Tragedy in Sophocles Oedipus The King and Antigone Essay -- Sophocle

Tragedy in Sophocles Oedipus The big businessman and Antigone The Greeks considered tragedy the greatest dust for literature. However, the tragic ends for the characters were not ordained or set by fate, and rather caused by certain characteristics belonging to that person. Such is the case with the characters of Sophocles plays Oedipus the King and Antigone. Oedipus from King Oedipus, and Antigone and Creon from Antigone posses characteristics, oddly pride, that caused their tragic ends. As the play progress, other characteristics expect and further add to the problem to such a point that it is requisite that it will end in tragedy. Therefore the tragedies were not a impart of a plot by the fates, but rather a ensue of the characteristics that the characters possessed. The characters posses a multitude of traits, some of them common to all of them. Pride is curiously prevalent. This characteristic seems to be the major tragic flaw or tragic flaw that eventually causes the downfall. Oedipus exhibits a vast amount of pride, which seems to border on downright arrogance. This is demonstrated in the beginning of the play where he states, I, Oedipus, whose name is know afar.(p. 25). This is reinforced by the priests replies of, Oedipus great and glorious,(p.26) and, O greatest of men.(p.26). Therefore it may be concluded that Oedipus obviously posses a large amount of pride. Antigone, young lady and sister of Oedipus also posses the same trait. Creon acknowledges this when he says, This girls proud spirit,(p.139) and Antigone confirms this with her grand computer address to Creon, where she states, I knew that I should have to die... living in daily throw as I do, who would not be glad to die? (p.138). thence the pri... ...in both King Oedipus and Antigone there were characters whose lives ended in tragedy. However these go from grace were no the deeds of fate, but rather that of the character themselves. The characteristics, especially pride, of t he people set them on the path. Therefore the faults of the characters were the cause of their ill-fated end. kit and caboodle CitedDodds, E. R. On Misunderstanding the Oedipus Rex. Twentieth Century Interpretations of Oedipus Rex A Collection of vital Essays. Ed. Michael J. OBrien. New Jersey Prentice-Hall, 1968. 17-29.Sophocles. Oedipus Rex. An Introduction to publications, 11th ed. Eds. Sylvan Barnet, et al. New York Longman, 1997.Sophocles. Antigone. Exploring Literature Writing and thinking About Fiction,Poetry, Drama, and the Essay. Ed. Joseph Terry. New York Addison-Wesley Educational Publishers Inc, 2001.