Oedipus the King: Difference between revisions

{{quote|There once lived a man named Oedipus Rex

You may have heard about his odd complex.

 

''Oedipus the King'', also known as ''Oedipus Tyrannus'' or ''Oedipus Rex'', is the first in a series of three plays by the Greek Tragedian [[Sophocles]]. The play tells of the downfall of the king Oedipus from his lofty position, due to hubris (pride), which seems to be the leading cause of death, despair, and destruction in Thebes.

 

''[[Oedipus Rex]]'' redirects here. If you're looking for the character archetype that this play named, it's [[Oedipus Complex]].

 

{{tropelist}}

* [[Eye Scream]]: A broach pin to the eye cannot feel good.

** [[Brain Bleach]]: What the act was probably supposed to be. Sadly, water from Lethe wasn't available.

* [[Large Ham]]: Like most Greek theater, Oedipus is acted in this style. Later versions, such as the 1967 version, act it more realistically, but the 1957 version [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDndS5N9tes goes all out with its depiction of the style.]

* [[Moral Dissonance]]: A lot of people forget that the whole situation came about because Oedipus [[Unstoppable Rage|killed a whole lot of people]], including his father, for what amounts to [[Disproportionate Retribution|cutting him off in traffic]].

** Also, don't forget that the ancient Greeks had very different morals than we do. Most Greek heroes behaved like this. And while it wasn't something you would cheer over a ton, it was considered acceptable behavior for a hero.

** For what it's worth in ''[[Oedipus at Colonus]]'' Oedipus claims that Laios would have murdered Oedipus and that he (Oedipus) acted in self-defense. His later claim may be the truth, a lie to get sympathy for his plight, or self-delusion, but it's fair to say that Sophocles and his audience themselves saw some [[Moral Dissonance]] in Oedipus' behavior, as Classical Greeks often did when they looked at their ancient myths and legends.

* [[Oedipus Complex]]: [[Trope Namer]]: Freud named his (in)famous complex after him because his murder of his father and marriage to his mother were both outside his conscious awareness. Of course, the play isn't actually an example of this, considering that Oedipus could not have been around his parents for more than a day or two as a child.

** Interestingly, Iocaste at one point comments that it's not especially unusual for people to have dreams of sleeping with their mothers, meaning the trope itself is [[Older Than They Think]].

 

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Theatrical Productions]]

[[Category:School Study Media]]