipus possesses these characteristics of a true hero, which in turn lead to his self-destruction. In the beginning of the play Oedipuss great intellect is made known by the chorus who see him as someone who hasRead MoreProphecy and Suicide in Oedipus Rex682 Words   |  3 Pages Galileo Galilei is a man whose unwavering pursuit of the truth in a time of dogmatism and theocratic conformity, has cemented his legacy for over four centuries. His discoveries have been a stellar paradigm for today’s scientific community. 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Knox talks of the advantages accruing to Sophocles as a user of myths in his dramas:    The myths he used gave to his plays, without any effort on his part, some of those larger dimensions of authority which the modern dramatist must create out of nothing if his play is to be more than a passing entertainment. The myths had the authority of history, for myth is in one of its aspects the only history of anRead More Dramatic Irony in Oedipus Rex Essay3192 Words   |  13 PagesDramatic Irony in Oedipus Rex  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚   M. H. Abrams defines dramatic irony as a situation wherein:      Ã¢â‚¬Å"the audience or reader shares with the author knowledge of present or future circumastances of which a character is ignorant; in that situation, the character unknowingly acts in a way we recognize to be grossly inappropriate to the actual circumstances, or expects the opposite of what we know that fate holds in store, or says something that anticipates the actual outcome, but