Greek and English the Ancient Essay

The vengeance of the gods is further underscored by the Chorus who warns that "But if any man comes striding, high and mighty, in all he says and does, no fear of justice, no reverence for the temples of the gods-let a rough doom tear him down, repay his pride, breakneck, ruinous pride!" Oedipus portrays tyranny and the people's greatest blessing becomes their worst curse.

In the last stage, Oedipus is a man who has become humbled with the pain and dejection of knowing the truth of reality as he is forced to admit his tragic destiny by the overwhelming evidence. The writer shows the sudden change in the protagonist's persona when Oedipus condemns himself by saying, "I stand revealed at last -- cursed in my birth, cursed in marriage, cursed in the lives I cut down with these hands!" (1309-1311) Oedipus's complete transformation is demonstrated when he gouged out his eyes because after finally seeing his horrible fate, he makes himself physically blind just as Tiresias told him he was blind to the truth. "What good were eyes to me? Nothing I could see could bring me joy" (1473-1474). After facing humiliation in this way, Oedipus can no longer be called a tyrant or a king as he is unable to see or walk unassisted.

As the play progressed, Oedipus gradually left his ignorant bless and learning, eventually, of his awful fate. This raised the question of painful truth being more important than the happiness of naivete. Athenian rulers were bold and daring and known for their intelligence and heroism, very much like Oedipus. They were also however known for their arrogance and their "risk it all" attitudes. They viewed themselves as the city's protectors while on the other hand and at the same time, they could not defend themselves as individuals.Religion as a theme also comes about as humanism grew in Athens; many of the citizens, especially those in leadership positions viewed themselves as independent from the gods. This was due to them questioning whether their lives were the result of fate or free will. This can be viewed whereby Jocasta who did not believe in fate, the oracles and prophecies, she changed her mind when she realized that a divine prophecy had come to pass. Oedipus, who is the epitome of human intellect, challenged the gods and by the conclusion of the play it was evident that the gods had won. In this way, Sophocles asserts that the gods were more powerful than man and human ability and reason has a limit (Sophocles).

Oedipus the King served to explain the causes of human suffering as it is predetermined by the gods and therefore beyond man's control. Human suffering is attributed to the will of the gods. This can be compared to the tragic theme in Death of a Salesman even though they are set at different times and Willy is not an aristocrat, he lives a very tragic life. He also believes that he and his sons are great men while his flawed character perverts his idealistic vision of both success and happiness (Hurell 83).

In Death of a Salesman, the most obvious theme is the idea of reality vs. illusion. Though Happy, Linda and Biff are all unable to differentiate between illusion and reality to a certain degree, Willy is the main character who suffers from this ailment. He has believed.....