The Role of Foreshadowing in Oedipus the King
`You are the curse, the corruption of the land!'. With these words, Tiresias, a blind prophet in `Oedipus The King' set the actions in play that would turn king to beggar within the day. Prophecy and foreshadowing is an important part of playwriting, and adds an element of suspense that is not possible any other way. Whether it be the witches of MacBeth, the ramblings of Tiresias in Oedipus: The King, and Antigone, or whether it is the unrealized foreshadowing by Figaro in `The Marriage of Figaro', foreshadowing gives the reader or the audience something to puzzle themselves over, until the play or novel is actually over. It would not be a stretch of the imagination to say that some of the greatest plays ever written would be impotent if their elements of foreshadowing was removed.
Foreshadowing is defined, in Webster's dictionary, as `to give a hint or suggestion of beforehand'. In drama, foreshadowing is generally used for several purposes, including the creation of tension, creation of atmosphere, and adds an element of credibility to a character. All of these are important elements of a play. However it is not hard to imagine a play in which more then half of the elements of a plot, namely exposition, discovery, point of attack, complication and crisis all be caused by an act of foreshadowing or prophecy. Indeed, "Oedipus the King", which was considered the greatest play in history by Aristotle, was one such play.
"Oedipus the King" was the story of the King of Thebes, Oedipus, and his dark past history which no one, including himself to a point, was aware of, one that involved abandonment, patricide and incest. Thebes was beset by a plague, and a delegation was sent to Apollo, the Greek God of healing, where they received instructions...
More Drama
essays:
Oedipus the King, by Sophocles
... sphinx. He became the king of Thebes, and then married a lady by the name of Jocasta. The prophecy of Apollo was now completely fulfilled. Oedipus having no knowledge of Apollo's prophecy being true, cursed the individual who killed Laius ...
The Tragedy of Oedipus the King
... point of finger should take away from his duties of taking responsibility. The events in Oedipus the King, written by Sophocles, shows an underlying relationship of man ...
"Oedipus, the King" and His Fate, by Sophocles
... In King Laius' and Oedipus' attempts to defy the gods, they brought the downfall of Oedipus in Oedipus the King by Sophocles, in which Sophocles says that prophecies from the gods of someone ...
The marriage of Figaro review of a theater play
... Marceline and Bartolo. By play's end, most everything gets sorted out, the Count is contrite and the craziness subsides. The Marriage of Figaro is the undisputed masterpiece of Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais. He started writing this play right after ...
The Punishment of the King/Oedipus Rex
... on Oedipus Rex, the king's punishments total three. Though in my mind at least, one far outweighs the other two, they are all important and they all contribute to the total experience of the Greek ...
The Fall From Power In Hamlet and Oedipus
... In Oedipus the King, the queen and Laius the murdered king were told by a prophet that Oedipus, their ... 1129). The leader suggested to Oedipus that he seek answers from Lord Tiresias, the blind prophet because he sees with the eyes of Lord ...
Sophocles and The Greek Theatre.
... this clearly offered greater dramatic possibilities. Many authorities also credit him with the invention of scene-painting. Of Sophocles' more than 120 plays, only seven have survived in their entirety. Of these, Oedipus the King, is generally considered his greatest work ...
Brief summary interwoven with commentary on Act II of Macbeth
... in the characters of Macbeth and Banquo. While Macbeth is ready to relinquish his honor for his ambition for the crown, Banquo is loyal to the king and ... fear of the thoughts that come to him while asleep. The witches' prophecies taunt him and he seems to be full of doubt ...