Oedipus Essay, Research Paper

Tragic Defect: Aristotle vs. Oedipus

Oedipus is a drama written by Sophocles that many have heard. Few, nevertheless, would non be surprised to detect what Oedipus has discovered at the terminal of the drama, that our tragic hero has killed his ain male parent merely to get married his female parent. Many inquire how this drama could be a calamity? What is the definition of calamity?

Aristotle? s? The Poetics? , is a work in which he tried to specify what calamity was. Aristotle decided that the hero, or at least the chief character in a calamity must be centrally good, but must convey about himself his death, due to a fatal defect, known as? tragic flaw? . The character must demo traits of nobility. Were the character non baronial, the audience would non care about the individual, and would non detect his autumn. In all classical literature this regulation keep true but in modern literature dramatists have proven that and audience can care less about productive heroes. All heroes of calamities were baronial and tried to make good but failed themselves.

Oedipus was a good adult male. He solved the job with the Sphinx, which is how he became male monarch of Thebes in the first topographic point. Oedipus was a spiritual and devout adult male, believing in prophets and moving on them. Oedipus understood his people really good, to the extent that when he was that he ought to consul the prophet to calculate out Apollo? s wants by the people. He is really dry because he does non understand himself or recognize anything that should look field and simple to him. Oedipus is really decisive, he sorts things out rapidly and efficaciously, without much problem.

Equally good as understanding his people he cared profoundly for so. He one time said:

? I grieve for these, my people, far more than I fear for my ain life? -line 105

The sarcasm of these words are really apparent because Oedipus is determined to happen the slayer of the late King Laius, even if the tabular arraies turn on him.

Oedipus ever desire his people to be justified and in these footings he has a great sense of justness. When he discovers Laius has been murdered he shortly decides he will work out his assassina

tion.

Even though Oedipus is really justifiable he is besides an angered individual with a barbarous temper- he got angry when a courier insists he is non the kid of Polybus. As did he when it besides happened in Corinth, when a rummy exclaimed that he was non Polybus? boy. He became ireful with the prophesier Teiresias, when he asked Oedipus to look closely at himself before fostering his hunt for Laius? slayer.

Oedipus was besides creditable or proud. This might be his vanity over work outing the sphinx. He would non see himself a slayer at the suggestion of Teiresias, and even charged Teiresias and Creon with a program to intrigue against him.

Aristotle said that calamities should match to the Three Unities- clip, topographic point and action. Oedipus occurs in existent clip. All the action takes topographic point in one full twenty-four hours, with legion people geting to inspissate the secret plan. Throughout the narrative there are mentions to past events and people that have happened long earlier.

Aristotle besides said that everything must go on in the same topographic point. All the action takes topographic point in Thebes, merely outside the castle. Events that happened elsewhere are related to by courier or flashbacks. Jocasta? s decease was an event such as this since no 1 was killed on phase.

Ultimately, there is the Integrity of Action- the drama concerns Oedipus? narrative only-there are no sub-plots or other complications form the existent exhilaration of the drama.

Oedipus is the tragic hero of which Aristotle? s construct of calamity was based. For if we give ourselves up to full understanding with the here there is no inquiry that the calamity won? T arouse our frights. Harmonizing to Aristotle, the adult male who attains perfect felicity in the universe is the wise adult male who sees in all their facets the facts or the forces with which he is covering, and he can equilibrate and direct his ain urges in conformity with ground. Oedipus is the exact antonym. He is the adult male who merely sees one side of a affair, he is driven by his uncontrolled emotions, and Acts of the Apostless in conformity with imperfect vision. He meets a destiny most pathetic and awful, in conformity with the great Torahs the Gods have made.