Oedipus Rex - Conflict, Climax, Resolution Essay - 2880 Words

Oedipus Rex - Conflict, Climax, Resolution Sophocles’ tragic drama, Oedipus Rex, sees the conflict develop and reach a climax, and this is followed by a catastrophe and resolution of the conflict. E. T. Owen in â€Å"Drama in Sophocles’ Oedipus Tyrannus† describes the climax of the drama: The central scenes contain the heart of the drama, that for which the rest exists – the drama of the revelation. The poet’s task here is to make its effect adequate to the expectation. He manages to spin it out to nearly 500 lines, and, instead of thinning, increases the excitement by spreading it out; it becomes a threefold revelation rising to a climax (36). Thus it is that Owen sees the conflict escalating†¦show more content†¦Thomas Van Nortwick in The Meaning of a Masculine Life describes Oedipus’ tragic flaw: As ruler, he is a father to Thebes and its citizens, and like a father he will take care of his â€Å"children.† We see already the supreme self-confidence and ease of command in Oedipus, who can address not only other people’s children as his own, but also be a father to men older than he is. But beyond even this there is, in the wretched posture of the citizens, the hint of prostration before a deity. We are â€Å"clinging to your altars,† says the priest. . . . That he also exudes a godlike mastery in the eyes of his subjects only strengthens the heroic portrait. . . .(21-22). The â€Å"godlike mastery† to which Van Nortwick refers is the same mastery which Creon in his final lines designates as the cause of the tragic dimension in the life of the protagonist: â€Å"Crave not mastery in all, /For the mastery that raised thee was thy bane and wrought thy fall.† Oedipus’ total mastery of the investigation resultant from the Delphic oracle’s declaration, yes, his forceful pursuit of the investigation against the wishes of Jocasta, Teiresias, the messenger and the shepherd, ultimately spells the downfall of King Oedipus. Abrams says that the conflict is between the protagonist and antagonist (225). Is the antagonist within Oedipus in the form of his â€Å"godlike mastery,† as Creon believed? Or is the antagonist weird/wyrd/fate, so that the oracleShow MoreRelated The Conflict, Climax and Resolution in Oedipus Rex Essay2737 Words   |  11 PagesThe Conflict, Climax and Resolution in Oedipus Rex  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   Sophocles’ tragic drama, Oedipus Rex, presents a main conflict and lesser conflicts and their resolution after a climax.    In Oedipus Tyrannus: Tragic Heroism and the Limits of Knowledge, Charles Segal had the protagonist fares well in the first series of tests, but does poorly in the second series:    The first three tests are, respectively, Oedipus’ meetings with Creon, Teiresias, and then Creon again. In eachRead MoreAn Analysis and Comparison of Modern Tragedy in Drama1485 Words   |  6 Pagesconception on certain requirements. According to Aristotle the three most important variables that define a tragedy are plot, characters, and theme. Using Oedipus Rex as a sort of ideal, this philosopher demonstrates how a tragedy functions in order to evoke catharsis while exploring themes and human flaws, or mistakes. In Oedipus Rex, the main figure, Oedipus the King is a subject of fate, unable to escape himself and his desire to uncover the truth. In essence, this drama demonstrates the fall of a prominentRead MoreA Great Translator s Reflections On Oedipus The King1999 Words   |  8 Pagesconceived in diverse ways, in analyzing a work of literature† (300). The matter of the structure of Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex is a subject of varying interpretation among literar y critics, as this essay will reveal. In â€Å"A Great Translator’s Reflections on Oedipus the King,† Gilbert Murray, professor at Oxford University in England, cites structure as one of the reasons why he chose Oedipus Rex as a work of translation: On the whole, I can only say that the work of translation has made me feel even moreRead More The Themes in Oedipus Rex Essay2792 Words   |  12 PagesThe Themes in Oedipus Rex  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚   Sophocles’ tragedy, Oedipus Rex, contains one main theme, which this essay will consider. The theme is the general doctrine or belief implicit in the drama, which the author seeks to make persuasive to the reader (Abrams 170).    In â€Å"Sophocles’ Moral Themes† Robert D. Murray Jr. cites a critic who is strictly moralist in the interpretation of the theme of Oedipus Rex:    Let C. M. Bowra speak for the moralists:    The central idea ofRead MoreEssay on Antigone - The Tragic Flaw2238 Words   |  9 Pagesdishonouring laws which the gods have established in honour.    Ismene is unmoved by the reasoning and sentiments of her sister: â€Å"I do them no dishonour; but to defy the State,-I have no strength for that.† Her conflict with her sister over the unlawful interment is not a serious conflict for either of the sisters. Ismene, in parting, accuses Antigone of foolishness in her bold plans: â€Å"Go, then, if thou must; and of this be sure,-that though thine errand is foolish, to thy dear ones thou art trulyRead Moretheme of alienation n no where man by kamala markandeya23279 Words   |  94 Pagesï » ¿ANTIGONE KEY LITERARY ELEMENTS SETTING This tragedy is set against the background of the Oedipus legend. It illustrates how the curse on the House of Labdacus (who is the grandson of Cadmus, founder of Thebes, and the father of Laius, whose son is Oedipus) brought about the deaths of Oedipus and his wife-mother, Jocasta, as well as the double fratricide of Eteocles and Polynices. Furthermore, Antigone dies after defying King Creon. The play is set in Thebes, a powerful city-state north of Read MoreThe Scarlet Letter and Hester5407 Words   |  22 Pagesallusion to a Greek myth in which Cadmus kills a dragon and plants his teeth. The teeth grow into warriors who fight each other until only few are left alive. This myth, incidentally, is the beginning of the story that eventually comes to concern Oedipus Rex, but there is no association to be made between that story and this one. 11. What was the first thing Pearl noticed in her mother? 12. What happens when Hester sees her reflection in Pearls eyes? This is still another example of intentional ambiguity