Analysis of Tragedy Through Aristotelian Theory

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creates great pity from the audience because as Oedipus realizes he is the murderer, he witnesses the reversal of his fortune. As the audience returns back to reality, they realize their fortuity, and become thankful that their life is not as tragic as Oedipus’s, allowing catharsis to occur.

The scene of suffering in Oedipus Rex evokes feelings of fear in the audience, and allows them to experience catharsis. After Oedipus sees Jocasta’s dead body hanging, he stabs his eyes with the brooches on her dress. He finally grasps the immense weight of his despicable actions, thus allowing him to truly “see” what he has done. This generates fear in the viewers, as they imagine committing wretched acts, such as Oedipus’s, but as the audience slowly ventures back to their lives they release these feelings of fear as they realize that their lives are disparate from Oedipus’s.

When analyzed through Aristotelian Theory, one uncovers clear evidence of catharsis brought about through peripeteia, anagnorisis, and the scene of suffering, in Oedipus Rex. Aristotle’s evaluations of tragedy are rooted in his belief that tragedy’s sole purpose is to produce catharsis. In the world of Sophocles’s tragedy, everything occurs on an awe-inspiring scale, from grand, heroic endeavors to the most vile of errors. A world comprised of fantastical figures, where events unfold with constant grandiose and tremendous emotion, intensifying the effect of catharsis on the audience. Sophocles’s Oedipus Rex pushes the limits of tragedy, and because of this is an exceptional piece of tragedy at its finest.

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