Oedipus Rex Seminar
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Tragedy focuses on characters who gain a deeper understanding of themselves and the world. What deeper understanding of himself and the world does Oedipus have at the end of the play?
Tragedy is interactive, meaing its effect on the audience is crucial. The audience must make a connection with the tragic hero and "identify" with him. So here's the scary question: How can a guy who kills his father and marry his mother have anything to do with us? How can Oedipus (microcosm, the particular) be a representative of the human race (macrocosm, the universal)?
Change the title of the play to Jocasta. Now what is the play about?
Comments (1)
bengdubz said
at 8:47 pm on Oct 16, 2011
"Tragedy is interactive, meaing its effect on the audience is crucial. The audience must make a connection with the tragic hero and "identify" with him. So here's the scary question: How can a guy who kills his father and marry his mother have anything to do with us? How can Oedipus (microcosm, the particular) be a representative of the human race (macrocosm, the universal)? "
Oedipus can be a representative of the human race because he represents fate. No one can control their own fate and that is very apparent in this story. He shows that humans are just that - humans. They are not the ultimate power and they never will be. He also can be representative of the human race because he shows how people can choose ignore what is right in front of them. Denial is something that most people go through, whether it be about death or anything else they do not want to face. The truth can be the hardest thing to deal with.
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