Oedipus Rex Essays (487 words) - Oedipus The King, Operas, Sophocles

Oedipus Rex Essays (487 words) - Oedipus The King, Operas, Sophocles Oedipus Rex Oedipus Rex a Greek tragedy written by Sophocles in the early days of antiquity is based upon an even more ancient story in Greek mythology. Sophocles, however, knowing that his audience is aware of the outcome of the play utilizes that foreknowledge to create various situations in which dramatic and verbal irony play key roles. However, citing all of the irony in Oedipus Rex would require the writing of quite a hefty book, for time and convenience only a few examples will be cited. Through his use of irony Sophocles manages to avoid simply retelling an old tale, though the audience is cognizant of the storys end they are intrigued by the irony present in the story. For instance when Oedipus pronounces his curse upon the head of King Laiuss murderer in the opening scenes of the play : So will I fight on the gods side, And on the side of the slain man! But my curse be on the one who did this, whether he is alone Or conceals his share in it with others. Let him be free of no misery if he share my house Or sit at my hearth and I have knowledge of it. On myself may it fall, as I have called it down! -Oedipus from Oedipus Rex When Oedipus pronounces this sentence he has already unwittingly judged himself, and to the excitement of the crowd foreshadowed later events to come. This statement, is a classic example of verbal irony. In it Oedipus thinking that he is directing his pronouncement upon some bandit, or conspirator, in all actuality he is truly condemning himself. Further examples of irony include his speech when he first answers the chorus Because of all these things I will fight for him as I would my own murdered father. The irony inherent in this speech that Oedipus makes to the chorus lies for the most part in this single line, since the murdered King Laius is his father. Sophocles does not reserve his use of irony to verbal irony, but he also ranges into areas of irony dramatic in nature. The entire play could be said to be an example of this, after all throughout the entire play Oedipus is unaware of the fate that awaits him, even though the viewer is intensely aware that Oedipus the King will become Oedipus the Beggar. Sophocles was a pioneer in his field. The plays that he penned, that survived through the eons are revered as much now as they were during his day. He often wrote scripts for events in mythology that had already occurred and were common knowledge to the populace that viewed his productions. In order to keep these audiences returning for more, Sophocles made liberal use of irony. By doing this he tantalized the viewer into wanting to see how the events that occurred later would mentally affect the main character, in this case Oedipus.

Word Choice Past vs. Passed

Word Choice Past vs. Passed Word Choice: Past vs. Passed The words â€Å"past† and â€Å"passed† are surprisingly tricky. As well as sounding similar and starting with the same letters, for example, they can sometimes be used in similar situations. If you want to avoid errors in your written work, though, you may want to check out our guide to how they are used. Past (Noun and Adjective) When used as a noun, â€Å"past† refers to a time before the current moment: History is the formal study of the past. It also refers to a previous point in time when used as an adjective: My past choices were sometimes flawed. Here, â€Å"past† modifies the noun â€Å"choices† to show when they occurred. Past (Adverb and Preposition) Another use of â€Å"past† is as an adverb or preposition, where it means â€Å"beyond a point in time or space.† For instance, we could use it as an adverb like this: They walked past the bridge on the way home. Here, we use the adverb â€Å"past† to modify the verb â€Å"walked.† Passed (Verb) â€Å"Passed† is the simple past tense and past participle form of the verb â€Å"pass.† It is therefore used in a number of situations, which include having: Moved beyond a particular point in time or space Succeeded in a test Handed something to someone Died or departed Changed from one state to another Declined to accept a chance or offer For example, we could use â€Å"passed† in any of the following sentences: They passed the bridge on the way home. She passed her exams with flying colors. He passed me the envelope with a nervous look. She passed away peacefully in her sleep. It passed from a solid to a liquid state. I regret having passed on buying shares in Facebook. This isn’t even a complete list of how â€Å"passed† can be used! The important thing, however, is that â€Å"passed† is always the past tense form of â€Å"pass,† including in the example sentences above. Past or Passed? These terms are most often confused when discussing movement. We can see how similar they are in this case if we repeat two examples from above: They walked past the bridge on the way home. They passed the bridge on the way home. The key here is that â€Å"passed† is a verb, while â€Å"past† in this case is an adverb. To make sure you get this right in your writing, remember that: As a noun and an adjective, â€Å"past† refers to a previous point in time. As an adverb, â€Å"past† should always modify another verb in a sentence. â€Å"Passed† and â€Å"pass† are both verbs spelled with a double â€Å"s.† Furthermore, while â€Å"passed† is the past tense of â€Å"pass,† the word â€Å"past† is never a verb. Consequently, if you need an action word, â€Å"passed† will always be correct. If you need a noun, adverb, adjective, or preposition, on the other hand, the term you need will always be â€Å"past.† Past (noun) = A time before the current moment Past (adjective) = From an earlier time Past (adverb/preposition) = Beyond a point in time or space Passed (verb) = Past tense of â€Å"pass†