Sara Salvador

Culture and Literature in English

Activity 4: Analyze a tragedy or comedy according to Aristotle
06/01/2023
The tragedy I’ve chosen for this analysis is Oedipus Rex by Sophocles. This type
of tragedy shows the perfect tragic protagonist because his happiness changes to
misery because of an error. This tragedy has essential parts of a plot consisting of
peripetia, anagnorisis and a catastrophe. According to Aristotle a tragedy must be
seen with great seriousness in comparison to a comedy, the characteristics of a
tragedy show unhappy endings, characters of superior morals or social status, a
spectacle that encompasses pity and fear, a plot with a downturn, a hero or heroine
(protagonist) in this case Oedipus, an antagonist, and the representation of an
action that is complete and whole (Chapter 7).

Aristotle has interpreted that a tragic hero carries a flaw that leads to his
destruction. Oedipus was seen as a hero because he is good but his pride takes him
towards a downward spiral.

The plot of the story is as follows; Oedipus who becomes king of Thebes after
saving the city from a sphynx is asked by his citizens to eliminate the plague that
threatens to destroy their city. He then sent Creon his brother to consult Apolo
about how to stop the plague, Creon tells him the plague is caused by the
unavenged death of king Laius. As Oedipus consults the blind prophet Tiresias, he
learns that the plague is his fault, and he is Laius’ murderer. This prophet also
tells him he will be both the son and husband of his mother. He thinks they are
plotting against him, and Creon is sent out of the palace. Oedipus escaped the city
to get away from the prophecy, he kills travelers on his way. They also realize that
Oedipus is the son a Sheppard and as his wife finds out the truth he pokes his eyes
so he can no longer see the horror that ends his life.

Therefore Aristotle interprets the tragedy by “its structures and incidents of the
play” (Poetics 14), Oedipus could not escape his destiny and then understood that
Thebes would be better without him.

Aristotle. (1997). Aristotle's poetics (G. G. Whalley, Trans.; J. Baxter, Ed.). Montreal:
McGill-Queen's University Press. Retrieved from http://www.mqup.ca/

Sophocles, Hall, E., Kitto, H. D., Sophocles, & Sophocles. (1994). Oedipus the King. In
Antigone; Oedipus the King; Electra (pp. 49-99). Oxford: Oxford University
Press.

Pope, R. (2012). Studying English literature and language: An introduction and

companion. Routledge.

CourseHeroVideo. (2019, May 13). Oedipus Rex by Sophocles | Plot summary.

YouTube. Retrieved January 6, 2023, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=6IfTDtuPLeg