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Essay / Research Paper Abstract
This 3 page paper examines the tragic flaw in the character of Oedipus as revealed in the play "Oedipus the King." Bibliography lists 2 sources.
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3 pages (~225 words per page)
File: D0_HVTrgFlw.rtf
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Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
has also given his name to a recognized psychological condition: the Oedipus complex. The paper discusses the tragic flaw in Oedipuss character as revealed in the play Oedipus the King.
Discussion Lets take a look at a bit of background first. It was Aristotle, in his Poetics, who laid down the idea of the tragic hero, and the meaning of
tragedy for an audience (Oedipus as the ideal tragic hero). Simply put, an audience experiences a "catharsis," usually thought of as a cleansing or purging, when they watch a figure
they admire go through a horrific tragedy (Oedipus as the idea tragic hero). First they get to know the character and why he is admirable; then they begin to fear
that he will suffer a terrible fate; finally, they end up pitying the person-and thus they have their catharsis (Oedipus as the ideal tragic hero). Oedipus meets all the requirements
here: he is a just king, a leader, and a man who is deeply concerned about his people; and because he is concerned about people, he needs to discover the
cause of the plague on Thebes (Sophocles). As he proceeds to try and find the truth of the matter, he begins asking questions that lead to answers no one should
have to hear; and he ends up discovering the truth about himself, a truth so agonizing and abhorrent that he blinds himself (Sophocles). The self-blinding is a perfect metaphor for
Oedipuss tragic flaw: he is blind as to his true identity. As the play opens, Oedipus sends Creon, Jocastas brother (and thus his brother-in-law) to Apollos oracle at Delphi to
find out exactly why the city is suffering (Sophocles). Creon returns, and at first it seems that he must be happy, because Oedipus says "His face is bright" (80) (Sophocles).
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