Homework Question on Oedipus the King
Topic: Why is Sophocles’ Oedipus the King a great play?
- 5 typed pages + bibliography page.
- Use information from the “Oedipus The King” reading. , no plagiarism.
- Needs to be high level typed.
- SOURCES: Required – Aristotle’s Poetics 6 sources (technically 5 because 1 source = the play itself strongly recommended)
- Use MLA format.
- You might find it helpful to consul Harold Bloom’s edition of Sophocles’ Oedipus Plays – in the series Bloom’s Notes– (New York: Chelsea House, 1966).
Depending on your topic, you might also want to include the following sections in your paper:
- A brief discussion of Greek drama,
- A brief biography of Sophocles’ life,
- A summary of the play,
- Two opposing critical viewpoints.
- Your paper must include paraphrase, summary and quotations from the play.
- These may not exceed 30% of the total length of the paper.
Homework Answer on Oedipus the King
Oedipus the King is a great play because the author uses many strategies that make the target audience able to see a great work through the eyes of one of the most celebrated philosophers. “Oedipus the King murdered his father and marriedhis own motherthus fulfilling the double fate of parricide that was foretold”(Fosso 27). The play demonstrates the characteristics of an impressive disaster that is dramatized by different characters using various styles. Oedipus captures the human sense of being caught in a merciless trap where he was to accomplish what was foretold.
Destined to kill his father, Oedipus could do nothing about his fate; however, he had a chance to delay his terrible fate but did not manage to do so (Nassaar 169).He had all the opportunity to ameliorate the effects of his action even though it had been foretold. The writer uses various strategies to present the message to the target audience and thus making it a great play. The play is both entertaining and informative and it is for this reason that it is seen as a great play.
Firstly, the author uses irony in the presentation of the play; some parts of the play are characterized by irony and other styles of drama that makes it to look great. Irony showshow human beings can be for instance, it is used to evoke some feelings from the audience who feel that they are part of the play. By crafting irony into his tale, the author of the play gives the reader a desire to see how Oedipus is going to mentally react to the events that are planned to transpire.