Sophocles Greek Tragedy Oedipus Rex English Literature Essay

Lorraine Hansberry wrote the drama A Raisin in the Sun in 1959. It revolved around the racial challenges of African americans, through WalterYounger ‘s household. The writer nowadayss Walter, his female parent Lena, his married woman Ruth and his boy Travis, populating in poorness. To better the life of his household, Walter decides to put in a spirits concern, but his concern spouse runs off with the money.

Sophocles uses the literary device of reversal, when depicting the minute when Oedipus, while seeking for the slayer of his predecessor and male parent, learns that he is so the perpetrator. This is a reversal because he learns what he did non anticipate to. Similarly, in Lorraine Hansberry ‘s drama, she uses reversal to foreground the minute when Walter ‘s concern spouse, who is supposed to assist him establish his spirits concern, runs off with his capital. As Robert DiYanni ( 2002 ) notes “ Reversal is the point at which the action of the secret plan turns in an unexpected way for the supporter. ”

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The calamity Oedipus Rex reflects the cultural individuality of Sophocles as a Grecian. This is because the focal point of the Grecian tragedians was on the human being and, in peculiar, how he reacts to enduring. Their involvement was to analyze whether the human spirit is able to get the better of affliction or non. In add-on, Sophocles ‘s drama seems to propose that human existences are persons who have no control over their lives and destinies. In contrast, it is the Gods who have godly power over human existences and as such, the latter can non get away from them. This is the instance with Oedipus, who learns that the prophets prophesied that he would kill his male parent and get married his female parent, and this is precisely what happens. Indeed, the drama advocates that human existences can merely happen damages and peace in enduring when they accept the destiny the Gods have predestined them for.

In the drama A Raisin in the Sun, Lorraine Hansberry explores the troubles that African-Americans face due to their black beginnings. It is apparent that the writer grew up in a household set-up that embraced its African heritage. We see indicants of the writer ‘s cultural individuality through the immature female college pupil called Beneatha. This miss ‘s hunt for her true individuality attracts her to Asagai, a Nigerian indigen. Beneathea is interested in African civilization, linguistic communication, music, and frock. Hansberry is able to chase away many of the myths about Africa, and shows that both Africans and African-Americans do confront similar battles.

Both cultural individualities of the two writers are similar, in that, they focus on the foreigner. While Sophocles shows involvement in the battles of Oedipus, who is coming to Thebes, Lorraine Hansberry explores the jobs of inkinesss who have immigrated to the United States of America.

In A Raisin in the Sun, Lorraine Hansberry depicts George Murchison as an African who is westernized. This is because he denies his black beginnings and does non desire to tie in with other Africans. Walter Younger comes out as a adult male who is hapless but in hunt of wealth and mercenary additions. His female parent plays the function of the traditional married woman who is faithful to her hubby and submissive, digesting his unfaithful character. Walter ‘s married woman Ruth plays encourages her hubby, but is vocal when it comes to giving her sentiments. Beneathea, on the other manus, portrays the image of today ‘s vocal adult female, who is buttonholing for equal socio-economic chances for her sort.

In Oedipus Rex, Sophocles depicts the struggle state of affairs where King Oedipus has a misconception that he is the boy of King Polybus and Queen Merope, whereas his male parent is the defunt King Laius and his female parent is Queen Jocasta. In add-on, he declares that the liquidator of his male parent be sent off from the land of Thebes, whereas he is the 1 responsible. He is hence reprobating himself, which brings out the facet of sarcasm. It is besides ironical that King Oedipus ‘s boies do non support their male parent from the people of Thebes who cast him out of his land, yet they are one household.

In A Raisin in the Sun, Lorraine Hansberry depicts the struggle state of affairs where Walter Younger loses the capital he intends to utilize to establish a spirits shop. It is ironical that his concern spouse is the 1 who runs off with the money, yet he is the 1 who is supposed to assist him get down the concern. Another struggle state of affairs is where Mr. Lindner, a neighbour of the Walter Younger household, approaches them to offer to purchase out their house. Walter is faced with the quandary of taking money over his household ‘s comfort and security.

Apart from sarcasm, Sophocle ‘s uses the literary device of imagination, where the characters, through their words, make the readers recall to their heads images of objects. For illustration, King Oedipus calls Teiresias the blind prophet a female Canis familiaris, because he has a caput resembling that of a adult female and a organic structure like that of a king of beasts.

One of the major subjects in the drama Oedipus Rex is old age and decease. We see this through the fact that this is Sophocles ‘ last drama Oedipus at Colonus, which he wrote when he was 90 old ages old. In add-on, Oedipus, populating his last yearss, inquiries whether old age brings with it wisdom. He admits that he has accepted his destiny as the Gods have dictated, which indicates a important turnaround from his enterprises to pull strings the prognostications of the Delphic prophet during his vernal old ages. As a immature adult male, Oedipus displayed deficiency of wisdom when he directed his choler at the inexperienced person and at the Gods. However, Oedipus besides shows deficiency of wisdom in old age when he makes effusions of choler towards his boies who refused to support him when the people of Thebes banished him from their land.

Another subject is that of destiny and prognostication. The prophet of the God Apollo prophesies that Oedipus would kill his male parent and get married his female parent and that the grove of the Furies will be Oedipus ‘s concluding resting topographic point. The destiny of Oedipus is that he is banished from Thebes and lives as an castaway due to his actions. His boies reject him after his ostracism. The prophet prophesies once more that the work forces who cast Oedipus out of Thebes will reconstruct him back, because his presence would protect their metropolis. The prophet besides prophesies that Polynices, who is Oedipus ‘s younger boy, will neglect and decease while he is seeking to kill his senior brother Eteocles.

Guilt is another subject that stands out in Sophocles ‘s drama. Oedipus blinds himself due to the compunction he feels after recognizing that he has killed his male parent and married his female parent. He besides demands that people of Thebes send him off.

Redemption and Atonement are other subjects that Sophocles ‘s drama high spots. First, Oedipus receives forgiveness for his actions through accepting and digesting his penalty. It is through sightlessness and ostracism that Oedipus atones for his actions and the Furies and the Gods grant him salvation. In add-on, though the people of Thebes garbage to let him back into their metropolis, they want him to settle merely outside it so that he could protect it. To pacify the Furies, and have forgiveness after go againsting their sacred land, Oedipus asks his girl Ismene to execute a ritual. This will assist him obtain salvation and expiation for his actions.

The subject of justness comes out when Oedipus girl Antigone entreaties to the Athenian audience to allow their male monarch make up one’s mind what penalty to harmonize to her male parent for his actions. Oedipus pleads that the people of Athens do non project him out because he committed his actions unwittingly. The audience agrees to allow the male monarch of Athens Theseus have the concluding word. The male monarch allows Oedipus to remain and promises that no 1 will drive him off against his will. He besides rescues Oedipus ‘s girls when the guards of his brother-in-law nobble them.

The subject of dreams is apparent in the drama A Raisin in the Sun. The Younger household receives through mail, a $ 10,000 check. This money gives them an chance to recognize their dreams, hopes, and programs of traveling into a better place and populating a better life. The drama explores the jobs the household comes across while trying to do their dreams a world. Walter, one of the characters in the drama, displays an erroneous adoration of wealth and power that money can convey. His female parent objects to Walter ‘s concern spouse ‘s offer of running a spirits shop. She besides inquiries his character, but Walter is stubborn and insists on doing the concern thrive. On the other manus, Walter ‘s concern spouse runs off with the capital he intends to utilize to put in a spirits shop.

Another subject that stands out is that of race. A Raisin in the Sun depicts ordinary Black Americans and explores how the fact of their race hinders them from carry throughing their dreams. In other words, A Raisin in the Sun demonstrates how race can perplex the American Dream. Beneathea is ambivalent towards her rich fellow George Murchison, because of his tegument colour. Her concern stems from the fact that though both of their households are black, there are category differentiations between them ; she is non from a rich household as her fellow is.

Lorraine Hansberry depicts a positive angle of the subject of pride. The Younger household is non affluent, but despite material deficiency, they maintain their pride and confirm their worth as human existences. When Karl Lindner turns up at their door and offers to buy their house, the household rapidly sends him off. They choose pride over money.

The subject of enduring due to poorness is apparent in the Younger household, which lives in a really little flat and finds it hard to run into their mundane demands. This is because Walter, Ruth, and Lena do non hold well-paying occupations. However, despite their agony, they keep trusting for a better twenty-four hours. It is besides due to their agony and dissatisfaction with their province of poorness, that Walter considers accepting Karl Lindner ‘s offer to buy their place.

Lorraine Hansberry explores the subject of gender, through the facets of maleness and muliebrity. Walter, for illustration, strives to be the adult male of the household, through pacifying his boy, married woman and female parent with gifts and a better life. This thrust for philistinism about causes him to degrade himself by accepting Mr. Lindner ‘s offer, but when he rejects it, he recovers his image of an honest adult male, in the eyes of his boy, married woman and female parent.

The drama besides includes female characters that belong to different coevalss. Walter ‘s female parent Lena, a widow, portrays the image of the traditional female parent who tries to make a better life for her household, instead than for herself. She does non object to her hubby ‘s extra-marital personal businesss and remains loyal to him during their matrimony life. Walter ‘s married woman Ruth is supportive of her hubby ‘s concern, and she is willing to gain excess income for the wellbeing of the household. Beneatha is a immature female college pupil, who voices her defeats against society ‘s unequal intervention of adult females. She invariably defies Walter ‘s male jingoism and challenges work forces who do non esteem adult females ‘s thoughts. Consequently, it is clear that adult females are easy altering the image they have of themselves.

The subject of pick comes out when the characters in A Raisin in the Sun are depicted as doing determinations without inquiring for the sentiments of other household members. Walter ‘s married woman Ruth, for illustration, pays a sedimentation for the abortion of her unborn kid without stating anyone. Lena, Walter ‘s female parent, pays for a household house, besides without discoursing with her boy and daughter-in-law. Walter decides to put in a spirits shop, despite the expostulations of his household. All of these picks pit values against money, but in the terminal, the characters stand on their rules.

The writer portrays drugs and intoxicant as a agency of safety from life ‘s emphasiss in A Raisin in the Sun. To get by with their emphasis and defeat, Walter for illustration, turns to alcohol, whereas Beneatha fumes coffin nails. In decision, both dramas explore different subjects, but they have in common the subject of agony.

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