means to tragic ends (oedipus triology)

A detailed Summary of means to tragic ends (oedipus triology)

Does man really have free will, or does free will lie within a system of limitations that gradually compose a web of circumstantial fate that ultimately cannot be torn apart?

The events in both Oedipus The King and Antigone controversially suggests that man ultimately chooses his own deeds and endures fate and the responsibilities for them. These events brought by fate are unmistakably aggravated by certain characteristics within the characters. Oedipus, from Oedipus The King, Antigone, and Creon, both from Antigone possess such flawed characteristics that lead to their tragic ends.

Oedipus possesses a multitude of characteristics, some of them common to other characters, but pride is exceptionally prevalent. This characteristic, which margins with

utter arrogance, appears to be one of the dominant flaws that causes Oedipus' tragic downfall. This is plainly established in the beginning of the play in which he states "I Oedipus whom all men call the great." (p11.8). This is strengthened by the Priest's replies of "...Oedipus, Greatest in all men's eyes," (p12.40) and "Noblest of men" (p12.46).

However, pride is not the only characteristic which contributes to Oedipus' tragic end. There exists his temper, which is init

The flawed characteristics of father and daughter are similar to the sides of a coin. On one side, Oedipus is caught in the center of a disastrous situation ignorant to the world around him. However, on the other side of the coin, Antigone is fully aware of the impure situation she was born into. Unlike her father, Antigone wants people to know about her deplorable position so they can show sympathy for her. The strengths of her father Oedipus, have become her weaknesses, and the strengths of his daughter Antigone, are Oedipus' weaknesses.

Ultimately, Oedipus is guilty in the end, not for killing his father and marrying his mother, rather it is his attempt to raise himself above others, disregarding the facts and wisdom brought to him. Antigone, a woman of nobility and idealism, is guilty of the immature masochistic desire to martyr herself. Creon's guilt, perhaps the most chosen, is his inability to recognize that someone other than himself can be right. These characteristics are fated by man, not by fate itself, and created a web of circumstantial fate. The events brought on by these characters could have been avoided if the

ially presented in the argument between Teiresias and himself. After Teiresias speaks the truth as factual, Oedipus replies "Do you imagine you can always talk like this, and live to laugh at it hereafter?" (p26.367) and then soon after calls Teiresias a "fool" (p29.433). His temper is also exposed when

Creon's flawed characteristic is undoubtedly his pride. A sense of pride as strong as a lion, yet as fragile as a small bird, added with his stubbornness and temper, created a man as unmovable as a mou

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Approximate Word count = 1114
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English