11- 3). The Chorus' summations are necessary for continuity in the play, answering any questions or expounding upon certain thoughts or themes. The Chorus has the last word in the play, leaving a lasting impression with the audience, which includes a message of desolation to all. The Chorus says, "Let none / Presume on his good fortune until he find / Life, at his death, a memory without pain" (Exodus. 298-300). These are examples of how the Chorus reinforces what the audience may already be thinking. The Chorus connects certain aspects of the play and emphasizes Sophocles' themes.
The resolution of the play is harsh. This, of course, makes the play a tragedy but the extent of the pain Oedipus suffers is monumental. We can say he was headstrong and perhaps deserved something for his arrogance but the circumstances are so bizarre it is no wonder the man took out his own eyes. The play reveals the true nature of man in that man will always want what he wants and will stop at nothing to get it. Oedipus may b a great leader but he is human and he allows himself to be dictated by his selfish desires. He thinks he knows more than anyone else does and this a human flaw as well. We tend to think we know...
Oedipus will always a relevant character because, at the end of the day, he brought every little piece of misery on himself and that weight is too much to bear knowing how he behaved in the past.
Greek tragedy is still relevant today because humanity never changes much over the centuries. While we may advance our machinery and technology, we have evolved very little. We are human beings and mankind is known to get himself into trouble when he be comes obsessed with something. Oedipus is no different from Tiger Woods in that he allows himself to be governed by desires. He has the power to get what he wants and never stops to think about what happens when the truth becomes known. It does not take much power for man to feel invincible and, generally, when these types of people fall, they fall to the ground hard. Oedipus could have lived a satisfying, rewarding life had he not allowed himself to becomes obsessed and believing himself to be untouchable by laws of the universe.
Works Cited
Sophocles. Oedipus the King. Fagles, Robert, trans. New York: Penguin Books. 1984.
