Abandoned and Redeemed: Comparing the works of Ibsen and Sophocles

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Abandoned and Redeemed

Jeremy Sutton

World Literature

Mrs. Eutsler

4/16/06

,226 words

In the works of Ibsen and those of Sophocles, certain aspects of the works represent a large part of the story. Those aspects are some times abandoned, forgotten, or mistreated, and then redeemed and reestablished later on in the play. There are a few aspects in the plays The Cherry Orchard and Oedipus the King that follow this trend. These aspects are usually essential objects or themes of the play, and are abandoned either the characters of the play or by the author. These aspects are vital in the play, and help build the plot line and emphasize the narrative. Another aspect necessary to analyze is the theme of victimization by society, or by an individual. This is how the society or individual condemned the object in the play.

In the play Oedipus the King, the largest aspect of the story that had to do with desertion and redemption was the life of Oedipus himself, including his childhood. Oedipus's parents were Laius and Jocasta. As a newborn baby, Oedipus was thrown out of the house of Laius because of a prophecy that proclaimed Oedipus to be his father's murderer and his mother's lover. He was abandoned and forgotten because his own parents were afraid that he would kill his father and sleep with his mother. This event was before the play, and is learned later on. Oedipus is soon discovered and given to a shepard in another city, the city of Corinth. Oedipus is raised in Corinth, eventually becoming the prince of the city. He has eventually become a very powerful and authoritative character, ruler of Thebes. He unknowingly marries his mother, who had long forgotten her cast-away son. By marrying the same person who abandoned him, and becoming a powerful ruler, he has redeemed himself in society, and established once again as the main entity of the story.
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The abandonment of Oedipus in his early life had not prevented the fulfillment of the prophecy. Oedipus had unknowingly and inadvertently killed his father Laius in self-defense, and eventually married his mother, whom he did not know he had any kind of relation to. He had fulfilled the prophecy, even after being abandoned and forgotten. This illustrates the inevitable aspect of fate and destiny, which all ties into the idea of abandonment and redemption.

Oedipus was a victim of society in this play. He had been respected by his people, but also expected to protect them ...

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