Oedipus Rex as Aristotle English Literature Essay
By Dr Oliver Tearle Loughborough University The plot of Sophocles' great tragedy Oedipus the King, also known as Oedipus Rex or Oedipus Tyrannos, has long been admired. In his Poetics, Aristotle called it the exemplary Greek tragedy. Samuel Taylor Coleridge called it one of the three perfect conspiracies in them all. 'Oedipus the King', also known as 'Oedipus Rex', is a tragedy by Sophocles, probably written before Christ. The play is part of Sophocles' Theban cycle, which deals with the tragic fate of the royal family of Thebes. The story of Oedipus was well known to the ancient Greek public. 1. Oedipus Rex Essay Writing an essay on the topic of Oedipus Rex can be a challenging endeavor because it requires a deep understanding of Sophocles' classic play and the ability to analyze its intricate elements. themes, characters and literary elements. The complexity of the character of Oedipus, the tragic unfolding of the plot and the layers of the story. The primary purpose of this article is to write an essay on Oedipus the King in relation to Aristotle's poetics. Background of Aristotle. In Greek history, Aristotle was one of the greatest thinkers the Greeks had ever seen. He was born in Stagira BC and died in Chalcis BC. His companion was a lady named Pythias. ARGUMENT. While Thebes was under the rule of La us and Jocasta, a strange and monstrous creature appeared, the enigmatic Sphinx, the she-wolf of the woven song, who inexplicably sang riddles of death and slew the people of Thebes. Laus went to ask the oracle of Delphi for help, but was mysteriously killed during the Analysis. Views. 425. The play takes place on one platform, but camera work creates the effect of a specific space: a palace in the city of Thebes. Actors can be easily distinguished from the chorus by the details of the costumes and the size of their masks. Actors all wear monstrous masks and costumes from Share Cite. Fate plays a very strong role in Oedipus Rex. The central theme of the play is that people cannot escape their fate. Oedipus tries to avoid his tragic fate, which he learns. Chapter-by-chapter brief summary of poetics. Poetics contains a total of twenty-six chapters. Below is a brief summary of each chapter of Poetics. Chapter I: Imitation. Chapter I defines the basic concepts of imitation. Imitation is regarded as the sculptural principle of the art of poetry, music, dance, painting and medium, objects or mode of imitation.