For Thursday's class (October 17), please read Sophocles' Oedipus Rex (either online or in Levi Lind's Ten Greek Plays in Contemporary Translation).Choose one (1) of the "narrative essentials" (plot, theme, character, setting, and tone) and note one way in which Sophocles' Oedipus Rex reflects a particularly skillful handling of that "essential."
Please cite the passage you have in mind both by line number and a general description of that passage.
Alternatively, suggest here some ways Oedipus Rex either does or does not support the claim that Sophocles is one of the greatest of all playwrights.
The narrative essential best handled in Oedipus Rex is theme. There are many themes presented in the play, but the theme of prophecy and the limits of free will are the most prevalent. These themes are also present in the central conflict of the play.
ReplyDeleteThe passage comes from a moment where Teiresias is talking about the prophecy given to Oedipus, that he will kill his father and sleep with his mother. Throughout the story, Oedipus does whatever he can to try to avoid this fate, even going so far as to flee to Corinth, but is unable to escape it. I would say that Sophocles is trying to emphasize the power of the Gods in the lives of humans and the legitimacy of prophecy. He sees humans as less than the Gods and doesn't believe there is any reason to deny this fact.
Lines 451-460
I think the overall tone of Oedipus Rex is Tragic, Sympathetic, dark, and a little Ironic.
ReplyDelete"Let the Storm busrt, my fixed resolve still holds to learn my lineage..." One can really see how determined he is in these lines and it makes everyone feel anxious. With a dark ironic twist. This is why the tone is such dark and twisted.
Lindsey
I think one of the best narrative essentials that Sophocles uses in Oedipus Rex is "plot." Though there is also character development here as well. Sophocles uses plot in a beautiful way, weaving past and future events linked to Oedipus' search for the truth.
ReplyDeleteLines 1058-1068 were a great culmination of Oedipus Rex's plot.
Jocasta has brought in the servant just as Oedipus has ordered. When it is obvious to Jocasta what is going to happen and that Oedipus will not quite inquiring until he gets to the bottom of things, Jocasta tries to stop him, but Oedipus won't. His past and present come together in a huge revelation, and his worst fears are realized. Sophocles really does an incredible job of building the plot throughout, but it really culminates in this moment where Jocasta is basically begging Oedipus to let go of his search because she knows it will only end in anguish for her, him, their children, and the city that has already been dealing with a plague. Very much a Greek tragedy. Good stuff!
The narrative of the play that I chose was theme. It is quite dark for its time and is quite ironic. The whole plot of the story was spoiled in the beginning by the oracle.
ReplyDeleteShe bore husband to husband, child to child. Pg 146 line 1250
This is the line just after Antigone committed suicide and right before Oedipus discovers his wife/mother and eventually commits suicide as well.
Mitchell Buller
One of the narrative essentials that Sophocles handles particularly well in Oedipus Rex is character, especially regarding Oedipus. Sophocles shows great character development for Oedipus in the rather short time he has in this play. After being built up Oedipus as a rather honorable character through his desire to see Laius’s killers brought to justice, then discovering that it was in fact he who killed Laius, he goes through his own sort of small redemption arc through his actions after finding this out.
ReplyDeleteThe passage that best shows the end of this development is in lines 1369-1415, after Oedipus has gouged out his own eyes after learning of what he has inadvertently done. Instead of not taking the punishment he set out for whoever the killer of Laius was, he willingly asks for it to be given to him, with the added self-inflicted blindness. He recognizes the wrongs that he’s committed and is fully intent in serving whatever sentence is set out for him as the justice for these crimes.
-Sam Tucker
I agree with everyone else that theme and plot are very well handled, but I'm going to go a different route. Sophocles also handled Oedipus' character well.
ReplyDeleteLines 1510-1524
Oedipus could have, upon finding out of his relations, not punished himself as he did. He could have let it slide. However, his emotions were strong enough (especially disgust and justice) that he punished himself by making himself blind and asking to be banished. Any weaker character would not have likely remained on the throne, but not Oedipus. I think that this shows just how strong of a character Oedipus is and how strong of a character Sophocles can make which is why I chose character as my essential.
While reading the play Oedipus Rex I think the most obvious theme here is facing the truth and dealing with it. Oedipus fulfilled a prophecy he thought he had escaped, however, he didn't. This is where he had to face the truth and move on from that.
ReplyDeleteOEDIPUS: You most disgraceful of disgraceful men! You’d move something made of stone to rage!
OEDIPUS: Who taught you this? It could not have been your craft.
TEIRESIAS: You did. I did not want to speak, but you incited me.
OEDIPUS: What do you mean? Speak it again, so I can understand you more precisely.
Lines 400-430
I picked these lines because I really think they depict the struggle Oedipus has with facing the truth when it is staring him right in the face.
By Tabitha Sonne
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