diffrences and simliarities between Oedipus the King and Medea
... Sophocles’ Oedipus the King and Euripides’ Medea are both tragedies that capture such emotions as pity and fear. ... Oedipus the King and Medea both show a disturbance in family life that was caused by such tragedies in their lives. In the play of Sophocles, Oedipus gives an image that makes the audience feel like he loves his children and the people of Thebes. In Euripides Medea hates her children and her city of Corinth because of the hatred she has towards her husband. In the play Oedipus receives knowledge that would change his life, for the worse. ... Before Oedipus was king of Thebes, Laius, King at that time, was warned not to have any children because the child would kill him and marry his own mother. In Oedipus the King by Sophocles it says (643): Oedipus: Apollo told me once-it is my fate- I must make love with my own mother, Shed my father’s blood with my own hands…” Oedipus was warned about the same prophecy. ... He left Corinth and ended up in Thebes where he felt happy and was known as a good king. ... “The solution to the prior riddle saved the city; in solving the new riddle Oedipus will save the city again, yet reveal that it is he himself from whom the city must be saved” (Ruth Scodel 63). Oedipus didn’t realize that it was his own actions that made the city of Thebes fall apart. Oedipus was known for solving riddles so when he solved the riddle everything was revealed to him. ... The happy family life that Oedipus thought he had was destroyed. ... This had to be the most disturbing thing that could’ve happen to a family, especially someone like Oedipus. ... At this point pity is all you can feel for poor Oedipus. He cries to the gods Oedipus: O god- All come true, all burst to light! ... When Creon, Oedipus’ brother-in-law, send Oedipus into exile I felt sorry for him because it wasn’t his fault that the gods had chosen his fate. According to Ruth Scodel “Oedipus life has been determined by oracular speech and silence, by human lies, by coincidence or divine will, and by his won nature”(63). ... Defeating the prophecy that the gods had chosen for Oedipus, was one that he couldn’t overcome.