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Oedipus The King Faulty Analysis

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Sophocles uses mockery to demonstrate the eagerness of mankind to blame that which harms us onto others in his play Oedipus Rex. We see the theme of faulty accusation while challenging the often occurring subject of the dominance of fate within greek literature, while continuing to reveal the danger of arrogance. Sophocles uses this denouncement of the gods as a guidance to take responsibility for what you can, to make and take responsibility for what you can do and look to yourself first for blame. Role of the chorus Act as both the people of thebes and the audience Opening Choral ode (Parodos-following Prologue) prayer to the Olympian gods to save Thebes and is chanted by the elders ask the gods release Thebes from the pestilence expresses a …show more content…

His new blindness- ironic only when he loses his sight that he actually gains the insight understanding who he is where he came from Who killed the king Theme: The One and the Many inconsistency Laius- killed by several people at the crossroads Oedipus- alone killed Laius Theme: Conflict between “the one and the many” Oedipus detective and criminal two roles merge into one person both father and brother Twos and doubles two daughters and two sons, two opposed pairs of king and queen (Laius and Jocasta, and Polybus and Merope), and two cities (Thebes and Corinth). combination of two things “What is this news of double meaning?” Jocasta asks (939). Irony (arrogance, self proclamation yet not knowing oneself) The Willingness to Ignore the Truth Oedipus focuses on a detail Killed by multiple people Jocasta says that she was told that Laius was killed by “strangers,” Oedipus- he acted alone when he killed a man in similar circumstances. calls into question the entire truth-seeking process believes himself to be undertaking Not totally impartial objectivity Both Oedipus and Jocasta servant’s story- is irrefutable Only telling they have to rely

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