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The document provides an overview and analysis of the play Oedipus the King by Sophocles. It summarizes the plot, in which Oedipus tries to solve the murder of the former king of Thebes but discovers that he unwittingly fulfilled a prophecy that he would kill his father and marry his mother. The document also reviews several critics' analyses of the play's themes of fate versus free will and sight versus blindness. A few literary works that connect to the play through similar themes, like All the Pretty Horses and Star Wars, are also mentioned for comparison.

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46 views2 pages

Mosaics Presentation

The document provides an overview and analysis of the play Oedipus the King by Sophocles. It summarizes the plot, in which Oedipus tries to solve the murder of the former king of Thebes but discovers that he unwittingly fulfilled a prophecy that he would kill his father and marry his mother. The document also reviews several critics' analyses of the play's themes of fate versus free will and sight versus blindness. A few literary works that connect to the play through similar themes, like All the Pretty Horses and Star Wars, are also mentioned for comparison.

Uploaded by

chris
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Mosaics

Sophocles Presentation - Introduction

1 December 2015

Oedipus the King is a play that focuses on the unsolved murder of the former king of

Thebes. The play heavily focuses on a preordained fate that the protagonist tries to defy. Fate

versus freewill, one of the major themes of this play, show us how different they truly are. It can
be argued that if Oedipus never learned of his fate, the events that unfolded may have never

happened. At the same time there may have been no way for him to escape his fate. The play

opens with Oedipus as the king of Thebes as he is trying to get rid of the city of a plague. It is

believed that to end the plague he must solve the murder of the former king. When he calls on

the prophet Tiresias to aid him, he rejects what the prophet tells him. He doesn’t believe it

possible that he murdered the king himself and has taken part of an incestuous marriage. As

more events unfold, the truth becomes undeniable and he accepts that he has murdered his

father and married his mother. This causes his wife/mother to kill herself. When he sees this he

then stabs his eyes. This ties in to the theme of sight and blindness. Throughout the play it can

be seen that Oedipus was always figuratively blind. He was unable to see, or was blind to the

truth in the mystery of the kings murder. He also refused to see the truth in what the prophet

told him. He chose to remain blind to that truth just like he chose to become literally blind

towards the end of this section.

Critics have given their own analysis and review of the play. Many have hailed Sophocles

as one of the greatest playwrights to have ever lived. One specific review, whose author remains

unidentified on his website Eclectic Indulgence, has claimed that Sophocles is one of the three

great tragedians of his time. The genius of this play is that even though Oedipus lives as king

and has many great years, the audience will pity him in the end. The critic says that it was
believed that one can alter their actions or decisions, but in the end fate will always catch up to

them. Glenn Sumi, editor of the stage and film section of the Toronto Now Magazine, has

claimed the modern adaptations of the play to resemble a film noire. Many modern crime

dramas tend to draw from this play as the detective may unwittingly be searching for himself as

the culprit. This type of “twist” ending has been used a lot throughout ancient and modern

writing. Johnathan McCalmont, a freelance critic in the United Kingdom, writes about how the

play ultimately shows that even the rebellious and those who are outcast will be doomed to

assume the roles of their parents. Even though Oedipus did not grow up with his biological
parents, he did ultimately take after them and assume the position once held by his father. It

can be implied that it was in his nature to be a ruler from birth. These critical analyses shed

more light on this play and the deeper meaning of the themes and motifs.

A literary comparison can be made with the novel All the Pretty Horses. These two

stories connect with the theme of fate and free will as well as myth/reality. A comparison can

also be made with the Star Wars saga. Many of the key themes are present as well in Star Wars

along with slight plot similarities.

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