Power of the Gods and Religion in Oedipus the King Essay

In the tragic play, Oedipus Rex, the Gods and religion greatly influence the social structure which in turn has a profound effect upon how the events unfold. Oedipus is the head of the state. There is a direct parallel in the demise of his household and city state which eventually comes to a full circle to destroy him. Even though Oedipus is praised by his people for being a responsible and honest king, he possesses a major character flaw in his attitude towards the gods which causes the tragic torture he faces in the end. Over the duration of the play, there is a strong sense of contamination towards the state, because it is facing a time of plague, and towards the leader Oedipus, because he is unknowingly in a relationship with his own†¦show more content†¦Teresias, a messenger of the foods, tells Oedipus he is the reason his state is in ruins. The people of the land are religious and live there lives according to what messengers and oracles tell them. For Oedipus religion is pushed aside and he believes more in himself. The city of the Thebes is also considered to be a scientifically advanced city and science rejects religion which is another great factor in the downfall of the city. These factors lead the state and the household of Oedipus into contamination which will only be cleansed by the gods and fate. The kings household and family are greatly affected by the religion in that there lack of believe in the gods has caused devastation within there lives. Iokaste, both Oedipuss queen and mother, is a strong believer in the oracle. She does not want to believe that Oedipus is destined to kill his father and marry his mother. Her believe in the idea that man can change his fate is challenged as she discovers that Oedipus is truly her son and he in fact killed his father 9 (i.e. her first husband). She is punished by the gods for being a disbeliever. Her punishment of becoming a disbeliever comes in the form of committing the sin of incest, which brings her form the top of the chain of being to the very bottom. The unbearable thought drives her to kill herself and leave her daughters motherless. The overallShow MoreRelatedGods vs. Mortals in Oedipus Rex the Bacchae1572 Words   |  7 Pagesabout many other gods demonstrating their power over mortals. Two such gods are Apollo and Dion ysus. In the stories Oedipus Rex and The Bacchae, these gods conflict with men that are not just average mortals, but respected kings. Although the political position of these kings makes them feel superior to all, the gods in the two stories show them that immortals are far superior to any man. In this way, Oedipus Rex and The Bacchae present a tension between politics and religion, the result ofRead MoreDivine Communication In Oedipus The King1240 Words   |  5 PagesDivine communication is the contact between a higher power and a civilian and can be seen in many works of literature throughout the ages. Divine communication comes in many forms such as oracles, prophets and direct communication with God. In The Bible, on many occasions, the reader can see individuals having direct contact with God while in Oedipus the King, divine communication comes in the form of oracles and prophets. These two works of literature have contrasting uses of divine communicationRead MoreReligio n In Oedipus The King1012 Words   |  5 PagesIn Oedipus, the King, the main character, Oedipus, starts the play in the highest prestige, he is the King of Thebes and is held in high regard to almost all citizens for his prosperous reign. By the end of the play, Oedipus is vilified by his citizens and almost all the people of Thebes. I argue that Oedipus’ downfall is directly linked to his rejection of religious guidance and omens; namely, the Gods and the oracle. One could argue that no divine entity openly acts out toward Oedipus, howeverRead MoreEssay about Oedipus the King: A Greek Tragic Hero1096 Words   |  5 Pagescharacter known as the tragic hero. In the play, Oedipus the King, by Sophocles, the character Oedipus, portrays to the reader the necessary, central, tragic hero. According to Aristotle, a tragic hero has a supreme pride (Jones. Pg. 133). That pride is a reflection of arrogance and conceit that suggests superiority to man and equality with the gods. Students of religion are often taught that pride Goethe before the fall. In Oedipus situation, his pride, coupled with religious fervorRead MoreThe Epic Of Gilgamesh, The Odyssey, And Beowulf854 Words   |  4 Pagesintangible characteristics and their believe system in God or a god/gods. As we age and experience life, many people change the way they define themselves. Throughout the â€Å"Epic of Gilgamesh†, â€Å"Oedipus the King†, â€Å"The Odyssey†, and â€Å"Beowulf†, the readers notice how society defines each main character by their heroic characteristics, the relationship between the humans and the divine, and the differences of how each hero’s journey ends. Gilgamesh, Oedipus, Odysseus, and Beowulf display several characteristicsRead MoreEssay on Oedipus the King: A Tragic Hero698 Words   |  3 Pagesperfectly completes this cycle of emotions is Oedipus the King by Sophocles. This play follows a king of the town of Thebes through his journey of the emotions of pity, fear, and finally a catharsis. It is a tale of a man who unknowingly kills his father and fathers the children of his mother as well. The audience is pulled into the play and experiences the plot along with Oedipus. The emotion of pity enters the play right from the beginning. First, it is Oedipus who feels pity for his people and theirRead More Essay on Jocasta in Oedipus the King653 Words   |  3 Pages The Role of Jocasta in Oedipus the King Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love Him. nbsp;(James 1:12) nbsp;Such is the proclamation in the Holy Bible, and so was the proclamation in ancient Greece. Since the founding of religion, the gods have sought to test those with power. Jocasta was sent by Apollo to do just that: to test Oedipus - the king of Thebes - faith and convictionRead MoreAnalysis Of The Odyssey And Oedipus The King 999 Words   |  4 PagesOdyssey and Oedipus the king the thing they went through was very difficult times in there life. That would have them make no other choice but to call on a higher powers. But as human, when we get idea of God and we think that God controls the nature. It s like we don t look at it as something else out there has control of our happiness and determining our good and bad fortune. It does come a point we acknowledge God as that person who controls our life as wel l. When we pray to our high power we askRead MoreEssay on Sophocles Oedipus Rex1369 Words   |  6 PagesSophocles Oedipus Rex As the plot in Sophocles famous play Oedipus Rex unfolds, many aspects of the relationship between ancient Greeks and their gods are revealed. It demonstrates that the people couldRead More Destiny, Fate, Free Will and Free Choice in Oedipus the King - Fate and the Modern World966 Words   |  4 PagesOedipus Rex, Fate, and the Modern World  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the two thousand since â€Å"Oedipus Rex† was written, it has been analyzed and dissected innumerable times and in every possible way.   Usually the analysis has been within the context of the play itself or within the context of other Greek tragedies.   Perhaps it would be more relevant and interesting to evaluate the play within the context of the modern world.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In his play Sophocles brings up many questions which are not easily answered

Morality Is The Quality Of Being Morally Right - 1193 Words

Morality is the quality of being morally right. Thoreau views morality as acting on one’s conscience. Conscience is a faculty that God gives to every man so he can discern between right and wrong. Its verdicts are consistent across different circumstances, and across time. Therefore, morality is absolute. In this section, Thoreau explores ways in which people justify not acting according to their consciences. However, Thoreau maintains the conviction that nothing can excuse withholding what is morally right. Thoreau focuses his point on â€Å"patrons of virtue.† A patron of virtue is a person who understands and supports the right, but does not act on what he knows. He introduces this group using a verse, which reads, A drab of state, a†¦show more content†¦The majority will likely only ‘abolish slavery’ through law when their culture has already deemed it null. Thoreau believes only men who live by conscience can actually abolish slavery. These men show their desires in their votes, but their choices to not need to prevail. These men know that only their individual actions on conscience can cause the change they know is right. Thoreau also believes that expediency cannot substitute for morality. He cites the philosopher William Paley, who claims that â€Å"the justice of every particular case of resistance is reduced to a computation of the quantity of the danger and grievance on the one side, and of the probability and expense of redressing it on the other (79). Paley argues that the morally correct action in any scenario requires only comparing the costs o the actions on either side. Thoreau understands that many apply Paley’s theory to cases dealing with morality, which is evident when he calls Paley â€Å"a common authority with many on moral questions† (79). Those who would use Paley’s statement as a way to judge morally correct action would not disown the United States government for its acceptance of slavery, because it would cause â€Å"unnecessary† grievance on their own part, and inconvenience to the authorities. However, Thoreau says that Paley’s view only app lies where the rule of expediency applies, or where only non-moral questionsShow MoreRelatedRam s Morality And Morality1356 Words   |  6 PagesCullen Lemieux Period 2 World literature Mr. Neely Ram’s Morality Many people struggle or debate over the topic of morality, and many people are mistaken as to who really judges what is moral or immoral. The only person who can decide whether an act is morally right or wrong is God. Within Slumdog Millionaire, there are many actions and ideas that can be considered morally good or morally bad according to the Christian views of morality. Ram Muhammad Thomas is debated over when it comes to the topicRead MorePersonhood Refereed As Self Awareness Theory872 Words   |  4 Pagesconcept is intentional doing; if a person is able to do things internationally then he or she qualifies to be a human according to the theory. The founder of this theory states that this is the main reason why chimpanzees are not categorized as human beings (DeGrazia 38). Applying it in the book, Kathy was making her decisions intentionally. For example, she decided on become Tommy’s carer intentionally. She also worked as a care in her life out of her intentions. Thi s shows that the author of the bookRead MoreWhat Is A Good Life?1139 Words   |  5 Pagesduty and one’s right to live as well as possible. Early Western philosophers, including Plato and Aristotle, have suggested that to live well is to live morally. However, as argued by Dworkin in his essay â€Å"What is a Good Life?† high morality does not necessarily equate a high standard of living. Indeed, following austere morals and ethics may lead to an unsatisfying life. For instance, adopting Singer’s approach to absolute morality, as outlined in â€Å"Famine, Affluence, and Morality† would pose a significantRead MoreEthics : Ethics And Ethics1468 Words   |  6 Pagesrelies on the consequences of an action in order to distinguish whether or not something is morally acceptable. Deontology considers the morality of an action by one’s reason for doing a certain deed. Lastly, virtue ethics bases morality off of virtuous character, and how a virtuous pers on would act given a certain predicament. Ultimately, consequentialism provides the most practical explanation for morality due to the notion of providing the best possible result. Contrarily, deontology and virtueRead MoreAs Clearly And Carefully As You Can1326 Words   |  6 Pagesï » ¿Voluntarists and non-voluntarists have had intense debate on the issue of religion and morality. The underlying central argument of the debate is whether the morality requires a religious foundation or not. While the voluntarists claim that morality does require a religious foundation, non-voluntarists assert that it doesn’t. David Brink and George Mavrodes argues with this theme of voluntarist and non-voluntarist. My essay will largely focus on the strengths and weakness of both voluntarists andRead MoreThe Between Morality And The Gods959 Words   |  4 Pages That is, there are some things that are right or good in and of themselves, conversely there are certain acts that are wrong in and of themselves. In following with the second option, i.e. that the gods love things because they are good, this forces one to admit that things are good separate from the gods; the things the gods love are pious regardless of the gods love. This means that the gods cannot cause morality in any way. Therefore, if one accepts either of the options in the Euthyphro dilemmaRead MoreThe Euthyphro Dilemma From The Question Socrates1223 Words   |  5 Pagesasks â€Å"Is the pious loved by the god because it is pious, or is it pious because it is loved by the gods?†, in simpler terms, ‘Are morally good acts willed by God because they are morally good, or are they morally good because they are willed by God?’. This argument creates a huge dilemma for Divine Command theorists as their theory lies solely on the claim that morality is dependent on God’s will. However the question asked by Socrates in response to Divine command theory produces extreme difficultyRe ad MoreDivine Command Theory : Morality And Moral Obligations1486 Words   |  6 Pagesview that morality is dependent upon God, and that moral obligation depends on God’s commands. Therefore, Divine Command Theory claims that morality is ultimately based on the commands or character of God, and that the morally right action is the one that God command. The specific content of these divine commands varies according to the particular religion and the particular views of the individual divine command theorist, but all versions of the theory hold in common the claim that morality and moralRead MoreThe Long Standing Debate On Ethics1253 Words   |  6 PagesThe long-standing debate on ethics is far from being solved; however, two philosophers have formulated their own theories in determining whether an action is good or bad. John Stuart Mill focuses on a utilitarian perspective and utilizes the idea of consequentialism and on the other hand, Immanuel Kant avoids the consequenti alist argument and supports a deontological perspective in analyzing morality and ethics. Both arguments, valid as they may be, strongly contradict one another, mostly on theRead MoreKants Views on Morality949 Words   |  4 PagesMorality has been a subject of many philosophical discussions that has prompted varied responses from different philosophers. One of the most famous approaches to morality is that of Immanuel Kant in his writing Groundwork of Metaphysics of Morals. Kant in this work argues that the reason for doing a particular action or the drive to do good things is a fundamental basis of defining moral quality in a person. To him, an action could be considered morally right only if the motivation behind doing

Positive Changes In The Workplace Essay Example For Students

Positive Changes In The Workplace Essay Positive Changes in theWorkplace Hi ho, hi ho, its off to work we go. So sang the charminglyquirky dwarfs in Disneys Snow White. In many ways theystood for the hopes of mid-century Americans: Hold down asecure job, produce your share of goods or products, dowhat the boss says, go with the program, and earn enough tosupport a comfortable lifestyle for yourself and your family. Things havent really changed all that muchor have they?Only a few of us are currently involved in any type of manuallabor or production. In fact, more than 80% of the workforceis in a service position according to most of the informationwe receive in our Human Resource office. In the past 100years, the tools of the trade have changed dramatically. Wevegone from plows to assembly lines to computers as theprimary drivers of our livelihood. What about off to work wego? All indicators point to an ever-increasing rise intelecommuting, home offices, and part-time and just-in-time ortemporary workers, spurred on in large part by theincreasingly transnational nature of corporations. So this placecalled work is rapidly becoming any place at all. Changes likethis are happening in all aspects of the workplace and can beattributed too much of the stress that employees are feelingtoday. I have noticed that many employees are complainingthat the high stress of their jobs is causing employee burnou tat a very young age, but all of this change is not ascatastrophic as it may seem. There are many positive effectsto be garnished from the inevitable changes in the workplace. This paper is going to look a four of these positive resultsfrom change. 1. Changes allow for freedom on new ideas. 2. Changes meet the Generation Xs needs for a constantvariation in the workplace. 3. Employees work better with alittle stress (Fight or Flight). 4. Done right, involvingemployees in change can create a feeling of ownership. Changes allow for freedom on new ideas. Without changes inthe workplace you are stifled with the age old traditions. Ifemployees are seeing new ideas tried out regularly, they will inturn, try to provide new ideas in the workplace. A topexecutive, interviewed for the book The Leadership Challengestates that If organizations societies are to make progress,then, leaders must be able to detect when routines arebecoming dysfunctional. They must be able to see whenroutines are smothering creative planning and blockingnecessary advancements.(Kouzes, Posner 47) This was amajor problem when I was working for the newspaper. Wehad some long time employees, many who dated back to thehand set press days. These employees were very resistant tosome of the methods we needed to change to make uscompetitive in the marketplace. Many of the old routines thatwere established eons ago were still in effect because it wasthe newspaper way with unnecessary deadlines and extraprint runs. Those ways needed t o change to bring in the newtechnology needed to run a competitive newspaper in todayssociety. We needed to look at the demands of the advertiserand reporter which was our ability to react at a momentsnotice without unnecessary delays. Once we were able tobreak the old traditions, the new technology became acceptedand the old seemed cumbersome and tiresome. Some changeis inevitable, a totally stable company can cause you tobecome stagnant in you working environment. You never get achance to shine with your ideas. The only direction up in atraditionally stable company can be a pre-determined routethat you will need everybodys consent to take. If thecompany had been totally stable, I might have stayed a vicepresident or who knows what. I just wouldnt have had theopportunities that I had states one top executive interviewedin the book Smash the Pyramid (Doyle, Perking 234). Everyone wants to protect his/her status in the company andchange can challenge this on a regular basis. But, JamesKouzes, author of The Leadership Challenge recommends thatif leaders do not challenge the process any system willunconsciously conspire to maintain the status quo and preventchange. This change may be the one thing that stagnates thecompany and will eventually cause the company to looseground in this world. Embrace change and it will become apositive force for you in your travels to the top of your field. Youve heard that every problem is an opportunity, and astough times begin to close in, you can probably spot severalways to do something good for your company. So, let thetough times roll? and the new ideas will follow. Changesmeet the Generation Xs needs for a constant variation. Wehave a new type of work force developing in the horizon. Theschools are experiencing trying to teach these futureemployees now. These youth are going to require a differentworkplace than what our parents had. They will not be able tosit and perform the same task over and over for eight hours aday because since birth, they have been constantly stimulatedwith all of the high technical devices available in the modernday world. These people have been stimulated with everythingfrom dolls that read to you to Nintendo games that give youvirtual reality. The teachers of today are now learning how totrain these future employees and we are going to have tochange our workplace to meet their needs. Students, however, conditioned by years of television, interactive video gamesand computers, are looking for something other than continualdiscourse from the teacher. They want to manipulate thejoysticks, move the mice, and be on-line with theireducational process. In other words, they want to be activeparticipants, not passive observers, in their learning. Thesituation has prompted a call to action by the United StatesSecretary of Education, R. Riley: We cannot sit still rootedto the chalk board and pencil at a time when a 12-year-old canliterally touch his or her mouse pad and travel from web site toweb site around the world (Riley, 1998) Generation Xerstake longer to make job choices. They look upon a job astemporary instead of as a career, partly because they want tokeep their options open. They are always looking to jump shipwhen they can upgrade their situation. They will often leave ajob at the hint of a better position(Losyk 29-44). States BobLosyk in his analysis of this new generation. He ma kes a pointof noting that this generation does not expect the loyaltiesfrom the companies, with their downsizing, and in turn are notnear as loyal to their place of employment. To attract theseemployees and provide a beneficial work place environmentfor them many companies are changing their workplacestrategies. Where once you were encouraged to bring youchildren on a specific day to see where you work, then theycame up with the idea of workplace child-care, now theemployees are being allowed to bring their pets with them towork. These new Generation Xers are going to change theface of the workplace creating an environment of excitementand innovation. As long as our economy continues to improvethis generation will provide us with many new looks to the oldstandby workplace. People work better with a little stress(Fight or Flight) When humans first appeared on this world,they needed a little stress to survive, to kill the mastodons andlive for another season. We really have not change d all thatmuch. Todays workplace requires us to give our best as oftenas possible. James Kouzes feels that Opportunities tochallenge the status quo and introduce change opens thedoors to doing ones best. Challenge is the motivationenvironment for excellence (Kouzes, Posner 39). The onlyexception that needs to be brought out by that is that we needto give people a change to get used to the changes before weintroduce more. The major reason for stress is when you donot allow for the adjustment period in-between major changes. This side of paradise EssayKeeping top performers happy can be a full-time job, but inthis economy with 1-2% unemployment rate, its worth theeffort. Just ask Walter Noot, who is head of production forViewpoint DataLabs International, a company in Salt LakeCity that makes 3-D models and textures for film productionhouses, video game companies, and car manufacturers. Hecompares the modelers and digitizers on his team to sportsstars: high performers who sulk if they suspect theyre gettingless than they deserve. Noot decided to do something radical. Now no one in his group gets a salary. Theyre still full-timeViewpoint employees, with benefits, but theyre paid as if theywere contract workers. Every projects team splits 26% of themoney Viewpoint expects to receive from a client. Almostovernight salaries have jumped 60% to 70%. But productivityhas almost doubled. Where the group used to have set hours,they now work when they please. One fellow works 24-36-hour marathons, keeping a pillow and blanket under his deskfor catnaps. Some people work only at night. Whatever. Now life is bliss,: says Noot. It has totally changed attitudes,I never hear complaints. (Munk 62-6+-) Noot has learned, asother managers are learning, we need to give the employeescontrol over their destiny and then the changes that go intoeffect will come from them and they will accept them and evensometimes embrace them. Bibliography Works Sited Doyle, Willima and Perkins, Willima Smash thePyramid Warner Books 1994 Colvin, Geoffrey. Let the toughtimes roll!. Fortune. , v. 138 no12 (Dec. 21 98) p. 243-4Jarboe, Kenan Patrick.; Yudken, Joel Time to get seriousabout workplace change. Science and Technology. , v. 13(Summer 97) p. 65-7 Kouzes, James M. and Posner, Barry Z. The Leadership Challenge Jossey-Bass Publishers 1987Losyk, Bob Generation X: what they think and what they planto do., The Futurist, V. 31 Mar./Apr. 97 p. 29-44 Montague,James TQM reduces problems and stress. Business Credit.,v. 97 (Feb. 95) p. 16 Munk, Nina The new organization man.,Fortune. v. 137 Mr. 16 98 p. 62-6+ Riley, R., (1998, March). Education first: Building Americas future. Vital Speeches ofthe Day, 64 (11), 322-327. Verespej, Michael A. The oldworkforce wont work: technology isnt the only thing tochange. Industry Week, v. 247 no17 (Sept. 21 98) p. 53-4 Computers Essays