Oedipus Vs Pentheus Essay, Research Paper

Oedipus and Pentheus are both tragic Grecian characters who help make their ain terminations. Through their character & # 8217 ; s defects and sightlessness to what is traveling on around each of them, the narrative develops. The lone consistent character in both dramas who is able to understand yesteryear and present dangers is Teiresias, the blind prophesier.

Oedipus thinks his human powers can fit anything put in forepart of him. He forces other characters to state him things, which once more creates his tragic stoping. ( O790 ) Oedipus by non cognizing his individuality seems to make his ain calamity. Throughout the full drama, he is unsighted to everything people are stating him. ( O320 ) He continues to tease Teiresias to reply things that Oedipus does non believe is true. If he merely stopped, inquiring inquiries his destiny might hold been different. ( O385 ) Because of these replies, he begins to surmise that people are plotting against him. He feels that he is above such humble workss. His ain amour propre and blind assurance in himself helps him go on towards a tragic stoping. ( O452-460 ) While Teiresias was foretelling the hereafter of Oedipus, he should hold been smart plenty to listen. He should hold started to alter his ways before he ended up destructing himself. Oedipus & # 8217 ; guilt was get downing to play fast ones on his head. At the beginning of the drama, Oedipus was on the top of the mortal universe. Now he is happening out the truth about his yesteryear and his universe starts to crumple around him.

( O805-830 ) When Oedipus comes upon a passenger car with a adult male and his retainers he lets his ain self-importance get in his manner. When either garbage to let them to go through foremost, Oedipus kills all of them. His ain obstinacy and pride once more kept him from altering his hereafter. Since this was his male parent he murdered, the myth continues. If he had merely let them go through and gone his manner, his hereafter may hold been altered.

Pentheus like Oedipus was taken with his ain powers. He could non believe anything could harm him. ( B270 ) Pentheus in his ain amour propre thinks he can make anything. He feels he is so powerful that no adult male is above him. ( B476 ) He is non able to see that Dionysus is a God because he is in human signifier. Pentheus needs to see everything before he can accept it. ( B255 ) By Pentheus holding to dres

s up like a adult female, he is inquiring for a tragic stoping. He now begins to listen to Dionysus who he had bound with ironss before. He shows how fleeceable he is, to believe Dionysus will now assist him. He can non see himself being set up to take a big autumn. ( B310 ) When Teiresias tells Pentheus “Do non be so certain that power is what affairs in life, ” Pentheus still feels confident. Pentheus was doomed because he did non believe other peoples word about the power of Dionysus.

Teiresias was the lone character to be able to see things as they were. Even though physically weak, old, and blind he seemed to be mentally strong. ( B190 ) This transition shows that being blind and lame does non intend that one can non bask life. He was able to speak about the hereafter every bit easy as the yesteryear. ( B360 ) Teiresias is able to experience that the Gods are more powerful and we as persons must obey their pleasances. In our experiences, we by and large think of sightlessness as a failing. In both these calamities, Teiresias & # 8217 ; sightlessness became his strength.

In Oedipus, while he continues to inquire inquiries the blind prophesier was the lone one seeking to halt him. ( O413-420 ) Teiresias says that Oedipus is blind for non cognizing who his parents are. It should be most of import for persons to cognize who we are and where we come from. ( 330-345 ) This is the first clip we see Oedipus fring his pique. This is a new character trait that develops. Teiresias tells Oedipus & # 8220 ; it is non fate that I should be your ruin/Apollo is enough. & # 8221 ; Oedipus & # 8217 ; pride is hurt during this conversation and he is at the terminal of his forbearance. Oedipus is non so much disputing destiny as unmindful to it. He feels his well being is non every bit of import as the safety of Thebes. He once more show choler when provoked.

In Greek calamities, you can happen a common bond between characters. These characters are responsible for their ain destinies. In these two dramas, both Sophocles and Euripides created a narrative based on this. I have tried to demo that Pentheus and Oedipus could hold changed their destiny by responding different at different points during their lives. Each chose the way, which became the tragic stoping. & # 8220 ; Both characters attempt to prosecute destiny in a battle for truth, to win the conflict merely to free the war. & # 8221 ;

Word Count 802

32d