Oedipus the Tragedy

A detailed Summary of Oedipus the Tragedy

Imagine the pain of discovering that you had unknowingly murdered your father and then

married your widowed mother! This was the discovery made by the main character in Sophocles'

Greek tragedy, Oedipus Rex, when he sets out to seek his true identity.

The philosopher Aristotle explains in his book The Poetics, that a tragic play arouses the

emotions of pity, fear, wonder and awe in the audience. The plot must be complex, and a

character should fall from prosperity to misfortune due to some type of mistake. Classical tragedy

also involves portraying the reversal of a situation, self recognition from a character, and human

suffering. The three unities, noble character, and a complex plot, are some of the criteria from

Aristotle's Poetics that make Oedipus Rex a classic example of Greek tragedy.

Aristotle regards the plot as the most important parts of a Greek tragedy. He states

that ". . .the plot ought to be to be so constructed that, even without the aid of the eye, he

blindness is symbolized throughout the play when people contrast lightness and darkness.

Additionally, a tragic hero should also possess a tragic flaw, which leads to his own downfall.

not physically dead, and so his suffering cannot end. This inflicts greater pity from the audience.

Approximate Word count = 719
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English

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