Oedipus Against the Prophet

This image shows us the denial of Oedipus against the accusations of the old blind prophet. When the prophet declares that Oedipus is the one to bring the plague upon Thebes, he banishes the prophet and states that he will track down the correct murderer of the old King and bring the plague to an end. Little does Oedipus know, that he is in truth the real culprit and cause of all the strife that Thebes is going through. This is important because it helps us understand the arrogance and pride that Oedipus has and that it will inevitably lead to his destruction

Work Cited:

"Oedipus against the prophet." Classic English Literature Notes. Web. 1 Nov 2010. <http://www.classic-enotes.com/drama/sophocles/oedipus-rex/full-text-of-oedipus-rex/>. .

Oedipus's Exile out of Thebes

This image captures the moment when Oedipus is being exiled out of the city of Thebes. It is important to note that Antigone is helping her father out of the city. The reason behind his fate lies with himself. Oedipus, knowing that before his knowledge of his birth and role in the prophesy, claimed that he would exiled the murderer of the old King. Acknowledging his fault and guilt in what occurred, Although he is the new King, he sentences himself to the exile he would have gladly given to someone else.

Work Cited:

"Oedipus Excile." The Archive Web Gallery. Web. 1 Nov 2010. <http://www.artchive.com/web_gallery/E/Eugene-Ernest-Hillemacher/Oedipus-and-Antigone-being-exiled-to-Thebes.html>. 

Shepard with Baby Oedipus

In this image, the picture depicted is that of the Shepard being sent to kill baby Oedipus. This it the main turning point for the whole play. It is important to the Play because this is the moment when the prophesy is known to come true. Because of the Shepard compassion, by giving baby Oedipus to the neighboring kingdom, he has sealed the fate of the King and Queen of Thebes. This also contributes to Oedipus being ignorant of his true birth and letting fate rule all.

Work Cited:

"Chaudet Oedipus Baby." Pirates and Revolutionaries. Web. 1 Nov 2010. <Shepard with Baby Oedipus>. 

Myths and their relevance in Twelfth Century fiction

In this book, Moddelmog provides  poetics for the myth in twelfth-century fiction arguing that the nature of myth is to inspire interpretation. She also goes on to say that every myth carries with it an embedded body of theories about its meaning, yet still remains capable of inspiring new meaning. This is important for an actor because they need to be able to interpret the character in their own way as well at the play itself. if they are able to capture the meaning behind the characters motivations they will be able to portray the character in a truthful way.

Work Cited:

Moddelmog, Debra A. Readers and Mythic Signs: The Oedipus Myth in Twentieth-Century Fiction. Carbondale, IL: Southern Illinois University Press, 1993. 1-176.  

Copernican outlook on Oedipus the King

 In this article, "The scenography of trauma: a 'Copernican' reading of Sophocles' Oedipus the King", by John Fletcher, the idea of looking at the play in an Copernican outlook is stated. The Copernican method states that the position of the Earth as the center of the universe was unjust, and that the fact that the Sun was the center was more plausible. When looking at Oedipus the King in a Copernican viewpoint we see the otherness in both its parental and numinous-daimonic forms. With a Copernican outlook we see that Oedipus and his parents, converting all attempts at resistance or substitution, become the very instruments of their own proliferation.


Work Cited:

Fletcher, John. "The scenography of trauma: a ‘Copernican’ reading of Sophocles' Oedipus the King." Textual Practice 21.1 (2007): 17-41. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 1 Nov. 2010.

Freud and the Oedipus Complex

 The journal, "Suppose Freud had chosen Orestes instead", by Margaret Clark, discusses the myth of Oedipus, although widely understood, does not convey greater insight into human development than other myths do. Oedipus the King, being the basis of Freud's concept on sexual theory, well known as the Oedipus Complex. Explaining the  idea of the clash between narcissism and the power of the unconscious mind.
Clark states that this myth is no more influential in that idea than The Oresteia by Aeschylus. the idea of the Oedipus Complex is greatly relevant to the production of the play. Learning the physiological/sociological approach and understanding the concept of Freud's theory on sexual human development greatly affects the way the character of Oedipus is portrayed on stage. Being able to fully understand Oedipus is of major importance when doing this play. The actor must be able to create a fully developed character analysis for who they are suppose to become.

Work Cited:

Clark, Margaret. "Suppose Freud had chosen Orestes instead." Journal of Analytical Psychology 54.2 (2009): 233-252. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 31 Oct. 2010.

Tragedy as it relates to Oedipus the King

Oedipus the King is known for being a Tragedy. But for what reasons is the play a tragedy. Oxford Reference Online defines Tragedy as a 'play dealing in an elevated, poetic style with events which depict man as the victim of destiny yet superior to it, both in grandeur and in misery' (ORO, tragedy). This relates directly to the story of Oedipus. Oedipus is the victim of destiny. Born to the King and Queen of Thebes, an orecle fortells that the son will kill his father and marry his mother. Fearing the prophesy given by the orecle, the King and Queen devise a plan to kill thier son to escape fate. As a tragic play mandates Oedipus lives and therefore fulfls the prophesy although he is unaware of his involvement.

Work Cited:

"Tragedy"  The Concise Oxford Companion to the Theatre. Ed. Phyllis Hartnoll and Peter Found. Oxford University Press, 1996. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press.  Central Washington University.  1 November 2010  <http://www.oxfordreference.com/views/ENTRY.html?subview=Main&entry=t79.e3103>