Oedipus Rex Language Analysis

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Oedipus Rex is the ideal example of an Aristotelian tragedy; Aristotle himself defines Oedipus in his Poetics as being “a definite example of the form and purpose of tragedy”. In tragedies the Greeks dramatized climactic events in the lives of heroes, and here through his use of various literary devices, Sophocles elicits fear and pity for Oedipus’ circumstance from the audience. Arguably the most tragic scenes in the play happen during Oedipus’ exodus. After Oedipus has revealed the true nature of the prophecy, he finds Iocaste dead after she has figured out what happened. Oedipus seizes the pins on her dress and gouges his eyes out with them, unable to look any longer upon the sin he has committed. The mere fact that Oedipus’ fall happens within the span of twenty-four hours is a pitiable occurrence, but Sophocles’ greatest tool in eliciting fear form the audience is through his use of language. In this passage in Exodus, the heart breaking grief Oedipus expresses is only exacerbated by Sophocles’ word choice: My fair winds brought me here. Oh God. Again The pain of the spikes where I had sight, The flooding pain Of memory, never to be gouged out. (69) The first line’s “winds” refer in part to an earlier metaphor presented in Oedipus as the king being the captain of a ship, able to navigate through the most perilous waters. Now his “fair winds” have turned against him, the glory Oedipus gained after he solved the riddle of the Sphinx and the glory he claimed as king - initially thought to be blessings – are now clearly nothing but an inescapable curse. “Fair” implies gentleness and good fortune, but that is the opposite of what Oedipus’ lot has brought him. In addition to being misleading, the fact that “the winds” brought him implies a powerlessness of Oedipus. Sophocles is alluding to the fact that Oedipus was fated to do such a horrible

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