Critically analyze the moment of anagnorisis and the tragic fall of Oedipus Rex.
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Anagnorisis in Oedipus Rex
In terms of drama, Sophocles' Oedipus Rex could put today's soap operas to shame! Written around 429 B.C., it's the most famous tragic play in history. As you probably know, its theme is a big reveal to the character that the audience knows already. Today, we'll talk about anagnorisis, a Greek word meaning 'discovery'. In literary terms, it is used when referencing a character's shift from ignorance into knowledge.
This usually will come about when the true identity of a character is suddenly revealed; for example, when someone previously unknown is recognized or identified. In movies or soap operas, this is usually accompanied by exaggerated dramatic music, close-ups of shocked faces, gasps of utter surprise, and if we are lucky, somebody fainting in disbelief. While anagnorisis is not always used in tragedies or as dramatic, sometimes a revelation can be simply a scar or birthmark. In the case of Oedipus, however, we have a soap opera-worthy scandal on our hands.
Shocking Revelations: A True Tragedy
The plot of the play uses shocking revelations as way of leading Oedipus to the truth regarding his identity. One by one, secrets are revealed, as the characters begin putting the pieces to the puzzle together. It is not until Oedipus is told that he is the son of Laius and Jocasta that our tragic hero is able to accept the truth. The discovery of his identity is nothing short of dramatic, and certainly puts soap operas to shame, as he decides to gauge his eyes out with his mother/wife's brooch.