The Value Of Leadership In Oedipus Rex By Sophocles

Based on evidence, Athenians valued bravery, confidence and heroic strength in their leaders. For example, the entire reason Oedipus from Oedipus Rex by Sophocles became king of Thebes is because he defeated the Sphinx that was guarding the city, saving the citizens (info from the backstory). On page 11, a senator makes the comment, â€Å"if his bosom holds a grain of fear, curses like yours he never will abide.† The reader can assume the Athenians valued bravery because the senator makes a comment against the idea of fear. Also, Tiresias is mentioned to be â€Å"above all men,† which indicates that leaders need to be better than their inferiors (page 11). The king, the leader of Thebes, is referred to as â€Å"the mightiest head,† which signifies the†¦show more content†¦The outcome of dramatic impact is emphasized by the focus of one main subject. Oedipus attempts to escape him fate by running away, only to fulfill it (background information). Every ot her occurrence serves only to amplify the effect of the main subject. An example of this is the suicide of Jocasta, who hangs herself as a result of finding out she married her own son (page 44-45). This action emphasizes the fact that Oedipus attempted to avoid his fate, which made the consequences worse. In conclusion, rather than limiting the dramatic effect of the play, Aristotle’s three unities accentuate how the drama unfolds in the play and how it affects the listeners/readers. The whole idea of sight vs. blindness in Oedipus Rex points to the theme of fate and free will. For example, Tiresias points out that Oedipus â€Å"(has his) sight, and (does) not see,† referring to the fact that the king ignored his fate, instead, choosing to go out on his own (page 15). Oedipus is famously â€Å"blind† up until page 45, when he literally goes blind. Before he actually goes blind, the main character is â€Å"blind in (the) mind,† which means he is unable to see his fate that is right in front of him (page 14). By being blind to his own fate, Oedipus falls into the theme of illusion vs. reality. He lives in an illusion of perfection, being the king and married to a woman with whom he had four children (backstory). Reality hit Oedipus when it is made clear to him that he actuallyShow MoreRelatedKings as Main Characters in Literature Essay765 Words   |  4 Pagesto others. However, differences in culture, social system, values and social backgrou nd etc. actually endows heroes with diverse personalities varying from person to person and culture to culture. With rich imagination, every child molds his or her supreme leaders with authorities. 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