Oedipus vs. Plato
Writing a piece of fiction is not difficult, it is creating a good work of fiction that becomes challenging. To make an entire world from ones thoughts, ideas, philosophies and beliefs, to give that world life, is not a task for everybody. Many try but are only greeted by failure. However, this is not the case with Sophocles. His "Oedipus The King"created a very unique and interesting world with unforgettable characters. Many writers write about what they believe in, or how things should be. I, myself wrote The Republic, which includes my ideals of how society should function and be directed; my ideal society, my utopia. Many do not agree with my idea of Philosopher Kings ruling, when I wrote the novel, I did not expect everyone to. Not everyone is ready or willing to. Sophocles did not create a utopia in any case, but the society presented in Oedipus The King may be compared and analyzed with my views from The Republic. All societies have a leader. The leader, unarguably is the centerpiece of the way the society functions and which direction it heads. A poor leader results in a downfall or a head in that direction, while on the contrary good leadership brings economic stability and positive changes. In "Oedipus The
Women are often the cause of the downfall of empires and those who rule them. This is mainly because women do not have the equality has men and therefore are almost not completely human, but property. In Sophocles' society, the queen, after her husband had died was unable to rule simply because she was a female. This caused Oedipus to marry her and become king. In my utopia, women would have the same rights as men, would be not be treated softer. They would do the same physical work and would go through the same training as men. This is the only way to guarantee equality. When women are not looked as equals, they are perceived as property. Obviously this causes them to become inferior and restricts many great minds from not being able to reach their potential to help the city, all because they are not given a chance. If Jocasta were able to rule Thebes, it would have changed many lives for the better. If women are given equality they change our society and eliminate the "other sex." This declines a great amount of personal and social problems, making the job for the leader easier. King" the leader was chosen by birth. Being born in a royal house automatically qualified one to be an heir to the throne, regardless of one's capabilities. However, the plot of the drama was different. After the king's death, there was no heir. A sphinx was plaguing the city; therefore it was declared that the man who would solve the sphinx's riddle, would get to rule. This is similar to the views presented in The Republic, where the smartest rule. Therefore Oedipus gets the throne because of his intelligence not because he was born to royalty. This is proven to be a very good idea, the smartest people should logically rule. After Oedipus gains the position as king, the city starts to flourish. His intelligence proves to be the be
Some common words found in the essay are:
Oedipus King, Oedipus Kingcreated, , Philosopher Kings, people rule, heir throne, reality fantasy, views republic, smartest people, help city, personal relationships, society followed, king city, women equality,
Approximate Word count = 1241
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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