Discuss the Plot Construction of Oedipus Rex
For Aristotle's plot, Oedipus Rex
is the perfect example.
OR
The action in Oedipus the King rises in
one great
Keeping an Eye on the Unities
The first thing to note about
Oedipus Rex's story is that, like most ancient Greek plays, it follows all
three unities: place, time, and action. The royal house in the city of Thebes
is where the whole play takes place. The whole action of the play doesn't last
longer than twenty-four hours, which was the maximum time allowed by the rules.
The investigation that Oedipus conducted into the death of Laius and the
finding of the truth are the only things that are important to us. There aren't
any sides or underplots. Seeing that there are similarities is not a big deal
in and of itself in a play. Shakespeare broke all the rules, but he still wrote
some of the best plays ever. However, it can't be denied that the unities do
bring a play together and focus the effects, even if they limit the dramatist's
freedom in some ways."A Beginning, a Middle, and an End"
Growing More Excited
As Aristotle said, Oedipus Rex has a start, a middle, and an end. There
are three types of situations: beginning, middle, and end. A beginning has a
clear result but not a clear cause. A middle has both causes and effects. An
end is the result of the middle, but it doesn't cause anything else. The play
Oedipus Rex starts with the people complaining to the King. Then Creon shows up
with a message from the oracle telling him to send the unknown killer of the
last king, Laius, out of the city. In the beginning, which comes first, the
problem is laid out and the stage is set for the play's main theme to emerge.
This beginning scene also builds a sense of suspense. Then move on to two
important scenes: Oedipus's fight with Teiresias and his fight with Creon. Both
of these scenes are very intense, but the first one is especially powerful
because the prophet challenges Oedipus. The next episode, which is more
important for the plot, is when a messenger from Corinth shows up. When Jocasta
finds out the truth, she leaves in a state of great distress, but Oedipus, who
still doesn't know, keeps asking questions. The shepherd from Thebes comes
because the king has called him. The truth that Oedipus learns now is
unbearably painful. Soon, a servant shows up and tells everyone that Jocasta killed
herself and Oedipus went blind. People have said that these events take place
in the "middle of the play." The audience's emotional excitement
grows with each scene, and stress builds in their minds until the big shock
comes when Jocasta and then Oedipus find out what's going on. The tragedy is
not the guilt itself, but the fact that it was found out. This is why Oedipus's
finding makes people feel the most sorry and scared. The last few scenes of the
play are where Oedipus laments this fate and the fate of his daughters. He is
also sent away from Thebes on his own terms. What hits us most about this is
how the plot moves along so smoothly. There are no breaks and nothing that
isn't important. Even the scene where Oedipus fights with Creon moves the story
forward.
Thriller and Surprise
A lot of surprise and tension can be found in this. Suspense and
surprise are two important parts of a good play, and they both have very
powerful effects. For example, when Teiresias shows up, we are all waiting for
him because the oracle is now a killer. Teiresias, on the other hand, tries not
to give Oedipus straight answers to his questions, which makes Oedipus not want
to be quiet. He comes back and hits hard. Suddenly, he loses it and calls the
man names. The prophet tells Oedipus what will happen in the end. Our hearts
are scared when we hear that he calls Oedipus the killer and makes a number of
hidden tales. The scene of this fight is very exciting for both readers and
viewers. There is something troubling about Oedipus's arrogance and pride that
makes us wonder what he will do. Then there is the fight with Creon. Creon, who
is moderate and polite, tries to protect himself as best he can, while Oedipus
shows how stubborn he can be until the chorus and Jocasta convince him to drop
the sentence of exile against Creon.
Scenes That Lead to the Last Revelation
Then there are three scenes that lead to the final reveal. These are the
ones with Jocasta, the messenger from Corinth, and the shepherd from Thebes.
There are about five hundred lines in this drama of discovery. Spreading out
doesn't make things less exciting; it makes them more exciting. Because the
prophet said something scary, Jocasta tries to make Oedipus feel better by
making fun of his fear. She says that no one has the key to prediction and that
Teiresias's claims should be thrown out. But Jocasta's own experience with the
oracle, which she says shows that oracles are not reliable, makes Oedipus
question again, so he tells Jocasta the story of his own life. The things that
Oedipus is afraid of make Jocasta very scared, and she worships Apollo.
However, Jocasta's doubts grow stronger as soon as the Corinthian arrives and
gives her the news. But a little while later, the scene with the message from
Corinth is the most shocking thing that could happen to Jocasta. At this point,
Oedipus still doesn't understand. As the next scene goes on, Oedipus is shocked
after he questions the Theban shepherd. What Oedipus finds out is the most
exciting part of the play and the biggest event it leads to.
A logical and convincing chain of events
It is clear that everything is going in a way that makes sense.
Everything just happens on its own; the only thing that isn't normal is that
the messenger from Corinth shows up while Oedipus is looking into Laius's
death. It's a chance that the messenger from Corinth shows up, but it's the
only one in the play. The scenes we've seen make us feel a lot of different
things, like sadness, fear, awe, respect, anger, and irritation. Worry about
what might happen and what actually does happen; sadness over Jocasta and
Oedipus's sad endings; and respect for Oedipus's honesty, as he continues with
the study even though Jocasta and the ban shepherd tell him not to.
The Anagnorisis and the Peripeteia
He talked about peripeteia and anagnorisis. A peripeteia happens when a
line of action that is supposed to lead to a certain outcome leads to the
opposite outcome. So, the messenger from Corinth tries to cheer up Oedipus and
make him less afraid of marrying his mother, but by telling Oedipus the truth,
he ends up making things worse. In the same way, Oedipus runs straight into the
hands of his own fate, which he is trying to avoid. When you realise the truth,
your eyes will open, and there will be a sudden flash of lightning in the dark.
At the end of her conversation with the message from Corinth, this moment
happens for Jocasta. At the end of his trial against the shepherd from Thebes,
it happens for Oedipus.
The Last Scene That Moved Me
The very last scene of the play is very moving. The story of Oedipus
killing himself and blinding himself is very scary. At first, his lamentations
make him seem weak and sad, but soon his arrogance and pride come back, and he
insists on getting his own way even though he knows he can't. It's hard to
describe how moving and inspiring the last scene is. It has the calming effect
that Aristotle talked about.
The Use of Tragic Irony
Tragic irony is another important part of how the story of Oedipus Rex
is put together. There is tragic comedy in almost every important scene in this
play. As a result, when Teiresias says that Oedipus killed the man, Oedipus
believes that the oracle is spreading lies about him because Creon told him to.
But Teiresias and the audience both know the truth. After that, Oedipus talks
badly about Creon because he doesn't know that soon Creon will be king and he
will be a servant. There is tragic irony in Jocasta's sarcastic words about the
oracles as well.
because soon it will be shown that the oracles were right. Sad irony is
a tool that dramatists use to make the sad effect stronger. Tragic irony is one
of Sophocles's most famous techniques, and this play shows how well he used it.
What the Chorus Does
Why should we not pay attention to the chorus? Some people think that
the chorus's songs show how the crowd feels about the play as it happens. The
chorus's job was to voice their opinions on the big events as they happened. In
this way, the chorus not only reflected the audience's thoughts, but it also
supported them and sometimes helped them find their way. A song that the chorus
sings at the beginning of a performance asks the gods to protect the people of
Thebes. The religious views of the chorus and the people it stands for can be
seen in this song. In their second song, the chorus shows how confused they are
about what Teiresias says about Oedipus. This sense of confusion would
naturally be shared by someone reading the book or seeing the play for the
first time. In their third song, the chorus shows respect for God's laws and
subtly condemns.
The pride of Oedipus The fourth song imagines a love story between a god
and a mountain nymph as it tries to figure out who Oedipus' parents are. It's
clear that this song is full of sad irony.
REFERENCES
Tyler, J. (1974). Sophocles' Ajax and Sophoclean plot construction. The American Journal of Philology, 95(1), 24-42.
Tu, C., & Brown, S. (2020). Character mediation of plot structure: Toward an embodied model of narrative. Frontiers of narrative studies, 6(1), 77-112.
Pollock, G. H., & Ross, J. M. (Eds.). (1988). The Oedipus Papers (No. 6). New York: International Universities Press.
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