English Literature

Oedipus Rex is one of the timeless tales of Gods and Heroes. His Story is all about attempt to act in such a way to make the prophecy of Apollos oracle to be made false. But by any means, he can never foretell or change his future better than the Gods.
1. The story of Oedipus Rex is very puzzling at first but as the story unfolds, the audience will feel different kinds of sentiments on the main character. The story is very surprising where the messenger from Corinth told Oedipus that Polybus was not his real father and came to a conclusion that one of the people Oedipus killed during his travel is his real father. The most horrifying part is that his mother and wife is both one person, the woman who gave birth to his sons and daughters.
2. Oedipus is a tragic hero because the city he once saved is the place where his guilt will be consumed and his life will be turn into wretchedness. Oedipus difficult situation is fascinating rather than horrifying because he tried his best to make void the alarming prophecy of the Gods but in the end it only proved that no matter what he do, his fate cannot be changed. The play is still attractive up to this day because of the twist and plot of the story.     
3. One type of irony in the story of Oedipus the King is dramatic irony where the spectator is aware of some information that the characters in the story are unaware, for example, that Polybus was not the real father of Oedipus. The other type of irony in the story is irony of fate or cosmic irony where the mind of man is being manipulated by the Gods for their self amusement. One example of this type of irony in the story is the revelation of the future of Oedipus by the prophet of the Gods.
4. The imagery of light in the play was employed during Oedipus abundant kingship and the enlightenment of the main character by the oracle and how he resolved this matter with his own hands. On the other hand, the imagery of darkness was employed during plague and famine that struck his kingdom and the exposure of the truth to the main character where he killed his real father and married his own mother. This light and darkness is somewhat related to Oedipus Blindness where light signifies the time he can see all the good things as he ruled a rich kingdom and darkness symbolizes the time he blinded himself where this blindness became his refuge, for him, it is better to be there than to see with strange shamed eyes the old world that have been so bright.
5. The chorus functioned in the beginning as the source of information for the main character. At the middle of the story, the chorus calls for proof of the prophecy where the tragic truth will be revealed. The chorus at the ending bewails the change in the life of Oedipus from adored and fortunate king to one who has sunk into the depths of wretchedness.
6. The limitations of presenting the shocking and horrible events in the story by the use of messengers report are that the audience will not be able to feel the most sensational events that happened in the story. The advantage of this style is to keep the mystery of the story until the time is right to expose the truth for more dramatic and breathtaking events.
7. Jocasta is a distant cousin and wife of King Laius. She is a passive character in the story up to the point where Oedipus is starting to uncover the truth behind their relationship before they got married. She became the most emotional character in the play where she scorned the Gods because of the prophecy they have received. At the end she took her life because she cannot bear to grasp the truth that she married her own son.
8. Oedipus actions are a transition from being agreeable to a bothered person. His speech and behavior in the opening are pleasant, admirable and honorable but at the ending of the play he became worried, amiss and dreadful.
    The story is all about Oedipus Rex and his struggle to change his fate. He is fated to kill his own father and marry his own mother where it is foretold by a prophet of the Gods. He did all he can do to avoid this matter but in the end it only proved that the words of the Gods cannot be falsified.
    What happened in the play is almost the same way how the story is being told for ages. The period of time of the play is the time of Greek mythology of Gods and Heroes. The setting of the play is very important to give color to the Gods that are involved in the         
story.
9. The chorus functioned as a sign of change in the life of Oedipus from admired and loved king to one who has sunk into the depths of misery. The significance of the chorus being made up of the Theban citizens is to show theyre sympathy to the misery of the king. 
10. Teiresias is the old blind prophet whom the Thebans mostly revered. He is the one who revealed the murderer of King Laius and Oedipus himself is the murderer. Teiresias is the key to the real murderer of the King, without him, the truth that Oedipus killed his own father would not be kindled.
11. Oedipus the King is very tragic in many ways. First, King Laius ordered to kill his own son because of a disturbing prophecy. Oedipus left Polybus-the person who adopted and loved him as a son, because of another prophecy. Oedipus killed his real father and married his own mother without even knowing who they really are. All this events happened just to make the awful prophecy of the Gods false.