Definition Essay, Research Paper

Oedipus as a Calamity by Aristotle s Definition

A calamity by definition is a play which recounts an of import and casually related series of events in the life of a individual of significance, such events climaxing in an unhappy calamity, the whole treated with great self-respect

and earnestness. The Grecian calamities are dramas based on myths which were good known and enjoyed by audiences. Most of the dramas encompassed certain elements that Aristotle identified in his Poeticss. The five Aristotelean elements for a calamity are: 1. The calamity must do the audience feel fright and commiseration toward the

actions that take topographic point on phase, and the drama should animate the audience to populate better lives ; 2. The hero must be of high importance in his society ( male monarch, God, etc. ) , and possess a tragic defect ; 3.There must be a alteration of luck affecting a reversal ; 4. The dramas must be written in the formal linguistic communication of poesy ; 5. The secret plan must convey together the three unites of, Action, Time, and Place. Besides, it is

by and large accepted that most calamities end unhappily and incorporate a important sum of dramatic sarcasm.

Oedipus the King, written by Sophocles in the 400 s BC, is about a immature Hellenic who was fated to slay his male parent, get married his female parent, and while in the procedure go the male monarch of Thebes. This drama is no exclusion to Aristotles definition of a calamity. The drama includes all the cardinal elements of a Grecian calamity,

and besides contains all the parts of a Grecian drama such as a Prologue, a Parados, an Episoda and Stasima, every bit good as an Exodus. In the prologue, Oedipus is introduced as the King of Thebes ( which means he has a really high function in his society ) and has merely learned the ground that his land has bee

Ns cursed with a lay waste toing pestilence. The Gods have cursed Thebes because the liquidator of the former King, Laius, was ne’er punished. Oedipus vows to revenge the decease of Laius by happening and killing the liquidator. This is dry because Oedipus is the slayer of Laius, and the audience knows this because they are already familiar with fabulous background. This type of sarcasm is known as dramatic sarcasm, which is an of import component in any Grecian calamity. The reversal in this drama is most decidedly when Oedipus hopes that his probe of Laius liquidator will convey him and his

land felicity ; when in fact, the complete antonym of this transpires and the decision is ruinous. The secret plan itself follows Aristotle s features of the integrity of Action, Time, and Place. The action is unimpeachably a series of closely related events because all of the chief incidents consecutive occur one right after the other. The secret plan s clip is most decidedly within 24 hours, and the scene does happen in the same topographic point ( in the castle of Thebes ) . The other two elements that Aristotle includes in his definition of calamity are: the linguistic communication of the play, and

whether or non the play evokes feelings of fright or commiseration for the action that is taking topographic point on phase. I m certain that Oedipus the King made the audience feel commiseration for Oedipus, and the drama likely did animate the audience to populate a better life. The drama is written in the formal manner of a poesy.

In decision, Oedipus the King follows all of the features of a calamity by Aristotle s definition. Including the fact that a calamity uses direct action to tell a myth instead than a narrative voice. Finally, the terminal of the action is clearly unhappy which is likely the most of import component of all

calamities.