The Conflict, Climax and Resolution in Oedipus Rex Essay

The Conflict, Climax and Resolution in Oedipus Rex 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 each case he is pursuing the killer as someone whom he assumes is other than himself. . . . The second series begins with Jocasta and continues with the Corinthian messenger and Laius’ herdsman. Now Oedipus is pursuing the killer as possibly the same as†¦show more content†¦. . .(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 antagoinst within Oedipus in the form of his â€Å"godlike mastery,† as Creon believed? Or is the antagonist weird/wyrd/fate, so that the oracle demonstrated the gods’ power to predestine their creatures? Frank B. Jevons in â€Å"In Sophoclean Tragedy, Humans Create Their Own Fate,† answers these questions: Every action of Oedipus is the natural, necessary outcome of his character and his circumstances, and when peace does come to him, it is from within. . . . the cause of Oedipus’ deeds is not destiny, but circumstances and himself. . . .Sophocles shows how men run on their fate of their own free-will. Oedipus is warned by Apollo of his doom, and he fulfils his doom; but all his acts are his own; neither man nor God can be blamed. The lesson as well as the art of Sophocles is that man’s fate, thoughShow MoreRelated Oedipus Rex - Conflict, Climax, Resolution Essay2880 Words   |  12 PagesOedipus Rex - Conflict, Climax, Resolution  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   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 expectationRead 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 Sop hocles’ Oedipus Rex is a subject of varying interpretation among literary 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