The Stranger in Oedipus Essay - 1467 Words

Murder, assault, and other forms of violence are widespread plagues that haunt modern society. In order to combat these relevant issues society has implemented different systems over the years. These systems have moved from a simple mindset to intricate organizations of jurisdiction and law. Violence appears not only in reality but, in novels and literary works alike. Albert Camus’ The Stranger depicts a modern system of justice; however, Sophocles Oedipus Rex portrays a simplistic system of justice. Society implements these to prevent the downfall of the human race. Society protects humanity from its own demise by condemning acts of violence. Acts of violence, weather brought on by anger as illustrated in Oedipus Rex or by environmental†¦show more content†¦This seems to show an extremely shallow love for his mother. â€Å"’We just sat there like that for a while. The woman’s sighs and sobs were quieting down. She sniffed a lot.’ ‘Then fin ally she shut up.’† (Camus 11). Anger in Meursault, is demonstrated in this section of the novel. His mother’s friends were attending the funeral and one of them was in tears. Meursault had no patience for this, however, what little self-control was left of him ignited and he did not act out violently. He rather let the anger stay within him just to nourish it. This violence in Meursault is classified as a hidden violence. The catalysts for his anger are seen in his environment. Meursault has a tendency to react sporadically to his environment. Environmental influences can cause one to act without logic and reason. Unfortunately for Meursault his conscious took the better of him which in turn caused him to kill. Meursaults’ pet peeve which causes him to act irrationally is heat. â€Å"It was very hot† (Camus 3) â€Å"glare of the sky† (Camus 4) â€Å"It was very bright† (Camus 6). The sun, more specifically its product, heat, is a domi nate issue within Meursaults’ life. In every situation, he comments on how hot it is. In these uncomfortable situations he loses his ability to generate logical solutions to issues. â€Å"The scorching blade slashed at my eyelashes and stabbed at my stinging eyes.† (Camus 59). This is the most pivotal scene in theShow MoreRelatedFate in Oedipus the King Essay1065 Words   |  5 Pagesthe future. This is true; at least in â€Å"Oedipus the King† in which the protagonist, Oedipus calls forth his doom unwillingly. Fate is defined as something that unavoidably befalls a person. The author of â€Å"Oedipus the King,† Sophocles, writes a tragic fate that Oedipus was born to experience. Fate is what is meant to happen and cannot be avoided or unchanged. Furthermore, events that lead to other events could be the result for one to meet their fate. In â€Å"Oedipus the King,† Sophocles expresses the natureRead More Tragedy in Oedipus the King and Dolls Hous e Essay660 Words   |  3 Pagesunspoken way of life. In Sophocles Oedipus the King and Ibsens A Dolls House, the main characters - Nora and Oedipus, are both constructed to illustrate flaws in society and how naive people are. Ibsen and Sophocles both developed tragedy into a central idea that all people surreptitiously understand. Nora and Oedipus make incompetent decisions that assist in discovering their fundamental nature as tragic heroes and provoke sorrow and pity among the audience. Oedipus lived his entire life in a darkRead MoreSophocles Oedipus The King884 Words   |  4 PagesKing of Thebes, owner of a family tree that identically resembles Medusa on a bad hair day, and the inspiration for a psychologically-riveting complex, Oedipus, tragic hero of Sophocles’ Oedipus the King, exposes troubling truths about the human condition and, acting as an exemplary precaution for the entirety of humanity, demonstrates how a self-destructive struggle between love, anger, and fate, conveyed through an unorthodox love affair between mother and son (Who gets custody in a divorce?),Read More Sight And Blindess Of Oedipus The King Essay1470 Words   |  6 Pages Oedipus the King by Sophocles was a play written after a devastating plague struck the city of Athens in 430 B.C. The play is about how knowledge can lead to devastation and destruction based on how the characters find out the truth of the Delphic Oracle. Years before Oedipus became the king of Thebes, the previous king, Laius, had received a prophecy that his son would grow up to kill his father. With this information he gave his baby son to a sheperd to dispose of him. Years later Laius is murderedRead More Destiny, Fate, Free Will and Free Choice in Oedipus the King - Power of Prophecy1000 Words   |  4 PagesThe Power of Fate in Oedipus Rex (the King) The underlying theme in Oedipus Rex is that fate is more powerful than free will. On this strong basis of fate, free will doesnt even exist. This was a popular belief among the ancient Greeks.   Fate may be accepted or denied by modern society, but in Oedipuss story, fate proves inevitable. In the play, Oedipus Rex, the characters Oedipus, Iocaste and Laios try to change fate.    In the very beginning of the story, before we hear from theRead MoreOedipus Fate Essay1478 Words   |  6 Pagescannot change their fate and it is unavoidable. Throughout the Greek tragedy, Oedipus the King, the hero, Oedipus often tries to run away from what he is destined to do only because of his ignorance to his situation. Throughout the entire play, the conflict of Man versus Fate is often seen as everyone tries to avoid what is fated upon them. Oedipus’s parents, Jocasta and Laius, were told by the gods that their son, Oedipus, would grow up to kill his father and marry his mother, a terrible fate. InRead More Tragedy in Oedipus the King and Dolls House Essay example1057 Words   |  5 Pagesages. But not until the Greeks and prominent playwrights such as Sophocles did tragedy take on into its own on the stage. Out of this rebirth of tragedy came what has been considered, even by Aristotle himself, the greatest tragedy ever written, Oedipus the King. He delves into the human psyche: bringing forth the notion of predestination, a supposition desperately believed in by humans, betraying the fatal flaws of his hero and manifesting the suffering brought upon the hero by his tragic downfallRead MoreOedipus the King: The Innocence of Oedipus Essay1448 Words   |  6 PagesSophocles Oedipus Rex Is Innocent Because Oedipus knows nothing about the past of Thebes, he is not an assassin. Oedipus committed murder but unknowingly of who King Laius was. Oedipus honor was his claim against the murder. Had it been the other way around and Oedipus had lost the battle, King Laius alibi would have also been for reasons of honor: for reasons of royalty. Oedipus was royalty and knew it as well did King Laius. The main idea behind Oedipus innocence is this royalty. RegardlessRead MoreSophocles Oedipus Rex as Modern Tragedy Essay examples1184 Words   |  5 PagesOedipus Rex and Tragedy Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex is, in short, the story of a man who unknowingly kills his father and marries his mother. It certainly sounds like a tragedy, doesn’t it? But the classification and definition of ‘tragedy’ are one of the many things widely disputed in the realm of literary studies. So, for the purposes here we’ll use Aristotle’s five criteria of a tragedy: a tragic hero of noble birth, a tragic flaw or mistake, a fall from grace, a moment of remorse, and catharsisRead MoreComparing the Downfalls of Sophocles Oedipus and Shakespeares Othello1262 Words   |  6 Pages Oedipus and Othello were both honorable and heroic men that became the victims of tragic downfalls that can be compared and contrasted with each other. Sophocles, the writer of Oedipus the King, and Williams Shakespeare, the writer of Othello, were both enormously influential playwrights of their respective generations and their legacy continues today. The two playwrights made their masterpieces during different eras; Sophocles life coincided with the Golden Age of Greek tragedy and Shakespeare