Literary Analysis in Oedipus the King

Introduction

The paper attempts to make literary analysis of the play by Sophocles, Oedipus the King. The content will cover aspects like the tragic and ironic theme within the play within the context of Jocasta's character. In general, we see that each character in the play has contributed to the epic tragedy of the story and at the same time signified their importance in their own special way. Traditionally it has been said that within the origins of Greek civilization the woman had a fundamental role. The arguments appeal to the existence of ancient matriarchal based on myths; having said that, Jocasta's character is another example set in the history of literature.

Sophocle's Oedipus-Literary Analysis

Oedipus Rex is a play written by Sophocles tells the story of Oedipus, a hapless prince of Thebes, son of Laius and Jocasta. Shortly before marrying Laius and Jocasta, the oracle of Delphi warned that the child they had would be a murderer of her father and husband of his mother (Vickers, pp. 513). Laius was afraid, and was born as Oedipus, instructed one of his subjects to kill the child, but he does not comply with the order to kill Oedipus, just pierced the baby's feet and hung on a leash from a tree located on Mount Cithaeron, failing in his loyalty to King Laius and the horror that gave him the order he had been given (Vernant, pp. 177).

Then Oedipus married Jocasta and lived happily for many years, taking several children whose names are: Eteocles, Polynices, Antigone and Irmene. One day there was a great plague that struck the region without having any remedy, and the oracle of Delphi reported that such a calamity would disappear only when the murderer of Laius was discovered and cast out of Thebes. Oedipus research thoroughly encouraged as a good king who was but they discovered what had really happened: he had killed Laius, his father and married Jocasta, his mother.

According to other accounts, the murder was discovered because Jocasta and Oedipus taught the old belt he had killed, and that Oedipus stole for their worth. Jocasta, after this discovery he committed suicide and Oedipus, overwhelmed by the tragedy, he thought he deserved more see daylight and took off his eyes with his sword (Vellacott, pp. 108). His two sons were expelled from Thebes and Oedipus went to Attica where he lived by begging and a beggar, sleeping on the stones.

We are dealing with a particularly important episode that installs the drama and illuminates his protagonist very thought of a day. At the opening of the play, Creon, spokesperson of Apollo, has clearly stated the problem, in terms that will resume later La Fontaine, in animals sick with the plague; find and remove the stain affecting Thebes (Reinhardt, pp. 98). In this episode, which is a particularly violent exchange between the investigator and the seer Tiresias Oedipus, Sophocles immediately draws attention to Oedipus, and destiny; specifically, on the one subject or the plaything ...