Comparison of Othello and Oedipus the King Essay - 525 Words

*INTRO*The character Oedipus in the play Oedipus the King by Sophocles, and the character Othello in the play Othello the Moor of Venice by Shakespeare are both tragic characters. Oedipus ends up killing his father, and marrying and having children with his mother, whereas Othello ends up mistrusting and killing his wife. These two individuals have similarities and differences in several aspects such as the roundness of their characters, the retribution that they incur upon themselves and upon their respective wives whether directly or indirectly, and their horrors. *BODY 1* Both Oedipus and Othello are developed into round characters. Round characters are those that are well developed three dimensionally with multiple meaning to their†¦show more content†¦Othello on the other hand is a well-rounded character, and he is believable. Othello is a man who is filled with jealousy and mistrust he learns that his wife may be sleeping with another man. Anyone who has been in love has had this feeling once and a while, and that feeling is being fed by the person of whom they most trust, it can be devastating for that person. As Iago continually feeds Othello’s suspicion, his hurt and mistrust grows for his wife, until he finally kills her. The character of Oedipus is a round character, but cannot be believed due to the absurd circumstances of his marriage with Jocasta. Othello’s round character can be believed, because jealousy invades all of us at one time or another and for Othello, he chose to act upon it much like those who ac t in our society today. *BODY 2*Both Oedipus as well as Othello afflict themselves and their wives. When Oedipus learns the truth about himself, about the overly dissipated acts of coupling with his mother and killing his father, his wife Jocasta slays herself in embarrassment. Her death is thus an indirect result of Oedipus’ wrongdoings. He then blinds himself in order to inflict self-punishment. Othello on the other hand mistakenly accuses his wife Desdemona of adultery with Cassio and hence throttles her to death. When he later realizes that his accusation was improperly based, he isShow MoreRelatedThe Tragedy Of Oedipus Rex And Shakespeare s Othello And Oedipus 2344 Words   |  10 PagesThe definition of a tragedy is a narrative poem or story that describes the downfall of a good man. Both Othello and King Oedipus Rex Fall into this class of literature, even though they were written by two totally different authors and in two utterly different time periods. These two works share several comp arisons to every different, while having an honest quantity of variations similarly. Pride is characterized as one of the seven deadliest sins. Most pleased individuals will never see themselvesRead MoreEssay Prompts4057 Words   |  17 Pageswork as a whole. Avoid mere plot summary. You may select a work from the list below or another novel or play of comparable literary merit. Alias Grace Middlemarch All the King’s Men Moby-Dick Candide Obasan Death of a Salesman Oedipus Rex Doctor Faustus Orlando Don Quixote A portrait of the Artist as a Young Man A Gesture Life Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead Ghosts The Scarlet Letter GreatRead MoreAnalysis Of Shakespeare s The Tempest 2603 Words   |  11 Pagesof 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 reaches beyond a comparison to the new world- America and points to an autobiographical drama that is a reflection of the life of Shakespeare and his relationships with characters, family and himself. William Shakespeare was born on April 23, 1564, in Stratford on AvonRead MoreAmerican Literature11652 Words   |  47 Pagesthey are not always (see below). Figurative Language Figurative language involves a comparison between two things--a literal term, or the thing being compared, and a figurative term, or the thing to which the literal term is being compared. As Perrine states, figurative language is a way of describing an ordinary thing in an un-ordinary way. Simile A simile is an explicit, or clear and direct, comparison between two things that are basically unalike using dead-giveaway words such as like