英语教育论文格式范文
The unchangeable fate and fighting:
On the title fate of Oedipus the king
Li Yali
Oedipus the king is one of the great tragedies written by Sophocles. The play tells his fate that he would kill his father and married his mother is doomed by God. When he knows the oracle, he tries his best to escape from it but unfortunately failed in the end. The theme of the subject is to express the unchangeable fate through the conflict contradictory between human beings’ nature and fate. Also, the play speaks highly of people’s fighting spirit with God and mysterious strength. Even though we can’t change the ending of the fate, we can change the attitude towards fate, facing it smiley and bravely.
Key words: Oedipus the king; fate; fighting
Introduction
Sophocles, one of the most influential tragic writers of ancient Greece, was born a few years before the Battle of Marathon in 490BC, died at the age of ninety in the winter of 406BC. He was also one of the three ancient Greece tragedians who write 123 plays during his life, including the most famous Oedipus and Antigone. Because of the little information, it is hard to make an exact chronology of his works, but taking in to consideration some style characteristics, specialist say that the probable chronological order is Ajax, Antigone, Oedipus the king, Trachiniae, Electra, Philoctetes and Oedipus at Colonus. Sophocles has made great contribution to the drama by adding a third actor in particular, thereby reducing the importance of the chorus in the presentation of the plot. The subject of his tragedies is almost related to the matters that the hero’s fate is doomed and couldn’t be inevitable. Also, Sophocles play was alive with fighting spirit and reflected the mind human beings had in that out-date time.
Chapter One
The unchangeable fate
Fate is a theme that often occurs in Greek writing tragedies. The idea that attempting to avoid an oracle is the very thing which brings it about is a common motif in many Greek myths. Also we can see this phenomenon in Oedipus the king in particular. To Louis, King of Thebes, an oracle foretold that the child born to him by his queen Jocasta would kill his father and marry his mother. So as soon as the son was born, the infant's feet were riveted together and he was left to die on Mount Cithaeron. But a shepherd found the baby and takes care of him, and delivered him to another shepherd who took him to his master, the King of Corinth. He being childless adopted the boy, who grew up believing that he was indeed the King's son. Afterwards doubting his parentage, he visited Delphi to find out who his real parents are. But to his shocked, the oracle gave him another prophecy instead of answering what he asked, which he would kill his father and marry his mother. In order to escape from this bad fate, he decided to flee away from what he deemed his father's house and in his flight he encountered and unwillingly killed Laius, also his nature father. This is the very beginning of Oedipus’s real tragedy; the prophecy is approaching step by step. Finally, after solving lots of difficulties, he became the king of thebe, marring the former queen, unknowingly his nature mother. when he knows the truth, he blinded his eyes and prayed for exile from Thebes.
