Oedipus And King Lear Essay, Research Paper

Fictional characters That Reveal the

& # 8220 ; Whole of Reality & # 8221 ;

In Sophocles & # 8217 ; Oedipus the King, Kalidasa & # 8217 ; s Sakuntala and the Ring of Recollection, and Shakespeare & # 8217 ; s King Lear, there are characters that help the conjectural figure see the & # 8220 ; whole of world & # 8221 ; . In Oedipus the King the characters Jocasta and Tiresias let Oedipus recognize his tragic defect. The same can be said of Kent in King Lear. Besides, in Sakuntala and the Ring of Recollection the ring that was given to Sakuntala is the accelerator that allowed King Dusyanta realize that Sakuntala was so his married woman. These characters serve three of import intents in their several dramas ( although a ring is non normally considered to be a character ) . First of all, they are important in determining the secret plan of the drama. Second, they are of import in uncovering to the audience the defects of the chief character. Last and most significantly, they are a symbol of truth and through them the apparent figure is able to see the & # 8220 ; whole of world & # 8221 ; .

In Oedipus the King, Tiresias is introduced early in the drama. At first he refuses to state Oedipus what he knows about the decease of Laius. He says, & # 8220 ; Let me travel place. That manner is best, for you, for me. Let me populate my life, and you live yours. & # 8221 ; ( 37 ) . This is of import in that Tiresias offers Oedipus a manner to avoid the truth and agony that

comes with it. If Oedipus would merely accept this the truth would ne’er be revealed. Alternatively Oedipus & # 8217 ; true nature is revealed as he becomes enraged and demands the truth that he should non desire to hear. Tiresias so proceeds to openly impeach Oedipus of killing King Laius. He is the lone character in the full drama to make so as he says, & # 8220 ; I say you, you are the slayer you & # 8217 ; re seeking for. & # 8221 ; ( 40 ) . At this point in the drama Tiresias has turned Oedipus from the research worker to the accused. Oedipus is really defensive and immediately tried to fault person else. The reader has non yet been told that Oedipus remembers killing an old adult male at the hamlets many old ages before. The fact that Tiresias has accused Oedipus of slaying does suggest to the audience that he is so doomed. From this point on Oedipus invariably strives to cut through the enigma and seek the truth. It is obvious that Tiresias & # 8217 ; accusal of Oedipus is the chief flicker that fuels Oedipus to seek for and uncover the truth of his past and of his parenthood. Tiresias & # 8217 ; words expose a nervus in Oedipus and workss a seed of uncertainty as to whether he really did kill King Laius. It is Tiresias who most clearly sets Oedipus on the route to suicide.

In comparing, Shakespeare & # 8217 ; s King Lear has Kent playing a really of import

axial rotation in uncovering to Lear the truth of his calamity. Kent is a symbol of trueness and truthfulness throughout the drama. Kent is the first individual in the drama to warn the King of his heedlessness and the first to obviously province the truth. He tells Lear, “Reverse thy day of reckoning, and in best consideration cheque this horrid heedlessness? thy youngest girl does non love the

least. & # 8221 ; ( 1.1 ) . King Lear quickly banishes Kent, which is another illustration of the King & # 8217 ; s character defect of being roseola. Kent knows that Lear has made a awful error and does

everything possible to acquire Lear to see the & # 8220 ; whole of world & # 8221 ; . He disguises himself in an attempt to assist his King. By coming in camouflage as a worthy retainer, Kent aims Lear towards the truth. He does non outright tell Lear of his follies as he did before, but tips Lear to listen to the Fool and finally hold on the truth and effects of his calamity. Kent is besides able to reach Cordelia, which is really of import. Kent & # 8217 ; s connexion with both Cordelia and Lear is a symbol that the two will one time once more reunite and a rapprochement procedure will take topographic point with King Lear. Kent throughout the drama remains Lear & # 8217 ; s most loyal and wise friend and is an of import character in uncovering the truth to King Lear.

In Sakuntala and the Ring of Recollection, Sakuntala is given a ring by King Dusyanta. This ring means to symbol the bond of love and matrimony that keeps them together but, when she loses the ring, it becomes the lone thing maintaining them apart. When the expletive is put on King Dusyanta, he is unable to acknowledge Sakuntala until he sees the ring. Priyamvada says, & # 8220 ; He [ Durvasas ] refused to alter his word, but he promised that when the male monarch sees the ring of remembrance, the expletive will end. & # 8221 ; ( 1206 ) . Because of this, King Dusyanta is unable to see that Sakuntala is his married woman. She is urgently in demand of something to ramble on his memory because the words she says have no

good consequence. The ring is the lone thing that allows King Dusyanta to see the & # 8220 ; whole of world & # 8221 ; . Their love may hold ne’er been reconciled if the ring had non hold been found.

These figures are important to the secret plan of the drama. They help to uncover the defects of the chief characters to the audience, and typify the truth. Without these important characters the & # 8220 ; whole of world & # 8221 ; may hold ne’er been revealed.

44b

Sophocles. Oedipus the King. New York:

Oxford University Press, 1978.

Kalidasa. Sakuntala and the Ring of Recollection.

Penguin Books.

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

28 June 1999.