Oedipus Rex and the elements of tragedy

In Aristotle's Poetics, he describes the formula of tragedy. This formula has come to be understood as the truly defining element of a drama as a tragedy. He explains that a tragedy is made up of essentially 5 parts that is, the exposition, the rising action, the climax, the falling action, and the conclusion.

This formula has been used to understand the work of Shakespeare and other dramatists. When Aristotle developed it, however, he was using the work of Sophocles particularly, the Oedipus plays, and specifically, Oedipus Rex.

Oedipus is, to be certain, the quintessential tragedy, and thus, is best understood in this light. The following is a summary of the main elements of the play as they relate to these 5 elements of the tragedy.

In the beginning of the play, the audience learns that the city of Thebes has been struck by a plague, and Oedipus has sent hi

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