Oedipus Tyrannos by Sophocles - 1623 Words

Oedipus Tyrannos by Sophocles 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 â€Å"that his destiny be one of fate and worse†. The irony is that Oedipus unknowingly repeatedly predicts his own fate: â€Å"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†¦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 â€Å"reckless†: after all, as Oedipus says himself, â€Å"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 â€Å"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 god’s decisions â€Å"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 â€Å"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: â€Å"We called you our king and we honoured you†. When they learn ofShow MoreRelatedOedipus As A Tragic Hero1724 Words   |  7 PagesIn the story of Oedipus, Oedipus is considered a â€Å"Tragic Hero† because of the tragic fate and effect that he had upon his life. My definition of a tragedy is a great loss that has a unhappy ending to which concluded me to state that Oedipus falls under that category. Throughout the book, Oedipus is leading himself to his own destruction when trying to find the killer of the late King La ios. 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