Oedipus Rex is a Greek tragedy written by Sophocles about a man who tries to escape a prophecy from coming true but ends up fulfilling it instead. Oedipus, the protagonist, is destined to kill his father, Lauis and to marry his mother, Jocasta. Oedipus soon discovers that all this time he has been in denial and leads to his own destruction, gauging his eyes out. With this, Sophocles, knowing that his audience already knows the outcome of the play, uses that knowledge to create situations that involve verbal, dramatic, and situational irony that keep the audience on the edge and also to develop the characters in the play. Accordingly, this play sends a strong message of fate and free will to the audience.
The reason about this is because before doing something Hamlet wants to makes sure that he is right and not judging his uncle and mother in the wrong way. After that he judges his mother and decides to kill Polonius in a desperate situation. This change occurs because he was not conscious about himself, taking into account that minutes ago he discovered the truth about his father’s murder. Finally he takes revenge and kills the king. This change occurred because at this point
This play sends a strong message of fate and free will to the audience. Oedipus’ free will to pursue knowledge of his identity is significant; fate is responsible for Oedipus’s incest and many of the other devastating events that accrued to him thou out the play. By the importance of fate, Sophocles sends a message across that his characters cannot be fully responsible for their actions. A perfect example of this is blaming Oedipus for marrying his mother, his ignorance was his flaw leading to his downfall, fulfilling the prophecy he tried so hard to avoid. Sophocles’ use of irony helps the audience develop the characters of the play.
The hubristic tragic flaw known as the hamartia is the cause of the downfall. Typically the relatable hero goes on a journey bringing him to his tragic fate which accepts with honour. An example of a well-fitted tragic hero is the character King Oedipus, created by Sophocles. This is because Oedipus had been the model for Aristotle's definition. Imperfections within the personality of the hero are revealed to the audience to be the ultimate cause of their downfall.
A Freudian outlook of Sophocles’ tragedy argues that the Theban king might have, in fact, been an anti-hero. Had Oedipus taken a heroic path instead of being driven by his pride and anger, he could have avoided the series of disasters that followed his collapse. Had Oedipus married a Theban wife and “set about the business of becoming a man”, with time his father would eventually die and he could stroll through
The hero must have a reversal of fortune brought by the hero’s tragic flaw although the downfall will not be a complete loss. Near the end of the play the hero will gain some sort of self-knowledge or have a sense of realisation in which the audience will somewhat feel satisfied. In order to have a tragedy, as Aristotle said, feeling Catharsis (feeling sympathy and making a link with the character) is also very important as this helps us cleanse our emotions through the ending. An example to demonstrate what Aristotle’s definition of a ‘tragic hero’ is Othello. In the beginning of the Othello, we feel an immediate connection with him as we distinguish that he is an honourable man and also very noble.
Brutus’s intentions were reasonable and straightforward while Macbeth committed the crime because of his ambitious and corrupt characteristics. Even though they were extremely different before and after the assassination of their respective rulers, their individual character flaws led to their similar downfalls. In the scenes before the assassinations, Macbeth and Brutus have two opposing reasons to carry out the deed. Brutus has a firm belief that if Caesar was to be crowned king, Rome’s democracy would be endangered and that the citizens will become slaves. In order to protect his country from this terrible occurrence, Brutus decides to murder Caesar.
Along with his horrible fate was an equally tragic prophecy. The prophecy revealed he would be the murderer of his own father, and married to his mother. The fatal flaw of Oedipus being his ignorance and ego blind him from seeing the true consequences of his actions, but he acts as if he knows what he is doing. All through the play this is proven and paired with a cocky pride that becomes more visible for the reader. Robert Kane
In the play Othello by William Shakespeare, we see a shift of character in the main protagonist. A once respected chief noted for his nobility is deceived into the monstrous and jealous human being who ends up killing the woman he loved. Othello starts the play as a heroic character, denouncing all criticisms of his race to become a military leader. As the story progresses Othello’s love life takes a vital turn when his colleague, Iago deceives him. This noble person shows that a seemingly minor flaw of protectiveness and loving nature can ultimately lead to his downfall.
(5.2.295-297) Gertrude’s lustful pitfall is also resolved when she sacrifices herself for her son by taking the poisoned drink. The play’s purpose is met and the characters no longer endure suffering from unfinished business. Their tension and contempt for each other are released with the vengeance dealt. Shakespeare has continuously stressed this powerful concept of justice in which the wrongdoer receives what is due to him and by the culmination of the play the tensions are dispersed due to this. The other prevalent theme, death, floods the inner recesses of Hamlet’s psyche as he develops a fascination with the subject.