A short overview of Sophocles' Oedipus the King

Oedipus the King

Oedipus the King is a Tragedy written by great Greek playwright or tragedian Sophocles which was first performed around 429 BC. Sophocles lived during that time when Greek society excelled in theatrical performance and drama. Art was the main thing and main attraction in that society at that time, the advancement of art in that society and civilization cannot be compared to any in the other civilization that existed at that time. Sophocles lived in that period where two other famous playwrights lived, Euripides and Aristophanes. Sophocles wrote around 130 to 200 plays but now only 7 plays were survived. Oedipus the King also called as Oedipus Tyrannus, because it is a collection of three Theban Plays. Antigone and Oedipus at Colonus is another two plays of this collection. Oedipus the King is regarded as the masterpiece of ancient Greek tragedy, in Poetics Aristotle also refers this tragedy in several times. This play follows the story of a king name Oedipus, the king of Thebes. In the play Oedipus discovers that he has unwittingly killed his own father and married his own mother.

Characters of this Tragedy:

1. Oedipus

2.Creon

3.Jocasta

4.Priest

5.Tiresias

6.Messenger

7.Chorus

8.Antigone and Ismene, Daughter of Oedipus (mute characters).

Short summary of this Play:

At the first Oedipus saves Thebes People from the Sphinx then Oedipus become the king of Thebes and marry Jocasta, because any stranger people killed Laius, the previous king of Thebes. Some years later a Plague infects the city, and killed his people of Thebes. Then Oedipus send Creon to Apollo`s Delphi oracle for help, and creon says that Apollo wants Oedipus to find the Laius`s murderer. Oedipus Consults Tiresias, the old prophet for help, after that Tiresias says that Oedipus is the murderer of king Laius and Jocasta is his mother. Next a messenger reveals that who are the Oedipus`s true parents and the servant of Laius confirmed the story. And then Oedipus realizes that the old blind prophet Tiresias was right about him. After that Jocasta realize that Oedipus is her own son and Jocasta hangs herself. And in the end Oedipus blinds himself and decides to exile himself from Thebes.

Analysis:

Sophocles was one of the famous playwrights of ancient Greece and Oedipus the King was a masterpiece. Greek tragedy was a big form of theatre in ancient Greek. Great ancient philosopher Aristotle defined tragedy in his Poetics (350 BC) as “An imitation of an action of high importance …acted not narrated; by means of pity and fear effecting its purgation of these emotion.” (Aristotle. Poetics, Chapter VI). In the concept of Aristotle`s tragic hero notes that the protagonist of a tragedy should belong from a royal family and show his/her tragic fall from power and happiness for his/her hamartia. In Sophocles’ play Oedipus the King, the protagonist Oedipus is the perfect example of Aristotelian concept of tragic hero because Oedipus also belongs in royal family and his hamartia. 

The conflict between fate and free will is the hidden thing of this play; the ancient Greeks believed that their gods could see their future. Therefore in this play the blind prophet Tiresias saw visions of things to come. The priests, who resided at the temples of gods such as Delphi Oracles, were also believed to be able to interpret the gods` visions and give the prophecies to people who want to know their future. One important term is mimesis, According to Plato (Ancient Greek Philosopher), mimesis reflects everything, and it is a direct representation. Drama is the big example of mimesis, this term also use in literary criticism. In ancient Greek, mimesis was an idea that governed the creation of art and artifacts. After Plato, the meaning of mimesis eventually sifted towards a literary function in the Greek society and its uses has been changed and been reinterpreted many times by many scholars. In Poetics, Aristotle also particularly deals with two basic things; one call is action and another mimesis. 

Like other arts, theater also began with a rituals object and after the independent from religion it turned into an art form.  Drama, not only a term it is a concept that has preserved its existence since the ancient time of human civilization. Acting and imitating become an essential part of life from cave painting to the entertaining games of Middle Ages` people played during harvest. In religious roots or the traditions of city whatever, drama and theater was a most significant part of the Greek society and the city of Athens. In the 6th century BC, a new way of worshipping to the god Dionysos emerged, it call drama. 

The play Oedipus the King, has been regarded the whole universe as the classical example of the tragedy of fate. Sigmund Freud in his Interpretation of Dreams offered a famous influential interpretation of Oedipus the King:

“Oedipus Rex is what is known as a tragedy of destiny. Its tragic effect said to lie in the contrast between the supreme will of gods and the vain attempts of mankind to escape the evil. The lesson which said the deeply moved spectator should learn from the tragedy is submission to the divine will and realization of his own impotence.”

The name Oedipus, which resemblance to the Greek word Oida, it means “I know”. And this is the word play, played by Sophocles because in this drama Oedipus thought that he knew so much, actually he did not even know that who was his real mother and father. one interesting feature of this drama is the silence of Teiresias, the blind prophet Teiresias know everything but he don`t revile that frontly. It is the basic Sophocles` art work which makes it mysterious for us. 

Works cited:

1. Fagles, Robert. Knox, Bernard. The Three Theban Play: Antigone, Oedipus The King, Oedipus at Colonus, Sophocles. Penguin Classics.1948.

2. Rhodes,P.J. A History Of The Classical Greek World: 479-323 BC. Blackwell Pub.  2006.

3. www. Wikipedia.com/Oedipus the King

4. www. Wikipedia.com/Ancient Greek Literature

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By Rajesh