...Sophocles's Oedipu Rex and William Shakespeare’s Othello. Oedipus the King and Othello the Moor both experience a catharsis, or emotional downfall, due to fate. Fate is not only a prevalent theme in both works, but a basis of plot as well. Sophocles and Shakespeare both employ elements of fate being influential in their works. Fate in Oedipus Rex does not possess the same meaning as it does in Othello. In Sophocles’s Oedipus Rex, however, fate is depicted as the idea that one’s destiny in predetermined. In Othello, fate pertains to the limit that is placed on the control of one’s own destiny. Fate can be used to show how different authors portray the theme in their work and how each different vision of fate...
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...thinking that goes on after going for the win and losing is similar to what Oedipus from Sophocles’s Oedipus the King and Othello from Shakespeare’s Othello the Moor must think after they have lost everything they once had even though they didn’t have to. Oedipus the King, born royal, runs away from his prophecy to Thebes, his new land, where he completes what the prophecy had in mind. Othello the Moor, a general, questions his wife, Desdemona, after an evil man manipulates his mind. Though both authors use irony and a tragic hero to move their audiences, Sophocles uses those elements to stress the role of fate, while Shakespeare uses them to demonstrate the importance of personal choice. Both Oedipus and Othello are tragic heroes, and the downfall of each moves the audience. Both heroes are blinded by their emotions. Oedipus was blind to his prophecy that he never realized that he actually married his mother and killed his father. He thought that he could run away from it, and got mad at anyone who suggested that he already reached the destination. For example, when Teiresias tells Oedipus that he is the cause of Thebe’s plague, Oedipus says to him, “Your infantile riddles! Your damned abracadabra!” (Sophocles 24). He is basically getting angry because he believes that Teiresias is threatening his power. Similarly, Othello is blinded by his trust in Iago that he falls for all of his tricks. Othello becomes envious and Iago uses this to his advantage. All of Iago’s tricks eventually...
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...Comparing Oedipus and Othello For Oedipus and Othello “duty” should have their first priority. Othello’s duty was supposed to be the importance of his marriage, but he listened to Iago, ignored Desdemona, didn’t believe his own conscience, and his own heart. Oedipus’ duty was to defeat the Sphinx(which he does) free Thebes from heavy taxes(which he does) be a great king of Thebes and be a good husband, but instead he offends Creon, his brother-in-law and uncle; insults his friend, Tiresias the blind prophet; kills his father; and destroys Jocasta, his mother and his queen. Fatal flaws demolished the lives of both Oedipus and Othello. Othello was so proud of his honor and bravery that he didn’t recognize his violent temper and Iago’s mind tricks. Oedipus was so proud of his cleverness that he tried so hard to escape his own fate. With all that said, these were honestly just a couple of comparable traits between Oedipus and Othello. When looking for a great leader that would lead your city through anything and everything it is not hard to tell that both Oedipus and Othello could be those leaders. Both had great gifts in leadership. They stood up in what they believed in. Each held exceptional accomplishments and both possessed the ability to be an all-around leader. Othello was a respectable citizen who was usually known for his fighting or war success. He knew how and what the goal was to succeed. Not all leaders knew that. Oedipus was also somewhat the same. He, like...
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...Blindness and Insight In Othello the Moor of Venice by William Shakespeare, Othello is blind to what is going on around him; similarly in Oedipus the King by Sophocles, Oedipus Rex is ignorant to the fate he was tragically born into. Both Oedipus Rex and Othello commit suicide at the end of the play because they gain knowledge of what they have been blind to throughout the entire drama and cannot live with what they have done. Othello cannot live with the knowledge that he murdered his wife whom had done no harm upon him; he was tricked by Iago. Furthermore, Oedipus cannot live with himself after the truth came out that he had murdered his own father and married his mother. Both of these psychological dramas remain timeless because the motifs within them remain to exist in today’s culture. First, in Shakespeare’s “Othello the Moor of Venice," Iago wants to rid Othello and take his place. Iago convinces Othello that Desdemona is the mistress of Cassio, and has been unfaithful to Othello. To convince Othello of Desdemona's infidelity, Iago steals Desdemona’s handkerchief and sets up Cassio to make it seem as if he is having an affair with Desdemona. Othello’s jealous rage blinds him to the plot going on around him and he murders Desdemona without a second thought. “But words are words; I never yet did hear that the bruised heart was pierced through the ear”, as stated in Literature quotes. After the deed was done, Iago’s wife tells Othello the truth, and he makes himself...
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...October 2014 The Blame Game The Downfall of Oedipus and Othello Both Othello and Oedipus are dramatic plays of tragic circumstances. Although written at different times and by different types of writers, each play has some of the same elements. Deceit, violence and self-destruction reign throughout. Each features men of great power reduced to nothing. However, the downfall of Oedipus is the work of the gods; the downfall of Othello is self-inflicted. Little is known of Shakespeare’s early life, but by 1592 he was well-established and successful in his vocation.(Folger, xxiii) By the time Othello was first performed, the author was already one of the most popular playwrights of his day and many of his best plays were already behind him.(Folger, xvi) His career spanned about 20 years. (New Folger, xxvi) Othello was composed between 1601 and 1604, with its first performance being in 1604. (Folger, x) The play was very popular and records indicate it remained popular through the seventeenth century. The source of the play was a short story from the Hecatommitchi, a collection of short stories by an Italian named Giovanni Battista Giraldi, published in 1565. (Folger, xi) The specific story is from a section of the collection titled “The Unfaithfulness of Husbands and Wives.”(Folger,xi) The main type of imagery used in Othello is that of animals in action, preying on one another. (Shakespeare’s Imagery, 335) In the play, Othello is newly married to Desdemona. Although they...
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...Comparing Oedipus and Othello When comparing and contrasting the character's Oedipus and Othello by means Of the different theatrical practices, one must take in account that there have been Many interpretations, and productions of each of their respected plays. The differing Presentations of each may lead someone to think differently about the play than Another would. In comparing and contrasting the dramatic representation of the Protagonists Oedipus and Othello, theatrical presentation, costume design, and Character will lead the reader, and viewer, to have a greater insight into the theatrical Practices of their times and their approaches to the issue of verisimilitude. The theatrical presentation of both plays are very similar. The two plays would Both be presented on a thrust stage, which is a platform surrounded on three sides by The audience. Except for the backdrop which would have some element of scenery, The stage itself would be bare apart from a few scenic elements and props. Othello, Like most of Shakespeare's plays, had what is called an abstract setting. That is a Setting in which the locale may change rapidly, it may not be indicated by the script That it has changed, and was most likely suggested by a few props. Abstract settings Place more emphasis on the language and the performer, which causes the spectator To use their imagination. It also places more emphasis on costuming. This type of 6 6 Setting helped set up the style of representational...
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...thing–his sense of personal dignity.” This character is trying to find his “‘rightful’ position in society,” but is eventually destroyed by shame that is caused by what is perceived as unfair treatment. Therefore, according to Miller, tragedy is the consequence of a man’s need to evaluate himself fairly (Miller “Tragedy”). The three dramas being evaluated, The Tragedy of Othello, Oedipus Rex, and Death of a Salesman, all fit this definition of a tragedy to some degree. The degree to which the parameters of dramatic tragedy are fulfilled in each play increases from The Tragedy of Othello to Oedipus Rex to Death of a Salesman. Out of the plays being analyzed, The Tragedy of Othello is the least tragic of the three. Othello, as a character, is a tragic hero that does actually give his own life in order to secure his sense of personal dignity (Shakespeare 1542). Othello feels that, despite the influence of Iago, he himself caused Desdemona's death as well as much of the other damage and tragedy that has occurred, and the only way to redeem his dignity is by killing himself. On the other hand, though, Othello had never really lost his rightful position in society, so the tragic events that occur are not implicated by shame or indignation. Instead, the tragic events that occur are implicated by trickery and dishonesty from one character and the foolishness and gullibility of other...
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...plays Waiting For Godot, Exit the King, Oedipus the King, and Othello were all written in different time periods, different themes, with different writing styles, and from different parts of the world yet they all have the common theme of tragedy. How are four different plays so similar? In all four plays the characters are confronted with a change in identity, they are given false hope believing that they are going to succeed in achieving their ultimate goal, and they have human characteristics that make their story relatable to the audience making it more tragic. Most people would agree that tragedy is the demise of a character that is prefaced with false hope and ends with a change in the main character’s self-identity. What makes it tragic is that it created by human characteristics which make it relatable to the human experience. Hope keeps a person pushing forward. They have confidence in their actions and believe it will eventually lead them to the achievement of their ultimate goal. When faced with the fact that the hope you had is false hope it blocks your ambition and makes it harder to be able to strive for success. Oedipus and Othello are both given hope by their sense of nobility and by their desire to overcome an obstacle. To them it looks like things are going to get better and that they will keep their position above the people. Its human nature to want and to strive to overcome obstacles. The audience can relate with Othello and Oedipus’s struggles because most...
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...bibliography by the end of Module/Week 7. The research paper is due by the end of Module/Week 8, and should include a title page, thesis statement, and outline, followed by the research essay itself and your correctly documented sources page. Guidelines for Developing Your Paper Topic Chapters 40 and 41 provide helpful pointers for writing about plays and for developing research papers. Be sure to review both chapters thoroughly before you begin doing any further work for this assignment. Choose one of the prompts below to address in your paper: 1. Write an essay explaining how Sophocles’ Oedipus exemplifies or refutes Aristotle’s definition of a tragic hero. Review Chapter 33 in your textbook for the background and overview of Aristotle’s concept of tragedy/the tragic hero and drama. This chapter also contains critical information on Sophocles and the play Oedipus. You may use any of the critical material as a...
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...Elizabethan era, and the modern era. Each time period had different beliefs and fears that inspired their writers. Each is uniquely different but equally entertaining and interesting. In Oedipus, the drama that unraveled as the story progressed was because of their God’s doing. In the ancient era most of the stories had to do with their god’s deciding their fate whether they were destined for greatness or like in Oedipus’ case doomed from the beginning. The people of that time felt that everything that happened to them throughout their life was because of their gods. Oedipus’ kingdom had been going through hardship after hardship for years, their animals, crops, and their children were all dying and in that time the most logical explanation was that the gods did not favor them any longer for some reason or another. Though Oedipus’ doomed fate did affect him, it also affected his whole kingdom as well and that is how most of their stories were written where people’s actions affected everybody instead of it being something that was only self-destructive. In Othello, the drama focused more on the betrayal of other’s and jealousy and rage. The story also touched on issues of racism that we may not have seen before and that was one of the bigger issues in the story. Desdemona’s father felt that Othello even though he was a brave and noble soldier, was still beneath him and his daughter all because of his race. Iago felt the same way; he thought that he was better qualified for the Moor...
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...Hamartia in Oedipus the King According to the Aristotelian characteristics of good tragedy, the tragic character should not fall due to either excessive virtue or excessive wickedness, but due to what Aristotle called hamartia. Hamartia may be interpreted as either a flaw in character or an error in judgement. Oedipus, the tragic character in Sophocles’ Oedipus the King, certainly makes several such mistakes; however, the pervasive pattern of his judgemental errors seems to indicate a basic character flaw that precipitates them. Oedipus’ character flaw is ego. This is made evident in the opening lines of the prologue when he states "Here I am myself--you all know me, the world knows my fame: I am Oedipus." (ll. 7-9) His conceit is the root cause of a number of related problems. Among these are recklessness, disrespect, and stubbornness. Oedipus displays an attitude of recklessness and disrespect throughout the play. When he makes his proclamation and no one confesses to the murder of Laius, Oedipus loses patience immediately and rushes into his curse. Later, he displays a short temper to Tiresias: "You, you scum of the earth . . . out with it, once and for all!," (ll. 381, 383) and "Enough! Such filth from him? Insufferable--what, still alive? Get out--faster, back where you came from--vanish!" (ll. 490-492) If an unwillingness to listen may be considered stubbornness, certainly Oedipus would take advice from no one who would tell him to drop the matter of his...
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...Christina Rossetti's poem "Up-Hill" both contain allegorical elements. Alliteration The repetition of consonant sounds, especially at the beginning of words. Example: "Fetched fresh, as I suppose, off some sweet wood." Hopkins, "In the Valley of the Elwy." Antagonist A character or force against which another character struggles. Creon is Antigone's antagonist in Sophocles' play Antigone; Teiresias is the antagonist of Oedipus in Sophocles' Oedipus the King. Assonance The repetition of similar vowel sounds in a sentence or a line of poetry or prose, as in "I rose and told him of my woe." Whitman's "When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer" contains assonantal "I's" in the following lines: "How soon unaccountable I became tired and sick, / Till rising and gliding out I wander'd off by myself." Character An imaginary person that inhabits a literary work. Literary characters may be major or minor, static (unchanging) or dynamic (capable of change). In Shakespeare's Othello, Desdemona is a major character, but one who is static, like the minor character Bianca. Othello is a major character who is dynamic, exhibiting an ability to change. Characterization The means by which writers present and reveal character. Although techniques of characterization are complex, writers typically reveal characters through their speech, dress, manner, and actions. Readers come to understand the character Miss Emily in Faulkner's story "A Rose for Emily" through what she...
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...Sophocles' Oedipus is a perfect fit to Aristotle's Ideal Tragic Hero. Oedipus follows all of the rules, with a hamartia, an anagnorisis, and a peripeteia. The audience is introduced to the hamartia, or tragic flaw, of Oedipus early in the play. Oedipus believes he can dodge the oracle given to him at Delphi that he will kill his father and marry his mother. By leaving the city of Corinth and heading to Thebes, Oedipus thinks that he can outsmart the will that the gods have for him. However, the audience knows that one cannot run away from an oracle. The oracle will come true no matter what is done. Therefore, the hamartia of Oedipus is his belief that he can evade his oracle. Oedipus' anagnorisis, recognition, later comes when he is told that it was he who killed the former King Lauis and that he is, in fact, now married to his own mother. The city of Thebes had been searching for King Lauis' murderer in order to drive him out of Thebes to save the city from the plague. With this anagnorisis Oedipus is finally led to his peripeteia, or downfall. First of all, Oedipus is put to shame in front of his entire city because of his incestuous act of marrying his mother. But, more importantly, he realizes that he had not successfully avoided the oracle. In order to try to save himself he blinds himself. If he is not able to see the truth with his own eyes, he should not be able to enjoy the gift of sight. http://personal.monm.edu/ysample/aristotle.htm Oedipus follows ten of the points...
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...Drama Essay “Othello, the Moor of Venice” Jami Bruno Liberty University In the drama “Othello, the Moor of Venice”, written by Shakespeare around 1604, we find Othello in a downfall that was fed by a villain named Iago. Othello soon becomes the tragic hero of this story. Aristotle’s definition of a tragic hero is “someone who is a noble soul, from high estates, and has a downfall in the result of his hamartia or tragic flaw” (Kennedy, & Gioia, 2007). Othello is easily persuaded with bad advice, that his wife is being unfaithful and is in love with another man. Othello being insecure, is crushed when he is fooled into believing that his wife Desdemona has been unfaithful. With anger and jealousy in his heart he finds himself causing a downfall in the result of his own tragic flaw. Desdemona continues to stay faithful to her husband even as her husband accuses her of being in love with another man. She is a sweet, kind and intelligent woman who is truly devoted to loving Othello. Heartbroken to find her husband has turned against her and plans to kill her, she tries to defend herself with the truth. She is unable to dismiss the lies told to her husband by the villainous Iago. Iago’s hate for the Moor stems from several different directions. He plays the main reason Othello has a tragic flaw. Fueled by his own jealousy, Iago has started a rumor about Othello’s wife and Cassio, Othello’s honorable lieutenant. Emilia is the wife of Iago and Desdemona’s maid. She is submissive...
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...THE DRAMATIC IRONY OF SOLOMON’S REQUEST FOR WISDOM INTRODUCTION King Solomon was a scholar and intellectual who knew the importance of discernment and wisdom in governing the people of Israel. He knew that it was important enough to ask God to grant him this wisdom rather than health, wealth or prosperity. The granted wisdom would ultimately lead to his downfall from God’s grace. Solomon, born to David at the height of his reign, never knew simplicity, David had erred once in fidelity, resulting in marriage to Solomon’s mother; Solomon erred many times over by marrying hundreds of pagan wives. Any service Solomon did perform for his people was more self-centered than other-centered. Living a lifestyle so far outside of God’s protective ideals resulted in a growing love for self, rather than for God. Solomon differed greatly from David, even early on, in his seeming lack of the passionate love for God that David possessed. His choices did nothing to kindle a growing love for the God he honored (Foster, 2005, 492). This paper will discuss how Solomon’s request for wisdom is an example of dramatic irony on the part of the Kings historian. This will be accomplished by defining what dramatic irony is and then examining Solomon’s character and the early years of his reign as king of Israel. The wisdom that he requested led to choices that he made in his personal and professional life that ultimately...
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