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Oedipus Rex: Analysis - Coggle Diagram
Oedipus Rex: Analysis
Context
- Written in 429 B.C
- 430 B.C, The plague of Athens occurred during the start of the Pelopeneisan was and lead to the death of a quarter of the Athenian population
- As a result of the atrocities occurring in Athens during the time, many people stopped adhering to religion and took on a more rationalist view point- How could the Gods exist if such events could occur
- This in turn really boosted the Rationalist Revolution during the time that was already beginning to develop with philosophers such as Plato spreading their ideas
Knox
- the plague heightened rational behaviours and thoughts causing the rationalist revolution
- Sophocles was a traditionalist and throughout Oedipus Rex he critisises and undermines the practice of rationalism through the character of oedipus
Examples
- Sophocles traditionalist character Creon is depicted as the most rational character within the play to undermine the idea of 'rationalism'
- Jocasta displays rationalism throughout the play and turns down the fate of the Gods and prophecys. Jocasta ends up hanging herself due to the truth of a prophecy, Through her tragic death Sophocles emphasises the importance of traditionalism
- Sophocles characterises the rationalists within his play as hubristic and arrogant, Both oedipus and Jocasta display Hubris with it being one of oedipus' harmatias. This association allows Sophocles to further suppress the idea of rationalism
Themes
The role of the Gods
- Punishment from the Gods is not limited to the wrongdoer, seen by a plague being put upon Thebes for Oedipus' actions
- Also a fundamental belief within Greece was that the Gods were more concerned with their honour than human beings and its why they needed to be worhsipped. Explains why there's such an issue, Oedipus has committed the crimes in ignorance of the Gods
- Oedipus' ignorance makes his fate horrifying, far worse than it would have been without ignorance
- Sophocles highlights the gulf intentions making a difference and the traditional divine focus on our actions
Religious pollution
- Ancient Greek society created order through stigmatising certain disorderly conditions and event and people by treating them as metaphorically unclean
- Pollution recognised by the greeks were birth, death, sexual ativity and homicide
- To the ancient greeks someone in a state of pollution was unacceptable to the gods- Tragedy focuses on more drastic forms of pollution, oedipus is not only polluting himself with a Miasma but also the whole city
Importance of the city(Polis)
- Greeks believed human ability to live in a community was very important and it distinguished them from animals
- Aristotle 'Man was a political animal', designed to live in a polis
- Tragedy explores the individuals within the polis and how the different members should behave and what happens when normal sources of stability are challenged
Political ideas and ideals, Tyranny
- In Sophocles' Oedipus rex we see ideas surrounding tyranny and kings displayed
- 5th century Athens was governed by a single ruler a Tyrannos and this form of government was associated with the bad old days
- However in OR we see an ambiguous representation of kingship, Oedipus rules with the consent of his citizens and they express their fondness of him and thankfulness for saving them from the sphinx rating him 'first of men'. oedipus' desire to uncover Lauis' murder is driven by his commitment to his people
- However when he is thwarted we see sterotypes that the Greeks associated with the tyrants come out, such as his quickness to anger and his paranoia surrounding his posistion
Seaford
- Warnings of tyranny throughout the play, Athens used to be a tyranny and people were still scared of the concept
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Fate and freewill
- wonder to what extent do oedipus' actions make a difference within the play due to the outcome being fate
- Tragic religion it the idea that any action is simultaneously capable of two explanations , one on a human level and one on a divine level.
- We might say that oedipus has no free will since he tried to prevent his fate from coming true by moving away from Corinth
- We also see traits and choices made by oedipus that lead him to kill his father, He was easily provoked by Lauis at the crossroads and his aggression is set on Tiresias, Creon and the old shepherd after this
- Oedipus' intelligence and dynamism also lead to his doom since the riddle of the sphinx made him become king of Thebes and his pursuit of the truth
- Oedipus is a victim of his fate but it is also his own actions that brought it to pass
Prophecy
- Most Greeks believed in policy however were also aware that it could be unreliable with humans capable of misinterpreting the prophecy
- Difficulty of this is portrayed in OR with two oracles being foretold to his parents and to him
- also unclear wether the prophecy is couched as a warning that could be avoided or simply a prediction
- The untrustworthiness of prophets is also explored through Tiresisias, he provides wise adsivise but Oedipus discovers this too late because he does not believe him
- This conflict between Tiresias also reflects the clash between political and religious forms of authority
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Key characters
Oedipus
- Hubristic
- Rationalist
-Clever
- Short tempered + violent
Relevant themes
- Fate and freewill
- Prophecy
- Role of the Gods
- Religious pollution
- Political ideals (tyranny)
- Hubris
Jocasta
- Rationalism, far more rational than oedipus
- Denys prophecy and fate, oblivious
- Tragic
Relevant themes
- Prophecy
- Religious pollution
- fate and freewill
- role of the gods
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Creon
- Traditionalist however acts 'rationally'
- Sophocles' mouthpiece
Relevant themes
- Fate and freewill
- Hubris
- prophecy
- Importance of city
The chorus
- another mouthpiece for Sophocles
- traditionalist
- Critisise oedipus' way of life
Relevant themes
- Tryanny
- Fate and freewill
- The role of the gods
- Importance of the polis
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Tiresias
- the blind prophet, can see all
- Traditionalist, serves the gods
Relevant themes
- Prophecy
- fate and freewill
- sight
- Hubris
- Tyranny
- Religious pollution
- The role of the gods
Old shepherd
- Juxtaposes the power dynamic, he holds the power in his scene with Oedipus who disrespects him
Relevant Themes
- Prophecy
- Fate and freewill
- Political ideals (Tyranny)
- Hubris
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