Essay on "Greek and English"

Essay 4 pages (1160 words) Sources: 3

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Greek and English

The ancient Greeks cared a great deal about their pursuit of knowledge and although the truth was a concept that terrified many, it was viewed as a virtue that was critical in the making of a person. Knowledge ideas were examined through the use of theatre. The use of self-realization of characters is to underscore the themes in many Greek tragedies. In Oedipus the King, Oedipus's character transformation in tandem with the plot highlights the writer's themes. Oedipus's growth in self-knowledge, changes from that of a prideful, heroic king when the play begins to a tyrant in denial in the middle to a man who was fearful and condemned who was humbled by his tragic fate at the end of the play.

Oedipus appears as confident and valiant at the beginning. This is true especially when he solves the Sphinx's riddle at the beginning of the play. He chose to answer the riddle although not being a native Theban and also when she threatens those who fail to give a correct answer with death. Oedipus attains fame when he manages to free the city from the Sphinx's evil reign, and at the same time becoming known for his bravery and intelligence. The respect that the Thebans had for Oedipus was revealed when it was revealed by a temple priest when he said that Oedipus freed them from the Sphinx by coming to Thebes and freeing them from their bloody tribute which they paid to the bloody singer. This he accomplished without any knowledge or skills given to him by the Thebans (44-47). Oedipus's bold actions are viewed as a blessing from the gods so as to benefit the entire city. He is idealized by the Thebans, but at times he seems to be spiteful to the gods by assuming authority that is normally afforded them. An instance where this takes place is when he tells the Chorus which was imploring the gods to deliver the city from the plague, to let him grant their prayers (245). This causes the people to place their hopes in Oedipus as the gods don't seem to want to give them aid. The people place their hope in Oedipus as he previously saved them and pledges to do so in the future (Birge 12).

As a man in denial, where he becomes more like a tyrant than a king, he begins to solve the riddle of Laius' death. Oedipus is gripped with paranoia when Jocasta recounts the tale of her husband's murder which made him to start suspecting his own past actions. He said absentmindedly "Strange, hearing you just now…my mind wandered, my thoughts racing back and forth" (800-802). However, Oedipus is not quick to blame himself for the plague of the city and chooses to set the burden on others as he continues his investigations and blindly trusting his own ability while at the same time ignoring the damaging evidence surrounding him (Dawe 1). For instance, when Tiresias accuses him of being the murderer, he takes the counter-offensive and accuses Tiresias of the murder while asserting that he, Tiresias, helped in hatching the plot and did the work short of killing him with his own hands. He blames Creon for conspiracy and treason, charging, "I see it all, the marauding thief himself scheming to steal my crown and power!" (927-977) and this way, Oedipus makes a choice of attacking the messenger and the same time disregarding the message. Beside all this,… READ MORE

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