Oedipus The King

OEDIPUS THE KING

OEDIPUS THE KING IS A TRAGEDY WRITTEN BY SOPHOCLES, AN OUTSTANDING PHILOSOPHER, WHOSE PHILOSOPHY CAN BE EXPRESSED ON THE FOLLOWING WORDS: “KNOW YOURSELF AND YOU´LL SEE THAT THE ONLY THING YOU KNOW IS THAT YOU DON´T KNOW ANYTHING.” IN THIS WORK HE STATES THAT ALL OF US IN SMALL OR GREAT MEASURE HAVE ALREADY TASTED THE BITTERNESS OF DEFEAT AND THAT NOBODY OF MORTAL RACE MUST BE CALLED HAPPY BEFORE CROSSING LIFE´S BORDER, WHERE HE IS FREE FROM PAIN.

A TRAGEDY IS AN IMITATION OF AN ACTION THAT IS SERIOUS AND HAS ALSO GREATNESS COMPLETE IN ITSELF. IT IS WRITTEN IN A DRAMATIC AND NOT IN A NARRATIVE FORM, WITH INCIDENTS THAT AROUSE FEAR AND PITY AND ARE DESCRIBED EMOTION AND MAGNITUDE.

THE TRAGEDY EMPHASIZES THE INSIGNIFICANCE OF MAN AND IMPORTANT OF DEATH, WHICH IS DESCRIBED AS A PEACEFUL SLEEP NOT EVEN DISTURBED BY DREAMS AND SO IT IS NOT AN EVIL TO MAN BUT A PRIZE FOR HIS EARTHY TRIBULATIONS AND TRIALS. IN IT, MAN IS SHOWN NOBLE OR ENNOBLED BY HIS SUFFERINGS, ALTHOUGH THOSE SUFFERINGS ARE DUE TO HIS INSIGNIFICANCE AS OPPOSED TO THE FORCES OF FATE AND FORTUNE.

WHAT CAN BE EASILY FELT FROM THE BEGINNING IS HOW “OEDIPUS THE KING” GIVES THE IMPRESSION OF TREMENDOUS COMPACTNESS. IT IS CONSTRUCTED WITH SUCH ECONOMY THAT THERE SEEMS TO BE NO SUPERFLUOUS WORD IN IT.

OEDIPUS, THE CENTRAL CHARATER OF THE PLAY, CONSULTED APOLLO´S ORACLE WHICH WARNED HIM THAT HE WAS FATED TO KILL FATHER AND MARRY HIS MOTHER. IN ORDER TO AVOID HIS FATE, OEDIPUS LEFT CORINTH AND WENT TO THEBES, FULFILLING THIS WAY, THE PROPHECY.

PART OF OEDIPUS´S PRIDE IS DUE TO THE DISCOVERY OF HIMSELF AND PART TO HAVING SOLVED THE RIDDLE OF THE SPHINX. “EITHER YOU DECIPHER ME OR I DEVOUR YOU.” IT WAS FOR THIS ACHIEVEMENT THAT THE THEBANS MADE HIM KING OF THEBES.

ACCORDING TO LEGEND THE RIDDLE WAS: “WHAT IS FOUR FOOTED IN THE MORNING, TWO FOOTED IN THE AFTERNOON AND THREE FOOTED AT EVENING?”

THE TIBANS HAD TO GUESS IT, AND WHENEVER THEY FAILED, THE SPHINX CARRIED THEM OFF AND DEVOURED THEM. OEDIPUS GUESSED CORRECTLY. “IT WAS MAN”, HE SAID. “FOR THE CHILD CRAWLSON HANDS AND FEET, THE ADULT WALKS UPRIGHT AND THE OLD MAN SUPPORTS HIS STEP WITH A STICK.”

THEN THE SPHINX, THREW HERSELF DOWN FROM THE MOUNTAIN WHERE SHE LIVED.

EXERCISES:

1-  WHAT IS “OEDIPUS THE KING”?

2-  WHO WAS SOPHOCLES?

3-  WHAT IS A TRAGEDY?

4-  IS THE TRAGEDY WRITTEN IS A DRAMATIC OR NARRATIVE FORM?

5-  WHAT DOES THE TRAGEDY EMPHASIZE?

6-  HOW IS DEATH DESCRIBED IN A TRAGEDY?

7-  ACCORDING TO THE TRAGEDY IS DEATH AN EVIL OR A PRIZE TO MAN?

8-  WHO IS THE CENTRAL CHARACTER OF THE PLAY?

9-  ACCORDING TO APOLLO´S ORACLE WHAT WAS OEDIPUS FATED TO DO?

10-           DID OEDIPUS MANAGE TO ESCAPE FROM HIS DESTINY?

11-           WHAT WAS OEDIPUS´S PRIDE DUE TO?

12-           ACCORDING TO THE LEGEND HOW THE RIDDLE WAS?

13-           WHAT HAPPENED WHEN THE THEBANS FAILED TO GUESS IT?

14-           DID OEDIPUS GUESS CORRECTLY?

15-           WHAT DID HE SAY IT WAS?