Oedipus Rex

Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex is one of Greek literatures classic tragedies. It

supports and demonstrates Aristotle’s view on tragedy in the story, and ultimately

defines how this drama is a tragedy. He talks about tragedy being “an imitation of a

noble and complete action” (Witt, 165) along with being artistically enhanced with

fearful incidents. Important parts of tragedies also include plot, character, diction,

thought, spectacle, and melody. Tragedies are imitations of human action, life,

happiness, and misery, all of which are qualities that Oedipus Rex possess.

To understand exactly what a tragedy is, one must first understand what

Aristotle’s view on the matter. In The Poetics, he stated:

Tragedy is, then, an imitation of a noble and complete action, having

the proper magnitude; it employs the language that has been artistically enhanced by each of the kinds of linguistic adornment, applied separately in the various parts of the play; it is presented in a dramatic, not narrative form, and achieves, through the representation of pitiable and fearful incidents, the catharsis of such pitiable and fearful incidents.

(Witt, 165)

That means that Aristotle understood tragedy as an artistic writing form that had a full

story with action and fearful events. There is a strong mood and emotion throughout

the work. Aristotle also says to note that tragedies “influence the soul” (Witt, 165).

Which directly correlates to the previous statement that a strong emotion and mood

should be kept steady through the work. One strong emotion in the story of Oedipus

Rex is anger. When Oedipus finds out that someone killed King LaÐ"Їos, he is angry and

wants to search for the killer. The same emotion is present when the blind seer,

Teiresias, tells Oedipus that he himself, was the king’s assassin. Other specific events

in the play also spark the emotion of anger and keep it throughout the story.

Aristotle’s point in The Poetics is that a tragedy must have strong emotion to be

successful.

Another point about tragedies, also expressed in The Poetics by Aristotle, is

that tragedies include plot, character, diction, thought, spectacle, and melody. The plot

in Oedipus Rex goes over how the hero tried to find King LaÐ"Їos’ murderer and helps

the city overcome a harsh disease. Character in the play includes: being a hero,

loyalty, honestly, acceptance, courage, intelligent, taking responsibility, and

compassion. Characters in the play that are important are: Oedipus, the blind seer,

Teiresias, Achilles, Kreon, Antigone and Ismene, King LaÐ"Їos and IokastÐ"Є, the

messengers, and the priest. Overall the whole story has diction, thought, melody, and

spectacle.

Aristotle says that tragedies are imitations of human action, life, happiness, and

misery. Oedipus Rex includes all of these qualities