Words: 1521
One may argue that the Greek playwright, Sophocles modeled his play Oedipus Rex on Aristotle’s definition and analysis of tragedy. Since according to Aristotle’s definition, “A tragedy is an imitation of action that is serious, complete and of a certain magnitude; in language embellished artistic ornaments, the several kinds being found in separate parts of the play; in the form of action, not narrative with incidents that evokes pity and fear of a persons emotions. ” Also Aristotle identified the basic six parts a tragedy as being plot, character, thought, melody, diction and spectacle which he considered the least important.
Therefore the controversy of Sophocles modeling his play Oedipus Rex on Aristotle’s analysis of tragedy can be argued out since the play Oedipus Rex is a classic Aristotelian tragedy. However this conception is totally fallacious since it is a well known fact that Aristotle lived a century after Sophocles. Taking in to account the plot of “Oedipus Rex”,it has a recognizable beginning, middle and end as approved by Aristotle in his ‘Poetics’. Aristotle prefers complex plot to be more tragic as it consists both peripety and anagnorsis which heighten the tragic effect of the play.
According to Aristotle, the plot of “Oedipus Rex” satisfies all the requirements of a good plot in a very nice way. In fact, Aristotle’s views are mainly based upon the excellences which “Oedipus Rex” possesses as a tragedy. By defination,the beginnig is that which does not presuppose anything else to have gone before it. Although Sophocles’ play focuses attention only on the last day of Oedipus’ long rule over Thebes, we do not feel the need of any information about what has gone before, when we read the prologue of the play.
In fact earlier events are related by Jocasta and Oedipus in the liter part of the play. The middle is that which is necessary and logical sequence of the beginning. The first episode of “Oedipus Rex” is a logical and necessary development of the prologue. In the prologue, we learn of the basic situation, which is the problem of the terrible plague in Thebes for which the people expect king Oedipus to find a remedy. The prologue also tells us about the directions of the Oracle of Delphi about the way in which the plague can be brought to an end.
Immediately after the entry of the Chorus, Oedipus makes a proclamation before the gathered Thebans about the punishment to be given to the murderer of Laius,on whom he pronounces a curse also. “I pray that that man’s life be consumed in evil and wretchness. As for me, this curse applies no less” The first episode of the play is logically connected with what has gone before, for it consist of the king’s meeting with Teiresias. The subject of this meeting is the message of the Oracle. Oedipus wishes to know how he can identify the murderer of Laius so that he may be banished from the Thebes as instructed by Teiresias.
Similarly,every other episode is a logical and necessary sequence of what has gone before it in the play. The ending of the play satisfies all curiosity. It marks the completion of Oedipus’ search for the murderer of Laius. At the same time it also provides the answer to Oedipus’ question about the identity of his parents. Also Aristotle’s idea of a complex plot is found in the play Oedipus Rex. Complex plots have recognitions and reversals. A reversal is a change from of a situation to the opposite. In the play Oedipus Rex, consider how the shepherd who comes to free Oedipus about his fear of parentage actually does the opposite.
Suffering which is also a part of an Aristotelian tragedy is show in how Oedipus ends up miserable in the end as a poor blind man. Secondly, according to Aristotle the tragic hero must be a person of noble birth and prosperity whose misfortune results, not from depravity or vice but from some hamartia. The last word has been translated as error of judgment by most critics as tragic flaw by some. Oedipus is clearly the intermediate kind of person stipulated by Aristotle, and he is in enjoyment of great happiness and prosperity at the commencement of the play.
However,it is difficult to say that his misfortune befalls him because of some flaw in his character, or some error of judgement committed by him. There is no doubt that his character has several flaws and that he does commit some error of judgement,but the question is whether these errors are the cause of his tragedy. Oedipus is no doubt rash. impatient,irritable and passionate. He is very proud of his intelligence and believes that he can find the answer to every problem. At more than one place he is also guilty of impious words.
His treatment of Creon is far from fair,and he is unnecessarily harsh towards Teiresias. Yet,if we take his tragedy to be the basic actions of incest and parricide,then these flaws and errors are quite irrelevent. On the other hand,it is Oedipus who proclaims a severe punishment for the murderer of Laius and also says that he will award the punishment even to himself if he is guilty person. It is by his words that Teiresias is angered and prophesies that Oedipus himself will turn out to be the murderer of his father and the husband of his mother.
Moreover,Oedipus provokes him further by making fun of him and his blindness and this leads Teiresias to predict that Oedipus also will become blind and will leave the city like a helpless beggar. Although,the predictions do not bring about the actions mentioned in them, yet they add to Oedipus’ suffering and humiliation. Or one may say that Oedipus commits the fundamental mistake of thinking himself equal to the gods and of being able to solve every problem. In that case the tragic flaw in Oedipus would become that of arrogance or hubris.
His career changes from prosperity to that of terrible adversity, and he makes the terrible discovery that human knowledge is extremely limited and misleading. “Know your limitations, especially in relation to gods, and stay within them. ” Also, Aristotle’s description of thought can be found in Sophocles Tragedy, Oedipus Rex. From Aristotle’s definition, the element of thought is “the power of saying what ever can be said for the occasion or what is appropriate for the occasion “. Thought is also shown in the things one says when proving a point. For example when King Oedipus in the play accuses Creon of conspiring with
Tiresias to take his crown when he lashes out to Creon that ” Thou knowst , if this Tiresias Had not combined with thee, he would not thus accuse me as the murderer of Liaus” The other three elements of tragedy as defined by Aristotle that is Melody, Diction and Spectacle can all be traced in the play. With regards to Melody Sophocles makes the chorus know the story line of the play hence making it very easy for the audience to understand the play. Diction that is the style of Oedipus and spectacle which includes the visual effects and stage appearance makes the audience appreciate the play wholeheartedly.
Lastly, according to Aristotle tragedy arouses pity and fear and through these brings about a catharsis or purgation. Although there is a great controversy about the real meanings of catharsis, there is no doubt that the story of the fall of Oedipus is full of great pity and terror. Through these emotions we are made to think deeply about human life. Pity and terror are aroused also by the fact that Oedipus’ efforts to avoid living with his parents, so that he may not commit the crimes of incest and parricide, bring him to his parents, whom he might otherwise have never met.
Other instances of tragic irony also produce pity and terror, e. g. the efforts of Jocasta and the Corinthian Messenger to soothe Oedipus’s fears. These efforts only increase his perturbation by telling him that Laius was killed at a place where three roads meet-exactly the place where Oedipus killed an elderly man who very much resembles Jocasta’s description of Laius. The Corinthian Messenger only succeeds in proving that Polybus was not Oedipus’ father, so that his death cannot be regarded as the failure of the Oracle concerning parricide as thought by both Jocasta and Oedipus.
The Theban shepherd who took pity on the Oedipus and saved his life is now found to have done the greatest cruelty to him. Pity and terror are aroused also by the fate of Jocasta. To sum up the above mentioned discussion, we can say that from the manner in which the Sophocles’ play “Oedipus rex” contains all the six basic elements of poetics: plot, character, melody, diction, thought and spectacle, Oedipus rex can be described as a classic Aristotelian targedy.