OEDIPUS REX:

CHARACTER SKETCH:

Oedipus is a man of swift action and great insight. At the opening of Oedipus the King, we see that these qualities make him an excellent ruler who anticipates his subjects’ needs. When the citizens of Thebes beg him to do something about the plague, for example, Oedipus is one step ahead of them—he has already sent Creon to the oracle at Delphi for advice. But later, we see that Oedipus’s habit of acting swiftly has a dangerous side. When he tells the story of killing the band of travelers who attempted to shove him off the three-way crossroads, Oedipus shows that he has the capacity to behave rashly.

At the beginning of Oedipus the King, Oedipus is hugely confident, and with good reason. He has saved Thebes from the curse of the Sphinx and become king virtually overnight. Oedipus’s swiftness and confidence continue to the very end of Oedipus the King. We see him interrogate Creon, call for Tiresias, threaten to banish Tiresias and Creon, call for the servant who escaped the attack on Laius, call for the shepherd who brought him to Corinth, rush into the palace to stab out his own eyes, and then demand to be exiled. He is constantly in motion, seemingly trying to keep pace with his fate, even as it goes well beyond his reach. In Oedipus at Colonus, however, Oedipus seems to have begun to accept that much of his life is out of his control. He spends most of his time sitting rather than acting. Most poignant are lines 825–960, where Oedipus gropes blindly and helplessly as Creon takes his children from him. In order to get them back, Oedipus must rely wholly on Theseus.

Oedipus is the king of Thebes, married to Jocasta. He is unaware, at the start of the play, that he has murdered his father and slept with his mother. Soon he learns that it was he that put his kingdom at such terrible risk, and blinds himself using a brooch. He has a 'tell-tale limp', a piercing wound in his ankles, made as a child by the father who exposed him. This echoes his name, which roughly translates as 'swollen-feet'. In line with most tragic 'heroes,' Oedipus has a clear hamartia - or tragic flaw - which precipitates his woeful fate. in this case, it's his pride, which allows him to disbelieve the Gods and hunt the source of a plague instead of looking inside himself. That said, Oedipus' hamartia is not always so clear - since it appears that his prideful sins occurred long before the start of the play. Indeed, Oedipus' greatest sin appears to take place when he kills a man at a roadside in a fit of temper, suggesting that no deed goes unpunished. Ultimately, however, Oedipus must pay the price for dismissing Teiresias' judgment and the Oracle's prophecy, as yet another reminder that the Gods are infinitely more powerful than men.

AS A TRAGIC HERO:

In the tragedy, Oedipus Rex, Sophocles presented Oedipus as a tragic hero. A tragic hero is a kind of sacrificial victim. He experiences a fall because he has a certain character flaw, or tragic flaw, and he suffers so that the audience may learn from that suffering without having to experience the pain themselves. Oedipus’ tragic flaw led to his downfall and suffering. This flaw had an important and intriguing effect on the story.

In the play Oedipus Rex by Sophocles, Oedipus is a classic tragic hero. According to Aristotle's definition, Oedipus is a tragic hero because he is a king whose life falls apart when he finds out his life story. There are a number of characteristics described by Aristotle that identify a tragic hero. For example, a tragic hero must cause his own downfall; his fate is not deserved, and his punishment exceeds the crime; he also must be of noble stature and have greatness. Oedipus is in love with his idealized self, but neither the grandiose nor the depressive Narcissus can really love himself (Miller 67). All of the above characteristics make Oedipus a tragic hero according to Aristotle's ideas about tragedy, and a narcissist. Using Oedipus as an ideal model, Aristotle says that a tragic hero must be an important or influential man who makes an error in judgment, and who must then suffer the consequences of his actions. Those actions are seen when Oedipus forces Teiresias to reveal his destiny and his father's name. When Teiresias tries to warn him by saying I say that you and your most dearly loved are wrapped together in a hideous sin, blind to the horror of it (Sophocles 428). Oedipus still does not care and proceeds with his questioning as if he did not understand what Teiresias was talking about. The tragic hero must learn a lesson from his errors in judgment and become an example to the audience of what happens when great men fall from their lofty social or political positions. According to Miller, a person who is great, who is admired everywhere, and needs this admiration to survive, has one of the extreme forms of narcissism, which is grandiosity. Grandiosity can be seen when a person admires himself, his qualities, such as beauty, cleverness, and talents, and his success and achievements greatly. If one of these happens to fail, then the catastrophe of a severe depression is near (Miller 34). Those actions happen when the Herdsman tells Oedipus who his mother is, and Oedipus replies Oh, oh, then everything has come out true. Light, I shall not look on you Again. I have been born where I should not be born, I have been married where I should not marry, I have killed whom I should not kill; now all is clear (Sophocles 1144). Oedipus's decision to pursue his questioning is wrong; his grandiosity blinded him and, therefore, his fate is not deserved, but it is far beyond his control. A prophecy is foretold to Laius, the father of Oedipus, that the destiny of Oedipus is a terrible one beyond his control. But when it is prophesized to Oedipus, he sets forth from the city of his foster parents in order to prevent this terrible fate from occurring. Oedipus's destiny is not deserved because he is being punished for his parent's actions. His birth parents seek the advice of the Delphi Oracle, who recommends that they should not have any

children. When the boy is born, Laius is overcome with terror when he remembers the oracle. Oedipus is abandoned by his birth parents and is denied their love, which is what results in what Miller calls Depression as Denial of the Self. Depression results from a denial of one's own emotional reactions, and we cannot really love if we deny our truth, the truth about our parents and caregivers as, well as about ourselves (Miller 43). The birth of Oedipus presets his destiny to result in tragedy even though he is of noble birth. In tragedies, protagonists are usually of the nobility that makes their falls seem greater. Oedipus just happens to be born a prince, and he has saved a kingdom that is rightfully his from the Sphinx. His destiny is to be of noble stature from birth, which is denied to him by his parents, but given back by the Sphinx. His nobility deceived him as well as his reflection, since it shows only his perfect, wonderful face and not his inner world, his pain, his history (Miller 66). When he relies on his status, he is blind, not physically, but emotionally. He is blind in his actions; therefore he does not see that the questioning would bring him only misery. Later, after his self- inflicted blinding, Oedipus sees his actions as wrongdoing when he says What use are my eyes to me, who could never - See anything pleasant again? (Sophocles 1293) and that blindness does not necessarily have to be physical as we can se when he says, If I had sight, I know not with what eyes I would have looked (Sophocles 1325). In the play Oedipus Rex, Sophocles portrays the main character, Oedipus, as a good- natured person who has bad judgment and is frail. Oedipus makes a few fatal decisions and is condemned to profound suffering because of them. Agreeing with Aristotle that Oedipus' misfortune happens because of his tragic flaw. If he hadn't been so judgmental or narcissistic, as Miller would characterize a personality like Oedipus, he would never have killed King Laius and called Teiresias a liar. In the beginning, Teiresias is simply trying to ease him slowly into the truth; but Oedipus is too proud to see any truths, and he refuses to believe that he could have been responsible for such a horrible crime. He learns a lesson about life and how there is more to it than just one person's fate.

HAMARTIA:

According to Aristotle, a tragic hero is a distinguished person occupying a high position or having a high status in life and in very prosperous circumstances falling into misfortune on account of a “hamartia” or some defect of character. He should be good or fine man though not perfect. There is nothing to arouse the feelings of pity or fear in seeing a bad character pass from prosperity into misfortune while the ruin of a man who represents near-perfection in the moral sense is repugnant and horrible. The tragic hero is neither a moral paragon nor a scoundrel. He should be true to type, and consistent or true to himself. Aristotle would attribute disaster or catastrophe in a tragedy to an error rather than a deliberate crime.

The main requirements of Aristotle in regard to the tragic hero are thus (1) high social standing, (2) moral excellence or goodness, and (3) some fault of character, or error committed by the hero in ignorance. Oedipus answers to all these requirements. Oedipus is a man of royal birth; he is brought up by a King and a Queen and he himself afterwards becomes a King and marries a Queen. He is thus a man of social eminence and possessing excellent qualities of character, though his is by no means perfect. We cannot say that his misfortune is due to any defect in his character, though his defects do produce the impression that such a man must pay for his defects. It would be wrong to say that he is a puppet in the hands of fate. Within certain limits he is a free agent, though it must be recognized that the prophecy of the oracle would yet have been fulfilled.

Oedipus is a good king, a great well wisher of his people, a man of integrity, an honest and great administrator and an outstanding intellect. He is a pious man who believes in oracles, respects the bonds of family, and hates impurity. His belief in the prophecies of gods is the very basis of the whole play. The suppliant people approach him almost as a god and he is honoured as a saviour. When Creon reveals the cause of the city’s suffering, Oedipus declares his resolve to track down the criminal and he utters a terrible curse upon him. We can say that Oedipus is almost an ideal King. He also shows himself as a devoted husband and a loving father. He shows due consideration for the opinions and feelings of Jocasta and he lavishes all his affection on his daughters. His relations with the Chorus are also very cordial and he shows all due courtesy to them. In short both as a man and as a king Oedipus is worthy of high respect.

However, Oedipus has his faults. He is hot-tempered, hasty in his judgment, proud of his intelligence, and random in his decisions. He quickly loses his temper when he finds the prophet reluctant to reveal the things that he knows. He jumps to the conclusion that Teiresias and Creon have hatched a conspiracy against him. This attitude of distrust towards the prophet is in sharp contrast to Oedipus’s genuine piety. Oedipus belongs to the world of politics and human standards rather than to the divine order of the world. His piety fails also later on when, under the influence of Jocasta, he becomes somewhat skeptical regarding the oracle.

An outstanding feature of Oedipus’s character is an inherent feeling of pride in his own wisdom. Because of this arrogance, Oedipus certainly alienates some of our sympathy. When self-confidence takes the form of pride,

haughtiness, arrogance or insolence, it becomes disgusting and obnoxious. His attitude of intolerance towards both Teiresias and Creon and his highly offensive and insulting words to both of them create in us the impression that he is paving the way for his own downfall. Of course, Oedipus has already committed the crimes which make him a sinner in the eyes of the god, in his own eyes, and in the eyes of other people. But the tragedy lay in discovery that he is guilty of them. If the crimes had remained unknown there would hardly have been any tragedy. Tragedy comes with the fact for discovery both for Jocasta and himself.

It would be a flaw in the logic to say that Oedipus suffers because of his sin of pride, but his pride is not the direct cause of his tragedy. He tried to avoid the fulfillment of the prophecies made by oracle. He killed his father and married his mother. His tragedy is a tragedy of error. If he had been a little more careful, things would have taken a different shape. He might have avoided the quarrel on the road if he had not been so proud or hot-tempered; and he might have refused to marry a woman old enough if he had not been blinded by the pride of his intelligence in solving the riddle of the Sphinx. But, then, the prophecies of the oracle would have been fulfilled in some other way, because nothing could have been prevented their fulfillment. Pride has little to do with Oedipus’s killing his father and marrying his mother.

If Oedipus had not relentlessly pursued his investigations, he might have been spared the shock of discovery. Something in him drives him forward on the road to discovery. After Teiresias has first refused to tell him anything and then uttered some frightening prophecies. Oedipus is discouraged by Jocasta to continue his investigations. But he pays no heed to her philosophy of living at random. She makes another effort to stop his investigations when she has herself realized the truth, but again she failed. The Theban shepherd too tries, but in vain. It is this insistence on the truth that leads to the discovery in which lies the tragedy. We may interrupt this insistence on the truth as a form of pride, the pride of intellect, or the pride of knowing everything. The link of cause and effect is unmistakable between Oedipus’s pride of intellect and Oedipus’s discovery for his sins. But there is no strong link between his pride and the actual committing of his sins because the sins would have been committed in any case, if the oracle was to be fulfilled. The oracle did say that Oedipus would be guilty of those crimes but no oracle said that Oedipus must discover the truth.

Oedipus is thus an authentic tragic hero in the Aristotelian sense because his tragedy is as much due to his own initiatives in discovering the truth as to external circumstances. To the modern mind, a high social position is not necessary for the tragic hero nor do they recognize the validity of oracles too.

In Oedipus we see the helplessness of man in the face of the circumstances and his essential greatness. The manner in which Oedipus blinds himself after realizing his guilt and in which he endures his punishment raise him high in our esteem. The spirit of Oedipus remains unconquered even in his defeat and that is the essential fact about a tragic hero.

ROLE OF FATE:

Oedipus Rex is a tragic play by Sophocles. The play is about a man who is doomed to the fate that was predicted by the Oracle at Delphi before his birth. Oedipus learns of his fate and immediately tries to prevent it, as did his mother and father. The actions Oedipus, Jocasta, and Laios took actually fulfilled the prophecy the Oracle told them. This paper will examine the role of fate in this play and whether or not it is as uncontrollable as Sophocles makes it out to be. The king and queen of Thebes had a son named Oedipus. Upon the arrival of their son the king, Laios, and the queen, Jocasta, went to see the Oracle at Delphi who foretold the fate of Laios, Jocasta, and baby Oedipus. The Oracle told Laios and Jocasta that their son was fated to kill his father and marry his mother. This, of course, struck fear into the heart of the young rulers. The couple made a decision to leave the baby on a mountainside with his legs, or feet bound so that he would die of exposure. This move increases the chances of having the prophecy fulfilled because they can no longer keep an eye on him, but the parents are oblivious to this fact because they believe he will die. The problem with that plan is that the shepherd that was supposed to leave him actually took him to his home city to be raised by King Polybos and Queen Merope.

Oedipus grew up never knowing he wasn’t the son of Polybos. He heard someone say that he wasn’t his father’s son one day and that bothered him greatly. He decided to take a trip to Delphi to see if he could learn of his true origins. The Oracle told him what his fate was, but wouldn’t answer the question of his true parents. Believing that his fate involved killing Polybos and marrying Merope, he left the city vowing not to return until his father was dead. This is where Oedipus seals his fate, essentially. If he didn’t believe in the power of the Oracle, or believed the man that said he wasn’t his father’s son, then he might have stayed with his

adoptive parents and lived a happier life. Oedipus tried to avoid his fate, but instead, he makes it more possible for the prophecy to be fulfilled.

ROLE OF FATE:

Oedipus Rex is a tragic play by Sophocles. The play is about a man who is doomed to the fate that was predicted by the Oracle at Delphi before his birth. Oedipus learns of his fate and immediately tries to prevent it, as did his mother and father. The actions Oedipus, Jocasta, and Laios took actually fulfilled the prophecy the Oracle told them. This paper will examine the role of fate in this play and whether or not it is as uncontrollable as Sophocles makes it out to be. The king and queen of Thebes had a son named Oedipus. Upon the arrival of their son the king, Laios, and the queen, Jocasta, went to see the Oracle at Delphi who foretold the fate of Laios, Jocasta, and baby Oedipus. The Oracle told Laios and Jocasta that their son was fated to kill his father and marry his mother. This, of course, struck fear into the heart of the young rulers. The couple made a decision to leave the baby on a mountainside with his legs, or feet bound so that he would die of exposure. This move increases the chances of having the prophecy fulfilled because they can no longer keep an eye on him, but the parents are oblivious to this fact because they believe he will die. The problem with that plan is that the shepherd that was supposed to leave him actually took him to his home city to be raised by King Polybos and Queen Merope.

Oedipus grew up never knowing he wasn’t the son of Polybos. He heard someone say that he wasn’t his father’s son one day and that bothered him greatly. He decided to take a trip to Delphi to see if he could learn of his true origins. The Oracle told him what his fate was, but wouldn’t answer the question of his true parents. Believing that his fate involved killing Polybos and marrying Merope, he left the city vowing not to return until his father was dead. This is where Oedipus seals his fate, essentially. If he didn’t believe in the power of the Oracle, or believed the man that said he wasn’t his father’s son, then he might have stayed with his adoptive parents and lived a happier life. Oedipus tried to avoid his fate, but instead, he makes it more possible for the prophecy to be fulfilled.

You could say that if it wasn’t for the Oracle, then Oedipus, Jocasta, and Laios may have lived happily ever after. The Oracle led these three to their ruin. Having seen the Oracle about another matter, Oedipus heard his fate, then proceeded to try and prevent it. Laios and Jocasta believed the Oracle,

but they also believed they could control their fate. The play makes it seem as though fate can’t be controlled because when you try and control fate, the decisions you make cause your fate to be sealed. It is interesting to try and figure out how these events would have been able to take place if no one tried to control their own fate. In all likelihood, the fate of Oedipus would have been much different if his parents decided to accept fate, rather than control it. It can be said that fate is only uncontrollable when you try to control it.

Fate and prophecy aren’t limited to just the prophecy the Oracle gave in this play. There is also foreshadowing as to what will happen to Oedipus as he tries to discover the killer of Laios to save his city. The priest of Apollo is blind and old and knows the real truth behind the identity of Oedipus. Oedipus mocks him and states that he will never be like him, but in the end he’s blinded as the old man is and had discovered that you can’t escape your fate. Oedipus believes that fate can be controlled throughout the play, until the end. He yearns for the truth, but will not believe it when it is spelled out for him because he’s already convinced himself that he beat his fate by moving out of the city of his father. Jocasta believes she’s beaten fate, too. She didn’t believe what the Oracle had to say because Laios and she pierced their son’s ankles and left him for dead. A dead baby can’t kill his father, or marry his mother. Jocasta believes that killing her son was a mistake because if the son died, their fate couldn’t be fulfilled and if their fate couldn’t be fulfilled, then it isn’t really fate after all.

Sophocles is making a point with Oedipus Rex. His point is that the more you try and control fate, the more it controls you. What does this mean exactly? Do you control your fate by accepting it? Or do you just live your life without trying to learn what your fate will be? Or is he just saying that no matter what you do, your fate will fulfill itself with or without your help? It seems likely that the point would be to just live your life and do not worry what fate will bring you because when you try to control the uncontrollable, you end up virtually painting yourself into a corner. Throughout the play you see Oedipus get broken from fate and trying to escape it. It would seem that he would lose all hope because no matter what he does, the prophecies laid out for him keep coming true. Sophocles was probably trying to say to just live your life. You can’t change your fate, so why not just keep it a surprise? Don’t waste your time with oracles and don’t try and control your fate.

PLOT CONSTRUCTION:

Exposition:The city of Thebes is beset by a plague that is killing all the plants in the fields and the babies in their mothers’ womb. It is threatening Thebes' existence. The Delphic Oracle advises that in order to get rid of the plague, the murderer of its past king, Laius, be cast out of Thebes.

Conflict:Teiresias, the blind prophet called to reveal the identity of Laius’ murderer names the king, Oedipus, as Laius’ murderer. This angers Oedipus and he becomes determined to inquire and know the identity of Laius’ murderer. There is man versus man conflict between Oedipus and Teiresias. When Oedipus also accuses Creon of conspiring with Teiresias to bring him down as king of Thebes, another man versus man conflict arises.

However, the more prominent conflicts in the story are Oedipus’ battle against his fate and his own pride. The man versus nature conflict between Oedipus and his fate is played out from his birth, running away from Corinth to “escape” his fate only to be lead to killing Laius and marrying

Jocasta. Oedipus also plays out a man versus himself conflict when his pride causes him to irrationally accuse Teiresias and Creon of conspiring against him. More importantly, his pride and belief that he can save Thebes again leads him to self-destruction when his careful and exhaustive inquiry reveals his parentage and his crimes of parricide and incest.

Climax:The messenger from Corinth reveals Oedipus’ true identity. The herdsman further reveals Oedipus’ parentage. The truth that the twice prophesized Oedipus’ murder of his own father and marriage to his own mother has indeed come to pass. As a result of these revelations, Jocasta kills herself and Oedipus blinds himself.

Dénouement:Oedipus asks Creon to exile him from Thebes and to take care of his daughters. Oedipus leaves Thebes.

DRAMATIC IRONY:

Dramatic irony was used in Oedipus the king as an essential tool to develop the play. Dramatic irony involves readers knowing what is happening in the plot, where as the characters have no knowledge about it. This makes the audience feel privileged, as they know more than the main characters in the story. In Oedipus the king the use of dramatic irony develops the play through pathos towards Oedipus, creating suspense and foreshadowing the outcome of the play.

In the play dramatic irony is also used to create suspense because although the reader knows about the prophecies of Oedipus and what his fate will bring him, the audience does not know how he will react to

the accusations laid upon him. Oedipus knows about the prophecies yet he does not know they have come through, however the audience is aware of everything going on in Oedipus life. According to Oedipus, he has proved the prophecies wrong, but the audience knows this is not the case. the prophecies have become a part of his life yet he is ignorant of it. In Oedipus speech to the people of Thebes he tells them he will start from the beginning and will bring right to their lives. This leaves readers in suspense wondering what will come next. Oedipus he will gain something form the people of Thebes by finding the murderer of liaus it creates suspense, as the reader will want to know what will happen next. “ For whoever killed Laius might decide to raise his hands against me so acting on behalf of liaus I benefit myself too.”(Sophocles, 10) this creates suspense because the readers know he would not benefit himself, as he is the real killer. This lets the audience

wonder as to what would happen when Oedipus figures out that the real killer of liaus is himself. This leaves the readers questioning everything that is to come next. To reveal the murder in this part of the play is an important factor of creating suspense among the readers.

The play continues to develop by creating suspense through the use of dramatic irony. The readers know he is the murder of liaus but looking at Oedipus personality the novel also depicts how angry Oedipus is with whoever killed laius. “ As for the murderer himself, I call down a curse on him…. may he drag out an evil death-in-life misery. And further I pronounce a curse on myself is the murderer should, with my knowledge share my house” (sophocles, 14). This creates terror and suspense in the readers mind as to what Oedipus would do when he finds out he is the murderer of Laius. This also creates anticipation among the readers, as they will want to know what is to come next.

Another aspect of dramatic irony used for the development of the play is the audience feeling sorry for Oedipus. The audience knows what ill-fate Oedipus life carries and how in a way he is guilty of his own unhappiness. This feeling of remorse the audience develops through the play contributes greatly to Oedipus character personality according to Aristotle. The use of dramatic irony makes the readers hopeful. When Oedipus says, “ I am lost, accusred, and hated by the gods. Beyond all other men” (sophocles, 37) the audience feels sorry for him at this point; as they already knew about his destiny and hoe it is all written out for him.Dramatic irony also foreshadows what might be the out come in the end. Prophecies and foreshadowing are important parts of play writing, and adds an element of suspense that might not seem possible any other way. For instance when Tireias says to Oedipus “ without knowing it you are the enemy of your own flesh and blood …. This doubled aged curse shall one day drive you from this land” (sophocles, 28) this foreshadows the outcome of Oedipus life, and how he might be exiled from Thebes. Again the audience already knows about his prophecies and the curse they bring upon him, which he will have to pay for in the end , hence this quote foreshadows to the readers what might happen to Oedipus at the end. Oedipus later says to tiresias, “ Save yourself and the city, save me, from all the infections caused by the dead man .we are in your hands” (Sophocles, 19). This foreshadows and also creates suspense as to what tiresias might say next to Oedipus. It is dramatic irony because the audience knows tiresias cannot save Oedipus for this curse it is him self that has to see the truth on his own. Therefore a bit of tension arises as to how tiresias might respond to him and what Oedipus will do once he is told the truth. Also when tiresias tell Oedipus that his life will end in darkness “ you see straight now but then you will see darkness” (sophocles, 28) darkness vs. light used in the play foreshadows and helps the audience understand what Oedipus might do to him self when he learns the truth about his past, his prophecies and the real murderer.

In Oedipus the king the use of dramatic irony develops the play through pathos towards the tragic hero, creating suspense, and foreshadowing the outcome of the play. Finally, Oedipus the king is a tragic play that depicts the characteristics of a tragic hero an how destiny plays an unfortunate game with him. Sophocles’ Oedipus, dramatic irony is a major input into making this novel a strong one; the whole novel is based on the concept of dramatic irony. Where the audience knows about Oedipus prophecies, his past and the murder he committed, but he himself is blind to. Oedipus destiny has been written out for him. He became a victim to an ill fate unknowingly. His destiny could not be controlled or changed; a man born with poor fortune and a dishonored life, who saved the people of Thebes from the sphinx ad brought light to everyone’s life at the end, gets rid of the light of his own eyes and ends his life in darkness.

Catharsis:According to Aristotle tragedy should arouse the feeling of pity and terror – pity for the hero’s tragic fate and terror at the sight of the dreadful suffering befalling particularly the hero. By arousing pity and terror, a tragedy aims at the catharsis of these and similar other emotions and cures these feelings which always exist in our hearts. A tragedy, hence, affords emotional relief and the spectators rise at its end with a feeling of pleasure. This, according to Aristotle, is the aesthetic function of tragedy. Through catharsis the emotions are reduced to a healthy and balanced proportion. Besides pity and fear an audience also experiences contempt, hatred, delight, indignation, and admiration. Still, these emotions are less important or less intense. Pity and fear are the dominant emotions and they are intensely produced.

Tragedy, by means of pity, fear and other emotions also provides exercise and nourishment for the emotional side of human nature. It also satisfies our love of beauty and of truth, of truth to life and truth about life. Experience, and more experience, is a natural human craving. Tragedy leads to an enrichment of our experience of human life. It may teach us to live more wisely and widen the boundaries of our experience of life. Tragedy shows the eternal contradiction between human weakness and human courage, human stupidity and human greatness, human frailty and human strength. Tragedy gives us pleasure by exhibiting human endurance and perseverance in the face of calamities and disasters.

Pity and fear are the dominating feelings produced by the play “Oedipus Rex”. Apart from catharsis of these feelings, the play deepens our experience of human life and enhances our understanding of human nature and human psychology. The prologue produces in us pity and fear, pity for the suffering population of Thebes and fear of future misfortunes which might befall the people. The Priest, describing the state of affairs, refers to a tide of death from which there is no escape, death in the fields and pastures, in the wombs of women, death caused by the plague which grips the city. Oedipus gives expression to his feeling of sympathy, telling the Priest that his heart is burdened by the suffering of all the people. The entry-song of the Chorus following the prologue heightens the feelings of pity and fear. The Chorus says:

“With fear my heart is riven, fear of what shall be told. Fear is upon us.”

Oedipus’ proclamation of his resolve to track down the murderer of Laius brings some relief to us. But the curse, which Oedipus utters upon the unknown criminal and upon those who may be sheltering him, also terrifies us by its fierceness. The scene in which Oedipus clashes with Teiresias contributes to the feelings of pity and terror, the prophecy of Teiresias is frightening because it relates to Oedipus. Teiresias speaks to Oedipus in alarming tones, describing him in a veiled manner as “husband of the woman who bore him, father-killer and father-supplanter” and accusing him openly of being a murderer.

In the scene with Creon, the feeling of terror is much less, arising mainly from Oedipus’ sentence of death against the innocent Creon which is soon withdrawn. The tension reappears with Oedipus’ suspicion on hearing from Jocasta that Laius was killed where three roads met. Oedipus’ account of his arrival at Thebes arouses the feeling of terror by its reference to the prophecy which he received from the oracle, but both terror and pity subside when Jocasta tries to assure Oedipus that prophecies deserve no attention. The song of the Chorus harshly rebuking the proud tyrant revives some of the terror in our minds, but it again subsides at the arrival of the Corinthian after hearing whom Jocasta mocks at the oracles. The drama now continues at a rather low key till first Jocasta and then Oedipus find themselves confronted with the true facts of the situations. With the discovery of true facts, both the feelings of pity and fear reach their climax, with Oedipus lamenting his sinful acts of killing his father and marrying his mother.

But the feelings of pity and fear do not end here. The song of the Chorus immediately following the discovery arouses our deepest sympathy at Oedipus’ sad fate. The Chorus extends the scope of its observations to include all mankind:

“All the generations of mortal man add up to nothing.”

Then comes the messenger from the palace and he gives a terrible account of the manner in which Jocasta hanged herself and Oedipus blinded himself. The messenger concluded his account with the remark that the royal household is today overwhelmed by “calamity, death, ruin, tears and shame”. The conversation of the Chorus with Oedipus who is not blind is also extremely moving. Oedipus speaks of his physical and mental agony and the Chorus tries to console him. Oedipus describes himself as:

“…… shedder of father’s blood, husband of mother, Godless and child of shame, begetter of brother-sons”.

The feeling of deep grief by Oedipus is experienced by the audience with an equal intensity. The scene of Oedipus’ meeting with his daughters is also very touching. His daughters, laments Oedipus, will have to wander homeless and husbandless. He appeals to Creon in moving words to look after them.

The feeling of pity and fear has been continuously experienced from the very opening scene of the play. Other feelings aroused in our hearts were irritation with Oedipus at his ill-treatment of Teiresias, anger against Teiresias for his obstinacy and insolence, admiration for Creon for his moderation and loyalty, liking for Jocasta for her devotion to Oedipus, admiration for Oedipus for his relentless pursuits of truth and so on. But the feelings of relief, delight and pleasure have

also been aroused in us. These feelings are the result partly of the felicity of the language employed and the music of poetry, but mainly the result of the spectacle of human greatness which we have witnessed side by side with the spectacle of human misery. The sins of Oedipus were committed unknowingly; in fact Oedipus did his utmost to avert the disaster. Oedipus is, therefore, essentially an innocent man, despite his sin of pride and tyranny. Jocasta too is innocent, in spite of her sin of scepticism. There is no villainy to be condemned in the play. The essential goodness of Oedipus, Jocasta and Creon is highly pleasing to us. But even more pleasing though at the same time saddening is the spectacle of human endurance seen in Jocasta and Oedipus inflicting upon themselves a punishment that is awful and terrible. In the closing scene, the blind Oedipus rises truly to heroic heights, displaying an indomitable spirit. Blind and helpless though he now is, and extremely ashamed of his parricide and incestuous experience as he is, he yet shows an invulnerable mind and it is this which has a sustaining, cheering, uplifting and exhilarating effect upon us.

Jocasta’s fate underlines that of Oedipus. So does the great song of the Chorus on the laws which are “enthroned above”. The song and in particular the denunciation of the tyrant are relevant to Oedipus and Jocasta. The song begins with a prayer for purity and reverence, clearly an answer to Oedipus’ and Jocasta's doubts about the oracles. It ends with an even more emphatic expression of fear of what will happen if the truth of the divine oracles is denied. Between the first and the last stanzas the Chorus describes the man who is born of hybris, such hybris as is displayed by the King and the Queen. The description follows to a large extent the conventional picture of the tyrant, mentioning his pride, greed and irreverence. Not every feature fits the character of Oedipus, nor should we expect that. The Chorus fears that he who behaves with presumption, pride and self-confidence will turn tyrannical and impious, and they foresee that Zeus, the true King of the world will punish the sins of the mortal King. If he does not do so, all religion will become meaningless, and all will be lost.