Essay, Research Paper

There are many illustrations of Aristotle & # 8217 ; s positions on calamity in the drama Oedipus Rex. Without these features the drama would non be as dramatic and good known today as it was 1500 old ages ago. These rules of calamity are non merely utile to the secret plan of the drama, but besides to our mundane lives. Audiences certainly asked themselves, & # 8220 ; If even the mighty Oedipus can be subjected to such a destiny, what can go on to a ordinary individual like myself? & # 8221 ; The relevancy to our being now makes us look at the drama in a different manner. We now have a desire to look into the features of a calamity and how they relate to the play. Aristotle & # 8217 ; s three dogmas of a calamity that relate to Oedipus Rex are that it concerns a character & # 8217 ; s ruin at a important clip in his life which causes the audience to see katharsis. Aristotle said that & # 8220 ; A calamity is a narrative of an person who suffers a catastrophe either through his ain mistake, decreed by destiny, or the inevitable result of action or picks made by him & # 8221 ; ( Rock ) . From this definition, the drama Oedipus Rex particularly applies to a character given a destiny that will be carried out beyond his control. Oedipus tried to get away Cornith when he learned of the prognostications that were supposed to take topographic point in his life. Alternatively, he fell right into the trap of the anticipation by killing his male parent and subsequently get marrieding his female parent. By making this he proved that his life was pre-determined by destiny and there was nil he could make to could alter it. This indicates that the secret plan of this drama follows Aristotle & # 8217 ; s definition of a calamity. Along with this rule are many other subtopics that Aristotle said makes a dramatic calamity. He said that pride seems to be at the root of every calamity and the tragic character would hold & # 8220 ; supreme pride ( HUBRIS ) which separated him from the other persons and challenged the Gods & # 8221 ; ( Rock ) . Oedipus illustrated this arrogance throughout the full drama. He refused to listen to Teiresias because he allow his pride stop him from hearing the truth. The chorus discussed Oedipus & # 8217 ; s pride: & # 8220 ; Haughtiness and the high manus of disdain/ Tempt and indignation God & # 8217 ; s holy jurisprudence ; / And any person who dares hold/ No immortal power in awe/ Will be caught up in a cyberspace of hurting: / The monetary value for which his levity is sold./ & # 8221 ; ( 871 ) . This quotation mark tells us that anyone who believes that they are every bit high as the immortal Gods will be punished by a destiny that will be inevitable. Aristotle besides said that the tragic hero has the illustriousness to accept the duties for his ruin. Oedipus does this by taking his ain seeing. He says, & # 8220 ; The God was Apollo./ He brought my sick, ill destiny upon me./ But the blazing manus was my ain! / How could I bear to see/ When all my sight was atrocious everyplace? & # 8221 ; ( 884 ) . In this quotation mark

Oepidus says that Apollo brought

the destiny to him, but he does non fault the God. Alternatively, Oedipus accepted his errors and was willing to take penalties for it. Through the textual grounds we know Oedipus Rex supports Aristotle & # 8217 ; s definition of a calamity and the many subtopics that go with it. Aristotle besides said that a calamity will & # 8220 ; picture the troubled portion of the hero & # 8217 ; s life which will predate and take up to his decease & # 8221 ; ( Rock ) . At the beginning of this drama, Oedipus is the King of Thebes. Due to events that follow one another, Oedipus & # 8217 ; s autumn from the throne occurs after the awful truth that he is the felon he has been seeking is revealed. Aristotle said that this disclosure would finally take to the tragic hero & # 8217 ; s decease. Oedipus & # 8217 ; s sense of justness supports him from doing alibis for his wrong-doings and he blinds himself. He says, & # 8220 ; Do non advocate me any more./ This penalty that I have laid upon myself is just./ If I had eyes, / I do non cognize how I could bear the sight/ Of my male parent, when I came to the house of Death, / Or my female parent: for I have sinned against them both/ So vilely that I could non do my peace/ By strangulating my ain life & # 8221 ; ( 885 ) . In this quotation mark he admits that killing himself could non even represent for the hurting he has caused everyone in his life. Aristotle points out that this contrast of felicity to unhappinessupports another feature of a calamity. At the terminal of this drama, audiences are left with feelings of commiseration and fright. Aristotle feels this commiseration is the main beginning of tragic emotions. These emotions are felt because there is no flight from the penalty that the character will digest. Although we are moved by compassion, the audience besides feels fear when they realize the & # 8220 ; size and the power of the forces that acted against the hero & # 8221 ; ( Rock ) . This disclosure that the human life is really delicate and is in fact influenced of destiny will finally give the audience a sense of composure and cleaning. This cleaning is what Aristotle called Catharsis. Catharsis is what the audience experiences at the terminal of drama. It comes from & # 8220 ; the cognition of how great the human being can be when it is called upon & # 8221 ; ( Rock ) . Aristotle gave the foundation of rules to calamities for future authors to follow. Without these, dramas would non be as dramatic and unforgettable as they are. Oedipus Rex is one of the dramas that is every bit as valuable today as it was when it was foremost written. Sophocles incorporated Aristotle & # 8217 ; s rules in a manner that makes every reader expression at his life and value it more. Through the definition, the consequence of destiny, and the audience & # 8217 ; s reaction to this calamity, Sophocles created the chef-d’oeuvre, Oedipus Rex, that will be looked upon for many old ages to come as an illustration of the perfect calamity.

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