Oedipus: Aristotle's Definition of a Tragic Hero Essay

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    Oedipus The King

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    (Aristotle). In the layout of Aristotle’s layout of tragedy, a tragic hero who undergoes a severe judgement error to lead to his/her downfall which is greater than deserved. This definition of a tragic hero can be seen in most tragedy which includes Greek, Shakespearean (Classical), and Modern tragedy. These three tragedies have different aspects, but in the end all have the same roots. With the help of Aristotle’s The Poetics, the evolution of tragedy and the tragic figure over the years has been

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    thousands of spectacular tragedies in literature and in life, but none have quite the same impact that Greek tragedies do. In Sophocles’s first Theban play, King Oedipus, the Creon’s character makes it clear that he wants nothing to do with being king because he already has all of the benefits without any of the responsibilities. In Oedipus at Colonus, Creon is in a struggle for power, and the audience sees that his previously carefree and rational approach towards being king changes slightly when

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    Sophocles a tragic dramatist, priest, Athenian general, is an ancient Greek writer who’s work has survived since circa 400 BC.; Oedipus the King is one of the three plays about Oedipus, believed to be first produced in 425 B.C., five years after the plague had broken out in Athens (Kennedy 947). Sophocles’ Oedipus exemplifies Aristotle’s definition of a tragic hero and Greek classical order. As Oedipus says in the play “if you think a man can sin against his own kind and not be punished for it I

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    griefs and mine”(Antigone 1-8). The Burial at Thebes is a version of Sophocles’ Antigone translated by Seamus Heaney. Antigone is a tragedy by the ancient Greek playwright Sophocles written around 442 BCE. The civil war is over. After the tragic death of the Oedipus, everyone would take the throne from one year to the next. Creon orders Eteocles to be buried with full honors, while Polynices body is left to rot. Creon says that “anyone who attempts to bury Polynices shall be publicly stoned to death”

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    Oedipus Essay Tragic fates and the downfalls of others have always seemed to interest a crowd. Audiences will travel from afar and pay to witness such performances. They listen and sit at the edge of their seats wondering when and how the catastrophe will occur in the protagonist’s doomed life. The reason for this is because almost all of the spectators can relate to the protagonist due to the fact that the protagonists of these tragedies are tragic heroes. These tragic heroes have qualities that

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    Antigone, Tragic Hero Antigone, The Tragic Hero. Antigone was the daughter of King Oedipus of Thebes and Jocasta. Oedipus married a beautiful woman and had kids with her but little does he know, she married her own mother, Jacosta. Antigone was the daughter and the sister of Oedipus. A Tragic Hero is Responsible for his/her own fate, endowed with tragic flaw, doomed to make a serious mistake in judgment, they are born from a wealthy family, and they would die with honor. Antigone is the tragic hero because

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    of a tragic hero vary between Aristotle and Shakespeare. Aristotle thinks of a tragic hero as someone who is a noble character by choice and makes his/her own destiny, while Shakespeare sees a tragic hero as someone who is born of nobility and born to be important. Although both tragic hero's end in a tragic death that effects many people, not all tragic hero's fit perfectly into both categories. In Sophocles’ Antigone, Creon is considered a tragic hero. Creon follows Aristotle's definition of a

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    Oedipus the King is a tragic story of a nobleman who could not escape the grasp of fate despite his efforts. From the very beginning of the story, Oedipus displayed the qualities of a King who was respected and feared by many powerful men. He was compassionate toward his people and attempted to do right by them. When Oedipus was informed of his own horrible destiny, which prophesied that he would murder his father and wed his mother, he left everything behind to escape the prophecy. Then, from solving

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    literature to this day. One piece that could be considered as an “ideal tragedy” is the play “Oedipus the King” written by Sophocles. In this play, Sophocles utilizes the concept of tragedy as well the theory of the importance of scenes of recognition and reversal to create a setting, tone, and mood throughout the play. Oedipus, the mythical king of

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    Oedipus, a play written by Sophocles, has become a staple in the study of a Tragic hero in classic literature. When this was written in the fifth century, theatre was more than a means of entertainment but almost a religious event. Robert Fagles goes even further by saying that”theatre was not only a religious festival; it was also an aspect of the city’s political life.” (Fagles) . Greek dramas were presented only twice a year during religious festivals that honored Dionysus, the god of wines and

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