Oedipus the King and a Doll’s House – Essay – mikedoto44
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Oedipus the King and a Doll’s House
The development of drama over the years has changed drastically, but as seen in the two works of Oedipus the King, written by Sophocles, and A Doll’s House, written by Henrik Ibsen, there has been a common theme that has stuck throughout the long past of english writing. Sophocles is one of the three great ancient Greek dramatists. During the period in which Oedipus was written, it is told that, “the Greeks were especially interested in the relationship between greatness and hubris, the excessive pride and ambition that leads to the downfall of a hero…they were fascinated by the idea that hubris can bring destruction: the same traits that can elevate a person to greatness can also cause his or her ruin.” (Mandell, Stephen R. and Kirszner, Laurie G. Portable Literature. Boston: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning, 2013, 2012, 2007. Pp. 1060-1061.) During the period that A Doll’s House was written, the excessive pride subject was still present, but it was not called the same thing. The theme is in a way similar and different because at the time, it was perfectly fine to have excessive pride and treat your wife like a lower human being and like a doll, except in Henrik Ibsen’s work, he shocked the world by doing the unthinkable and changing the norm of the time period. In both works, there is at least one character who falls to their ruin. Also, the theme of reality versus illusion is portrayed and is most significant in the works. Oedipus falls victim to the reality versus illusion factor and so does Nora and Torvald.

In Oedipus the King, Oedipus is a self-centered king who believes he knows his past, but in reality, is actually completely blind to where he truly came from. It all comes back to the idea of hubris. His excessive pride blinds him from reality. Everything around him that appears normal and fine and nice is actually not. Everything about him and his beginning is hidden behind a curtain of truth. The illusion to Oedipus, without him even knowing it, is that he is not who he thinks he is. Even in the most disturbing ways. He killed his own father, his mother is also his wife, and his whole life has been a big, huge curse from the gods. All Oedipus ever does is point his finger at everyone else. He calls them liars and traitors, but he never stops to think about what he could have done wrong. Just like the theme states, he never stops to see the reality in things and in his life in general. He doesn’t want to believe the truth and face the facts. That is why at the end of the play, Sophocles, being the genius that he was, created the imagine of Oedipus being blinded at the end of the play. Because all throughout the play, in reality, he was the one who was blinded from the very beginning. Everything in his life before that was just an illusion, an appearance.

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(2015, 11). Oedipus the King and a Doll’s House. EssaysForStudent.com. Retrieved 11, 2015, from
“Oedipus the King and a Doll’s House” EssaysForStudent.com. 11 2015. 2015. 11 2015 < "Oedipus the King and a Doll’s House." EssaysForStudent.com. EssaysForStudent.com, 11 2015. Web. 11 2015. < "Oedipus the King and a Doll’s House." EssaysForStudent.com. 11, 2015. Accessed 11, 2015. Essay Preview By: mikedoto44 Submitted: November 22, 2015 Essay Length: 835 Words / 4 Pages Paper type: Essay Views: 679 Report this essay Tweet Related Essays A Doll’s Hous and Nora One critic put it best when she wrote, “Nora must walk the tightrope between what is right for her children and husband… and what 1,077 Words  |  5 Pages Doll’s House A Doll’s House In past history, society has been both very prejudiced and traditional with its view of gender roles. Often times a woman would 940 Words  |  4 Pages A Doll's House by Hendrik Ibsen After reading "A Doll's House" by Hendrik Ibsen. I can conclude that there is both a parallel and a contrast structure in the characters of 347 Words  |  2 Pages Public Reaction to Henrik Ibsen’s "a Doll’s House" “A Doll’s House” Henrik Ibsen HELMER:Go then [Seizes her arm]. But first you shall see your children for the last time! NORA: Let me 746 Words  |  3 Pages Similar Topics Oedipus King Short Essay Oedipus King Get Access to 89,000+ Essays and Term Papers Join 209,000+ Other Students High Quality Essays and Documents Sign up © 2008–2020 EssaysForStudent.comFree Essays, Book Reports, Term Papers and Research Papers Essays Sign up Sign in Contact us Site Map Privacy Policy Terms of Service Facebook Twitter

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Doll’S House And Works Of Oedipus. (July 3, 2021). Retrieved from https://www.freeessays.education/dolls-house-and-works-of-oedipus-essay/