Major Works Data Sheet Oedipus Rex
Major Works Data Sheet Oedipus Rex
Major Works Data Sheet Oedipus Rex
Theme
Reoccurring themes in Sophocles's play, Oedipus Rex, are those of free will versu
Oedipuss birth parents, Laois and Iokaste, and Oedipus himself go to lengths to a
prophecy his fate still remains ultimately unavoidable. Throughout the play, one q
Oedipuss downfall was the fault of his own free will or the fate set in stone by the
Gods. Oedipus left his parents of Corinth whom he believed to be his birth parents
prophecy from becoming true by his own free will. Oedipus killed King Laois who
to be a commoner by his own free will. Oedipus fathered his mother's children by
will. But the whole time Oedipus was blind to the fact that his own free will had le
fate. This may reveal that the Gods crafted Oedipuss fate. Another possibility ma
with the knowledge of the prophecy inadvertently guided himself to his own fate.
Characterization
Tragic Hero-
Setting
Thebes, outside of the palace of
King Oedipus
Symbolism
Oedipus name
Oedipus Swollen Ankles His ankles inhibit his ability to move about. In the sa
symbolizes Oedipus crippled mind, which will not allow him to see the truth.
"Swollen foot"
The Plague The plague represents Oedipus horrible past and loss of moral corre
And still the God sends forth his darts of
fire, And lays us low. The plague,
abhorred and feared.
The Crossroads- Crossroads symbolizes a crucial moment in life (in and out of th
the moment when Oedipus begins to fulfill the prophecy. Oedipus was not aware a
was making a fateful decision. In the play, the crossroads symbolizes fate and the
prophecy rather than freedom of choice.
Sight
The use of seeing as a metaphor for knowledge and truth is undoubtedly the dom
Oedipus the King. The symbolic opposition of the blind prophet who sees the truth
man who is blind to the truth, and hence must blind himself so that he may see no
obvious manifestation of Sophocles imagery. This imagery connects to the theme
knowledge/ignorance in the text and to Oedipus search for self.
In Oedipus Rex, allusions are often made to Greek mythology. Some of the gods a
alluded to Zeus, Athena, Artemis, Apollo, Pan, and Dionysus. Zeus is the god of s
while his daughter Athena is the goddess of wisdom and courage. Artemis is the g
hunt, and her brother Apollo is the god of light and truth. Pan and Dionysus are the
shepherds and merrymaking, respectively.
Mythical allusions
I am the priest
of Zeus, and these were chosen from the
young men.
Figurative Language
There are references to the ocean, tides, and harbors, emphasizing the circular natu
fate and the futility of trying to escape what destiny has ordained for him. Oedipus
a sailor, farmer, and hunter, showing that he has conquered the sea, land, and anim
failed to defeat the gods or even understand himself. The comparisons created betw
and the enlightened ideals of the times show anxiety regarding modern technology
underlying fear that humans are not as powerful and all knowing, as they believe t
make them. The chorus uses apostrophes during their odes. The chorus personifies
of Thebes. Apostrophes are used in the choral odes. These features add emotional
chorus speeches, and make them appear as a complex assortment of characters wh
Oedipus actions.