Sophocles Oedipus The King

Sophocles’s “Oedipus The King” is considered a excellent example of greek tragedy. Oedipus is portrayed as a very capable and heroic leader, beloved by his people. The dialogue opens with Oedipus declaring that he will rid Thebes of the plaque that has been ravaging his people. As the dialogue progresses it is learned that Oedipus is actually responsible for his city’s suffering and he is subject to a prophecy dictating that he will murder his father and sleep with his mother. Primarily the plot revolves around the notion/theme of predestination and that no matter how accomplished and righteous Oedipus may be in his lifetime he can not avoid the horrific fate that has been predetermined for him by the gods. Oedipus is anguished at the realization …show more content…
Despite Oedipus actively trying to refute the prophecy his moral or immoral behaviour can not change the great misfortune brought on to him by the curse of the gods.

Plato believes that in order to live your best(happiest) life you must first know what is best. In Plato’s Meno they ask the question of what is virtue. In the dialogue Socrates argues that virtue can not be defined simply as the desire to want good things and the ability to acquire them, for Socrates states that no one actually desires bad things.

"No one then wants what is bad, Meno, unless he wants to be such. For what else is being miserable but to desire bad things and secure them?”

They conclude that people who desire what is bad, are in fact under the impression that what they desire is good, Therefore answering the question of Virtue. Virtue is in fact knowledge and moral fault is ignorance, thus to possess virtue you must know what is good because no one would perceivably choose to do or want what is bad unless they did not know it to be so.

"virtue would be neither an inborn quality not taught, but comes to those who possess it as a gift from the gods which is not accompanied by …show more content…
Both plato and Sophocles portray ethical ideals of the rational soul who's primary value is virtue. Plato believes that all humans are equal and that being morally good is the same for everyone and would criticize Sophocles for his portrayal of tragedy befalling selectively upon a single person at the whims of the gods. Not only is Oedipus essentially a good person given a devastating fate for no foreseeable reason but is unable to change it despite being morally disgusted at the the actions the prophecy depicts him to commit. In Plato’s philosophy everyone is able to pursue the perfect goodness found beyond the material world in the realm of the Forms in the hopes of their soul being at harmony and living a good