William Shakespeare s Oedipus And Othello

Oedipus and Othello are two of the most known tragic heroes throughout all of literature. While there are some noticeable differences between the two there are also many similarities between the two characters. With the amount of similarities between the two plays Shakespeare must have been inspired by Oedipus and Sophocles when he was writing Othello. Oedipus the king’s main conflict is based around Greek mythology in that from the time Oedipus is born it is prophesied by the Gods that he is going to kill his father and marry his mother. Sophocles uses a lot of dramatic irony in order to develop the conflict for the spectators, such as when Oedipus says to Tiresias â€Å"You’ve lost your power, stone-blind,stone-deaf-senses,eyes blind as stone†(Sophocles 423-424). Oedipus says this because he refuses to believe that the prophecy that Tiresias is telling is true meanwhile the audience is already aware that Tiresias is telling the truth. The main conflict and them e of this story is between Oedipus and himself because he cannot trust anyone except for himself and in the end, it leads to his own demise. Oedipus can be seen as a dynamic character because at the beginning he is very prideful and at the end, he can be considered fearful of what fate has brought to him. Shakespeare could have been inspired by Sophocles, because Othello has a similar self conflict in that he refuses to believe the truth from the people that he is supposed to trust. Shakespeare also uses dramaticShow MoreRelatedOthello is Not a Tragic Hero Essay1481 Words   |  6 PagesOthello has been described as one of William Shakespeare’s most popular plays because the play focuses on its themes of good and evil, military, politics, love and marriage, religion, racial prejudice, gender conflict, and sexuality; but the controversy and debate surrounding Othello is â€Å"Why is Othello a qualification for a tragedy?† Most readers are aware of the many famous deaths or acts of death within the Shakespearean plays. And when the main characters die in Shakespeare’s plays, indeedRead MoreThe Origins Of Drama And Theatre2001 Words   |  9 Pages(Aristotle 18-19). While these components stand strong on their own, Aristotle explains that the best plots come from those two components acting simultaneously. An exquisite example of these two components working together is in Oedipus Rex, when the shepherd tells Oedipus that there is a chance that he is the one that the long foretold prophecy is about (Sophocles 62). Aristotle explains that they are best when they are together because the reversal and recognition bring about a sense of pity andRead MoreOthello Notes2305 Words   |  10 PagesOthello Notes: Assessment Objectives: AO1: A consistently fluent, precise writing, using critical terminology to present a coherent and detailed argument in which the question is well understood and answered. AO2: Well developed, analytical and consistently detailed discussion of effects of language, form and structure and ways in which it affects the audience. AO3: Well informed and detailed discussion of different readings of the text by various audiences, as well as different criticalRead MoreCritical Analysis Of Othello1461 Words   |  6 Pages William Shakespeare playwrights cleverly provide the ability to generate and develop symbolism to another state. Shakespeare plays discuss a sense of morality and tend to focus on the psychological state of the character that end in these misfortunate tragedies. Like most Shakespearean plays the characters struggles with internal conflicts that are imperative to the way he or she thinks, their personal beliefs and motives. The personal struggle these characters are face upon is conveyed throughRead MoreAnalysis Of Shakespeare s The Tempest 2603 Words   |  11 Pages Malouin 11 Measuring a Life in a Drama When many people think of William Shakespeare, they think of plays like Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth or Hamlet. One of the most influential plays written by Shakespeare is not one listed above. The play that reflects the life and all of Shakespeare?s plays is The Tempest. This work was and still is influential in both America, Britain and around the world. Although William Shakespeare was an influential writer in American and British literature, The Tempest