Oedipus Symbolism Essay Example

Oedipus Symbolism Paper Oedipus Symbolism Many stories from ancient times as well as present times use symbolism to prove a point or to help with the understanding of the story. Symbolisms are used in stories and plays of all kinds to help get a point across or to help clarify the meaning of the story, and the play, Oedipus the King, is no different. There are many things throughout the play that are symbolic and very important to the understanding of the play. Two of the major symbolic things in the play are blindness and binding. Both of these things have a deeper meaning than simply the literal meaning of the words used to describe them. Blindness is used as a symbol to understanding, and is seen as a physical blindness and well as a spiritual blindness with both having equal importance in showing that just because a person can see something does not mean that they understand what they are seeing or what they are supposed to see. The binding is used to help show that the prophecies of the gods will be fulfilled regardless of what man does to try and stop them. The physical binding is used to symbolize that regardless of what types of interventions are implemented, some things are just destined to be. We will write a custom essay sample on Oedipus Symbolism specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Oedipus Symbolism specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Oedipus Symbolism specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer These symbolic meanings are what make this play such an intriguing and memorable one. The first of the two symbolic things is blindness, which is used as a symbol to understanding. There are many references throughout the play about sight, seeing, blindness, and vision. Even though all of these words can essentially refer to the physical sight created by the human eyes, that is not what all of these words refer to in the play. Teiresias was a man who was physically blind and unable to see the things around him through his eyes, however when it comes to spiritual sight he could see everything clearly. Teiresias understood everything that had happened and he warned Oedipus that he did not want to know who killed his father, but Oedipus kept prying. Oedipus was the exact opposite of Teiresias when it came to blindness because Oedipus was able to physically see but was blinded spiritually as he was unable to see the truth of his life. Once everything became clear to Oedipus, he blinded himself physically by gouging out his own eyes because he was ashamed of the things that he had done. He did not like the truths that had been unveiled and he made himself physically blind after he gained his spiritual sight. Wilkie and Hurt) The second of the two symbolic things is binding. As an infant, Oedipus’ feet were literally pierced and bound together by his parents, and he was sent away to be killed. His parents did this because it had been prophesied that he would someday kill his father and sleep with his mother. However, he was not killed, but he was taken in by another family who r aised him. The physical binding of his feet left a permanent scar on him and it caused him to walk with a limp when he grew up, and it also played a large role in how he came to get his name. The binding has more than just a physical meaning though. It can also be looked at as if he was bound to the fact that he would kill his father and fulfill the things that had been prophesied by the gods. Even though his parents had tried to stop destiny by having their child sent away to be killed, in a way it seems as if they actually enabled the prophecy to be fulfilled. If Oedipus had known that it was his father that he met at the crossroads, then he probably would not have killed him. Likewise, if he had known that his mother was the prize for solving the riddle, then he probably would not have accepted the challenge or the prize. All of the people, including Oedipus, were bound to the predictions of the gods and there was nothing that any of them could do to change it. The scars on Oedipus’ feet were symbolic of being bound to the prophecy and the scars were what allowed the truth of who he really was to be proven to be true. (wikipedia. org) The symbolism throughout the play is what makes the play so memorable. Sophocles did not need to have a blind man be the one who revealed to Oedipus the truth of who murdered his father, but the fact that the man was blind simply makes the story that much better. He was blind only in the physical manner, while Oedipus was blinded spiritually. It offers the thought that just because one can see with their eyes does not mean that they are actually looking at the information right in front of them. A person may have perfect vision and be completely blinded to the truths of their being or their surroundings. The symbolism of the binding is also an important one because it shows that some things are destined to happen regardless of what interventions are utilized. The same story could have been told without the different symbolisms but it would most definitely not e the same. It may have had the same story line and the same outcome as far as who the characters were and what they did, but the meaning behind the story would have been lost. Stories with symbolism generally pull people in and tend to engrave on their memory the meaning behind it. Without symbolism this would simply be a story with far less meaning. Works Cited Wilkie, Brian, and James Hurt. Literature of the Western World Volume I: The Ancient World Through the Renaissance. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 2001, 1997, 1992. Print â€Å"Oedipus the King. † Wikipedia. org. n. p. n. d. Web. 30 Sept. 2011

How Does an APA Writing Essay Sample No Abstract Help?

How Does an APA Writing Essay Sample No Abstract Help?If you are enrolled in the A+ APA Writing Essay Course, it is important that you know what an APA Writing Essay Sample No Abstract means. This should help you decide whether or not your writing sample will be allowed for submission to the A+ APA Writing Essay Course, and therefore, what elements are needed for your essay to have credibility. Let's take a look at what exactly is an APA Writing Essay Sample No Abstract.Now, as a general rule, any of the five sections in an essay that is referred to as introduction, body, conclusion, questions, and references must have a heading. This means the 'Introduction' (This works equally well if your paper is not an original essay and you just want to sound like you are an expert). After this you have the opening section. It has a heading which states the name of the essay and it also includes some words in brackets to help you with the overall content of the essay.In addition to this, there is another section called the 'Analysis' which is basically a guide on how to structure your essay. It consists of three parts and these are the topics, example sentences, and examples.The next part is called the 'Examples' and this section has examples for each paragraph of the essay. In addition to this, if your essay is organized, you may include a list of five examples in the last chapter of your essay. At the end of your essay you should write a title for the essay.As we said before, these four methods are more than sufficient for writing an essay. However, if you want to go further and try something different, the one technique that is popular today is the APA Writing Essay Sample No Abstract. This is because it helps you ensure that you put together and structure your essay in a way that it can withstand the scrutiny of your instructor.Now, what you need to do first is to find a reliable and reputable writing center for your college or university. They should provide you with a sample no abstract form. However, you have to remember that the sample form should be the one for your subject and not yours. It is better to get a sample no abstract form for all subjects so that you don't forget anything and you can be sure that they are completely written by the professional writers.Your next step is to fill out this form and send it back to your writing center. They will have a look at your essays and make sure that everything is organized. If they find that everything is good, they will then compile your essay into a package and send it back to you so that you can submit it to the A+ APA Writing Essay Course.