Stephen Crane and American Realism Essay - 1509 Words

If it was not for Stephen Crane and his visionary work than American Realism would not have taken hold of the United States during the eighteen hundreds. During the years following the Civil War America was a melting pot of many different writing styles. Many scholars argue that at this time there was still no definite American author or technique. Up to this point authors in the Americas simply copied techniques that were popular in regions of Europe. Stephen Crane came onto the scene with a very different approach to many of his contemporaries. He was a realist, and being such he described actions in a true, unadorned way that portrayed situations in the manner that they actually occurred (Kaplan). He had numerous admired pieces but his†¦show more content†¦The first time that people can truly see his professional writing career begin is during his time at Syracuse (Berryman 8). Crane wrote articles in the Syracuse Daily Standard and his work was so popular that he was eve ntually noticed by the New York Tribune who also asked him to write in their newspaper. As a flourishing writer Crane began to experiment with various techniques (Monteiro 136). All of these different styles of writing were met with mixed results leaving Crane in a difficult position. Although he was being successful as the average journalist, Crane wanted more. He was young and ambitious and the fact of the matter was that his tendencies did not fit in with the writing styles popular to the time (Monteiro 135). In order to advance his career and propel himself into a position of reverence he would have to find a style with which he could really get his ideas across. In time it became evident that Crane had found the style of writing that suited him best. He enjoyed portraying events in the true, bare, manner in which they occurred. Instead of embellishing accounts to make them seem more enjoyable to the reader, Crane preferred to include the gritty details that many considered inde cent, gritty, and unnecessary. While other authors where expanding on styles of writing such as romanticism, Crane took a twisted advance towards creating storiesShow MoreRelatedStephen Crane: The Literary Red Badge871 Words   |  3 PagesStephan Crane within The Red Badge of Courage once said: â€Å"The men dropped here and there like bundles. The captain of the youths company had been killed in an early part of the action. His body lay stretched out in the position of a tired man resting, but upon his face there was an astonished and sorrowful look, as if he thought some friend had done him an ill turn.† (Source insert correct citation in final draft†¦from http://www.shmoop.com/red-badge-of-courage/warfare-quotes-3.html). The quoteRead MoreThe Viewpoints of Stephen Crane and His Novel Maggie: A Girl on the Streets807 Words   |  4 Pagesthe world, and frequently shapes lives regardless.† (â€Å"Although it’s origins†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ) Stephen Crane was in fluenced to write his 1893 novella, Maggie: A Girl of the Streets, as a result of his religious family, the secrecy to publish a novel that reveals the reality and impurity of the real world and from the impact of needy, urban landscapes that ended realism and began naturalism. Beginning in the early years of Stephen Crane’s life, he was the last son of thirteen other siblings. Being raised by aRead MoreEssay on A Brief Biography on Stephen Crane1345 Words   |  6 PagesStephen Crane was one of America’s most influential nineteenth century writers of realism. He was credited for being a novelist, short-story-writer, poet, and journalist. He was born on November 1, 1871, in Newark, New Jersey, as Stephen Townley Crane. Stephen was the youngest sibling of fourteen children (â€Å"Stephen Crane Biography†). His writing inspiration came from his family. His mother dedicated her life to social concerns, while his father was a Methodist minister. Two of Crane’s brothersRead MoreThere Was a Child Went Forth and Do Not Weep, Maiden, for War Is Kind642 Words   |  3 Pages There are many pieces of American Literature that include American Values and mixed emotions. Some writers pushed the details further than others. I think the writers Walt Whitman and Stephen Crane did a great job of writing realistically. They both wrote pieces that people still analyze even today. Therefore, there will be an explanation of Walt Whitman’s, â€Å"There Was a Child Went Forth† and Stephen Cranes, â€Å"Do Not Weep, Maiden, for War Is Kind†. The poem â€Å"There Was a Child Went Forth† was writtenRead MoreSister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser and Stephen Crane ´s The Open Boat, Examples of American Naturalist Literature959 Words   |  4 Pages Literary naturalism was a movement that began in the late 1800s to the mid-1900s that used detailed realism to show the readers that the human character is shaped by many things that are outside of human control. This movement tried to depict everyday reality where the characters would receive symbolic, idealistic, or supernatural treatment. Literary realism was a prominent movement in the mid-1800s in Europe, and naturalism was derived from this movement; the writers were influenced largely byRead MoreRealism and Naturalism in Crane’s Open Boat â€Å"Perhaps an individual must consider his own death to1000 Words   |  4 Pages Realism and Naturalism in Crane’s Open Boat â€Å"Perhaps an individual must consider his own death to be the final phenomenon of nature.† In this small excerpt from his short story â€Å"The Open Boat† one can clearly see that Stephen Crane was a firm believer in the concepts of naturalism. After the harsh and violent Civil War the United States was no longer the nation it had been before. Previously, Americans had focused on the positive or romantic side of their surroundings and had written in a romanticRead MoreThe s Maggie : A Girl Of The Streets1857 Words   |  8 PagesStephan Crane’s Maggie:A Girl of the Streets is fundamentally a work of naturalism with a few elements of realism. Donna M Campbell explains in Naturalism in American Literature, much of the naturalistic literary movement focuses on taboo topics such as violence, poverty, prostitution, and alcoholism. Naturalism has other characteristics such as static characters and Social Darwinism, characters who are controlled by their environm ent and have very little â€Å"free will†, and animal imagery. FurthermoreRead More Analysis of Stephen Cranes, Maggie: A Girl Of The Streets Essay2468 Words   |  10 PagesAnalysis of Stephen Cranes, Maggie: A Girl of the Streets Today in modern America, it has become almost impossible to avoid the tales of horror that surround us almost anywhere we go. Scandals, murders, theft, corruption, extortion, abuse, prostitution, all common occurrences in this day in age. A hundred years ago however, people did not see the world in quite such an open manner despite the fact that in many ways, similarities were abundant. People’s lives were, in their views, free of allRead MoreThe Red Badge Of Courage And The Works Of Walt Whitman1620 Words   |  7 PagesTo understand and compare the realism between Stephen Crane’s The Red Badge of Courage and the works of Walt Whitman, one must first examine the meaning of realism. In literature, realism can be defined as the writer’s attempt to create a picture through concise language and descriptive scenes. Essentially, a reader should walk away from the book feeling as though they lived the events with the characters, much like one might experience in a well produced movie. There may not always be moral valuesRead MoreOpen Boat1478 Words   |  6 Pagesthe universe and insignificant to the workings of the universe. In â€Å"The Open Boat† by Stephen Crane, Crane exemplifies mans insignificance to the universe and nature because ultimately fate decides and fate is an indifferent, uncontrollable, and inevitable force that possesses no consciousness that people can understand. â€Å"The Open Boat† reflects Naturalistic ideas, the era in the late nineteenth century when American was growing rapidly and the individual felt unique and important (â€Å"Regionalism† 640)

Writing Techniques That Appeal to Readers Essay - 886 Words

Writing Techniques That Appeal to Readers Anyone who will be required to write at any time, no matter what the function of the writing, should learn good writing techniques that appeal to readers. Every type of writing should possess something that will draw the reader into the words to make the reader feel that he can relate to what he reads. Many techniques can accomplish this goal of writing. Diction, organization, description, and titles are all key parts of an essay that combine the authors thoughts and teelings in an effective manner. Diction plays and extremely crucial role in all forms of writing. Word choice can make an essay -- whether it is illustrative, narrative, or persuasive -- more easily understood.†¦show more content†¦She does this by using examples from the past to back her main ideas. In the essay, Unlikely Learning, Mary Kemmerer uses chronological order to explain how she passes her day in school. Danielle Trasciattis essay, Blue Band Emotional High uses some spacial organization although the primary development is chronological. The author uses smaller, minor points to support the main idea. Through the use of these forms of arrangement, the authors effectively expressed their points in a very clear and discemible manner. Another aspect that makes writing good is description. Description not only makes reading more enjoyable, but helps the reader feel as if he or she is involved in what is going on in the essay. It also adds life and reality to the writing. One essay that uses good description is Blue Band Emotional High. Danielle Trasciatti uses description to paint a mental picture and helps the reader feel part of the experience. She does it with description like, the smell of the dirt mixed with sweat filled the hot and humid air. Chalk was floating around everywhere and was smeared all over the dirt around the 25 yard line. Description brings the reader in and keeps him reading . A piece of writing would be incredibly boring if there would be no description to interest the reader and help him create his own picture of what is beingShow MoreRelatedRhetorical Analysis : Using Rhetoric889 Words   |  4 PagesThere exists an immeasurable amount of techniques that allow writing to be eloquent. Rhet oric, however, consistently remains one of the most popular techniques due to the influential nature and effectiveness of its steps. Composition can best be analyzed and constructed using rhetoric. It’s essential in rhetoric to follow critical instructions to generate the best writing possible. Rhetoric consists of the need to develop and establish a clear purpose, identify with an audience, build a clear contextRead MoreThe Social Construction Of Gender1000 Words   |  4 Pagescommunicating her view? She is successful in communicating her main idea. Lorber uses three techniques that impacts the reader. First, scholarly word choice to reach a targeted academic audience. Second, reasoning to explain her thought process for believable content. Lastly, appeals to authority, citing other relevant works to add credibility to her essay. Technique 1: Word Choice The first technique is scholarly word choice. The words in Lorber’s essay show she is targeting an academic audienceRead MoreSports Mascots Essays639 Words   |  3 Pagesto this topic by creating pathos in their writing. Although Mark Hyman, author of So Sioux Me, has many good examples and facts, Jack Shakely, author of Indian Mascots – You’re Out, has a more credible argument. He implements pathos by describing a story that happen to him at a young age and also establishes credibility early in his article, which proves to the reader he understands the topic he is writing about. By creating emotional and logical appeals and establishing credibility, Shakely is successfulRead MoreThe Need for Stricter Gun Laws in Micheal Gawendas Book, Americas Lethal Affair with the Gun589 Words   |  3 Pagescontrolled way of approach. The intended audience of the article are the readers of The Age, as that is the source. Gawenda firmly believes that gun control laws in America are not strict enough, to persuade his readers, he uses a variety of persuasive devices, some used repetitively throughout the article. One persuasive device majority of the expository, was statistics. Throughout most paragraphs, the text includes the persuasive technique of statistics, for example, â€Å"Americans own an estimated 280 millionRead MoreThe Issue Of Gun Control1573 Words   |  7 Pagespersuade readers of an opinion for two reasons, the issue of gun control is a terrible essay topic because there are too many emotions involved in gun control debates and because in general there is no good research on gun control. The only essays and articles available for research are articles filled with biased through the use of Aristotelian Appeals. Aristotelian Appeals include ethos, logos, and pathos each appeal using a different strategy to sway the readers opinion. The first appeal used byRead MoreZora Neale Hurstons Diction1250 Words   |  5 Pageswritten to allow readers to look through the eyes of a colored woman. Specifically, a colored woman living in early segregated America. Hurston described her experiences through emotion, credibility, reasoning, and appropriate timing. With these techniques, she clearly displayed pathos, ethos, logos, and kairos in her writing. Through these appeals, she successfully creates a strong case for her purpose in writing the essay. She intended to not only share her experiences, but to let readers perceive herRead MoreCritique of Rhetorical Appeals in A Call for Unity Essay1075 Words   |  5 PagesA Call for Unity by Carpenter et al. makes use of logos and ethos to create a persuasive and convincing argument. By using these persuasive rhetoric appeals, Carpenter et al. manage to presents themselves and other non-Negro citizens in a favorable light by suggesting that they have expressed understanding ( Carpenter et al. 1) and been responsible citizens (2). Negro citizens, however, are presented as opposition determined to undermine the principles of law and order and common sense (2)Read More Invisible Man Essay: Tone and Language966 Words   |  4 Pagesworld has become that of infinite possibilities. Ellisons writing techniques include that of visual imagery, irony, occasional satire, and infinite examples of symbolism. All of these writing techniques help to further the novel, and benefit the book as a whole. Two techniques that Ellison used better than any others, however, are tone and language. Although Ellison used these techniques well, there were some harmful mistakes in his writing which damage the credibility of the story.    OneRead MoreHow Poems Create Thoughts And Thoughts1360 Words   |  6 Pagespoems are much different because they incorporate different types of techniques and literary ways of making a piece of writing into a poem. Through poetry many poets tend to have a deeper connection with themselves and their readers because they express their thoughts, feelings and memories through their close selection of words. Many people believe a poem should be composed of a specific and limiting number of lines and techniques. Poems such as those like â€Å"The Homecoming,† †The Feud,† and â€Å"The Pact†Read MoreAnalysis Of The Tipping Point1047 Words   |  5 Pagesback and inquire about society as a whole, and rethink one’s actions. In The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell effectively discusses and analyzes how and why ideas spread throughout societies using the rhetorical appeals, ethos, pathos and logos. To start with, Gladwell uses ethos, an appeal to ethics, as a device to effectively explain how information and trends spread like wildfire . Throughout The Tipping Point, a diverse selection of statistics and research are utilized. One example is research

Cleopatra Essay Research Paper Cleopatra Egyptian QueenCleopatra free essay sample

Cleopatra Essay, Research Paper Cleopatra Egyptian Queen Cleopatra is an astonishing adult female, She was known for many great endowments and great accomplishments. She was a really determined Macedonian queen. She went to many great lengths to maintain her clasp on the power she was left by will. It was said that Cleopatra was witty, capturing, and extremely intelligent. Through the research I have collected I will turn out to you that Cleopatra was an astonishing adult females. I will make this by bring outing facts of her male parents? decease, and how she took control of Alexandria, Her Early life, Her household life, Her consorts, and her love personal businesss with both Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. Without farther bustle I present to you my Essay. Cleopatra, the Egyptian Queen was born in the twelvemonth 69 B.C in the metropolis of Alexandria, Egypt. When she was born her male parent held topographic point as leader of the metropolis. Her male parent? Ptolemy Auletes was the lone guardian known during Cleopatras? early life. ? ( Cleopatra website ) It is non said what happened to her female parent. It is a batch of times mistaken that Cleopatra was a really beautiful adult female, when in world she was non really attractive at all. Equally far as Cleopatras? early life there is non much recorded. Her life was non really public until the twelvemonth she turned 18. Cleopatra came from a instead big household. She is the in-between among many of brother and sisters. Unfortunately she was the lone miss in the household to populate past the age of 18. Her male parent Ptolemy Auletes raised Cleopatra ; Her female parent is unknown. Cleopatra had 5 siblings all runing in age, Cleopatra falling in the center. Cleopatra was besides the in-between sibling among the misss. The oldest in the household is Cleopatras? sister Cleopatra VI ; the 2nd is Bernice IV, so came Cleopatra. The last miss to be born in the household is her younger sister Arsinoe IV. None of Cleopatras? sisters lived to be past the age of 18. Her oldest sister Cleopatra VI, Died as a kid. Bernice The 2nd girl was beheaded. The male parent Ptolemy Auletes was responsible for Bernice? s slaying ; the ground was neer made clear. This left Cleopatra and her younger sister to be the lone females left in the household. Among her other siblings she had two younger brothers. The oldest male c hild? s name is Ptolemy XIII. Her 2nd brothers? name is Ptolemy XIV. Their male parent Ptolemy Auletes raised them all together in the castle. Cleopatras? male parent Ptolemy died in the twelvemonth 51 BC. At age 18 Cleopatra was left with a land to govern on her shoulders. The kids in the household, being Cleopatras? younger brothers and sister, were left to be raised by Pompey, a Roman leader. Pompey was a close friend to Ptolemy Auletes ( the male parent ) . Cleopatra was highly immature to be left with such a large duty, but she was determined to do it work. In the same twelvemonth Cleopatra was left the land, she was forced to hold a consort. Harmonizing to the Egyptian jurisprudence it had to be either a brother or a boy. This left Cleopatra with small options. She shortly was married to the oldest male child in her household, her brother Ptolemy XIII. At the clip of the consort Ptolemy XIII was merely at the age of 12. Soon into matrimony? Cleopatra dropped Ptolemys? name from every legal papers, paying no attending to the jurisprudence stating that the male presence be first among any CO-regents. ? ( Cleopatra Website ) Cleopatra besides had her ain portrayal printed on the money used during the clip. When Cleopatra received CO-regent she dreamed that Rome and Egypt could be ruled under one. Equally shortly as some work forces named Pothinus and Achillas realized how Cleopatra was taking over they got together and made a program. Soon they had overthrown Cleopatra for her brother Ptolemy XIII, the work forces believed he was much more to cover with. Soon after Cleoptra was overthrown and Ptomely XIII took over the two work forces became Ptolemys? council of regency. On top of subverting Cleopatra, they besides drove her to fly from Alexandria. She fled to a metropolis called Thebaid During the clip Cleopatra was fled she formed an ground forces out of Arab Tribes to seek and derive back her power. During this clip nevertheless, Ptolemy had a underhand secret plan of his ain. During the twelvemonth of 51 BC- 49 BC Egypt was enduring of bad crop and deficiency of grain growing due to the drouth that had been go oning. Ptolemy cognizing this and cognize how all the Egyptian metropoliss relied on the cargo of grain they got, which was promised to them by Cleopatra, signed a papers stating that grain could merely be shipped into Alexandria. He did this in hopes to strip Cleopatra of her protagonists from foreign metropoliss. By making this he gained the trust and control of the Egyptian metropoliss, for the people had thought it was Cleopatra who stopped their cargo. Ptolemy now had complete control. During this same clip Julius Caesar had won a civil was against Pompey. Pompey being the defender of Ptolemy and Cleopatra fled to Alexandria in hopes to acquire some support after his loss.He returned to happen no Cleopatra, and Ptolemy and Pothinus non desiring to be on the loosing side had Pompey beheaded. They besides believed this would delight Caesar. Within merely four yearss, Julius Caesar heard the intelligence and arrived in Alexandria. Ptolemy greeted Caesar, with the gift of the savored caput. Caesar was outraged. He was defeated because of the decease of a great Roman leader. However, the decease of Pompey was non the chief ground of Caesar? s visit, he was at that place to happen out what was traveling on between Ptolemy and Cleopatra. Once he found out about Cleopatra being driven out he commanded she return. When Cleopatra found out about Caesar? s visit to the castle she searched urgently to happen a manner to mouse into the castle without Ptolemy cognizing. The same twenty-four hours a rolled carpet was delivered to Caesar with a 19-year-old Cleopatra wrapped indoors. Caesar was surprised to hold her arrive the manner she did. Cleopatra cognizing how much Caesar disliked Ptolemy and his work forces, Cleopatra begged for him to assist her addition control of Alexandria back. Within a short clip of treatment between the two Caesar agreed to assist out Cleopatra. The same dark Caesar agreed to assist he fell under Cleopatras? enchantment. They became lovers. It did non take Ptolemy long to hear the intelligence. He was outraged. He stormed out of the castle shouting to everyone he had been betrayed and that Cleopatra was seeking to take over the land. He did this hoping to stir up the Egyptian Mob. At one time Caesar had his work forces Capture Ptolemy and brought him back to the castle. Shortly after a Great War started when Pothinus had Ptolemys? work forces try to assail Caesar. For making so Caesar had Pothinus executed. Ptolemy and Achillas, Ptolemy? s other council member dies cryptically. The Death of Ptolemy made Cleopatra exclusive swayer of Alexandria merely like Caesar had promised he would do go on. Once once more she was force to hold another consort because of the jurisprudence. This clip she married her other brother Ptolemy XIV, who was 11 at the clip. Many people believed the lone ground Caesar worked so difficult to do Cleopatra the exclusive swayer was because she bribed him with some the Egypt? s huge resources, others believed it was out of pure infatuation. Soon Cleopatra became pregnant with his babe. Once Caesar found out she was pregnant he took her on trip up the Nile. Cleopatra was treated as a Pharaoh. In the 47 BC Cleopatra gave birth to the babe male child Caesarion. In the twelvemonth 46 BC Caesar returns to Rome. A twelvemonth after his return He was granted the 10-year absolutism. To observe he brought over Cleopatra and Caesarion. This disquieted many people. They did non O.K. of Cleopatra. The people were even more disquieted when Caesar claimed Caesarion as his kid. He besides planned on get marrieding Cleopatra despite the fact that they had a jurisprudence against get marrieding aliens. All their programs came crashing down when Caesar was assented in the year44 BC. Cleopatra realized she and her boy were in great danger when she realized Caesar did non reference either of them in his will. Upon happening this out she fled back to Alexandria. Upon her reaching back in Alexandria one of Caesar? s close friends Mark Antony paid a visit to Cleopatra. Shortly after run intoing her he experience in love. A few hebdomads subsequently Cleopatra had her consort/brother Ptolemy XIV assented so her boy could take the topographic point as CO-ruler. Cleopatra grew really concerned about who would be in control of Rome following. She knew it would either be Mark Antony or Octavian, a well-known adult male in Rome at the clip. When Octavian went back to Italy really badly she knew Antony was the adult male to watch. Mark Antony invited Cleopatra to go with him. Cleopatra was thrilled. She wanted to maintain Antony stopping point and she knew merely how to acquire to him. She knew all about his vulgar yesteryear and new how much he loved coarse adult female. She put on a show for him, she dressed in really uncovering vesture and had herself fanned by her amahs. Many did thought it was really coarse but luckily Antony loved the show. He loved the thought of a aristocratic Ptolemy adult female. At the clip Mark Antony was married. However Cleopatra and Antony spent the winter of 40 BC together. In the spring he returned place. The same twelvemonth his married woman died. Later her married A adult female named Octavia. With Octavia Antony had 3 kids all misss. At the same clip Cleopatra had given birth to twins which Antony publically declared to be his. Their names were Cleopatra Selene and Alexander Helious. Through Antonys whole matrimony with Octavia he had Cleopatra as a kept woman. In 34 BC Antony gained control of Rome. He brought Cleopatra every bit good as their kids to the ceremonial where they were given their royal rubrics. Cleopatra was called the queen of male monarchs. Her boy Caesarion was the male monarch of male monarchs, her CO-ruler. Antonys and Cleopatras? other childs were given rubrics of male monarchs or Queenss of other Roman metropoliss. In 32 BC Antony eventually divorced his married woman Octavia. This forced the western portion of the universe, which Octavia was remaining to acknowledge his relation with Cleopatra. Octavian, Octavias brother was really disquieted with Antony and made programs to travel to war against Antony. He tried for many old ages but was non successful for a long clip. Finally in the twelvemonth 31 BC he defeated Antony. Upon making so he captured Cleopatra. For she had no power without Antony, he did non reference to go forth her the land in his will. Octavian took Cleopatra in as his ain slave. Caesarion was strangled. The other childs Cleopatra had with Antony were left to be cared for by Octavia, Antonys ex-wife. Cleopatra did non like the fact that she had to be a slave for Octavian. She was so abashed. In the twelvemonth 30 BC she committed self-destruction. She could non take the embarrassment. She died at the age of 39. She lived a short yet slightly sweet life. In Conclusion Cleopatra was an astonishing adult female. She went through so much to maintain her clasp in power. She survived a batch and was good known for many of the things she did and was involved in. Being swayer of a metropolis at age 18 is astonishing. She used her intelligence to ever happen ways to out humor everyone else. The deceases, the consorts, her love personal businesss and her opinion all build up to demo how much of an astonishing adult female she truly is. She did accomplish her deceasing with which was to neer be forgotten. She was one of the most singular swayers that of all time lived. She is known as the last Pharaoh. Page 1. Cleopatra Website www.Eleni.Cleo.Com all 2. Cleopatra: Ptolemic Dynasty www.Elei.Cleo.com All 3. Cleopatra and Juluis Caesar www.Eleni.Cleo.com All

Oedipus Rex Essays (948 words) - Operas, Oedipus The King

Oedipus Rex Was it that the gods were poking at him like a goldfish in a small glass jar? Was Oedipus's life actually foretold by a prophet before he was ever conceived? Or was it mere happenstance that Oedipus's life had fallen perfectly in place with the words of that prophet? Did fate play a major role in the life of Oedipus Rex, or was it just coincidence? Ah, fate and coincidence, destiny of chance, two totally opposite concepts. Yet one may just be the largest determining factor of life. Which one determines the events of Oedipus Rex all depends upon the views of the reader. Both ideas are strongly established as the drama unfolds. The ironic thing about it however is that the evidence which proves one to be present also proves the second to be present, and visa-versa. Meaning, most of the facts which support one of the concepts, are also the facts that support the other concept. For example, before Oedipus was born, a prophet of the god Apollo told King Laius that he and Jocasta would bear a son who would, among other things, marry his mother. Hoping to avert this, the King and Queen asked one of the shepherds to take their son to a mountain and leave the baby to die. Oedipus did, in fact, not die that day. He grew up, and by some strange coincidence, or through fate married the woman who was years ago told by a prophet that she would marry her son child. This child being of course Oedipus. One might assume that the words of that prophet were destiny, they were the unconditional future and nothing could run from them. However, it may also appear that the baby, who was given up to die, survived and by some strange coincidence grew up and found a wife who just happens to be his mother. This is not the only ironic happening we see in the play. When Jocasta and King Laius were being told of the future they were also told that their first-born son would grow up and kill his father. This is perhaps the main reason they attempted murdering the boy. In order for the reader to understand how coincidental these situations are they must first understand a little of the story's plot. When Oedipus is born King Laius tells his wife to kill the boy. Jocasta, not being able to do it herself calls upon a shepherd to do it for her. The shepherd out of pity gives the infant to a slave from the Greek City of Cornith. Oedipus grows up in Cornith believing that he is the son of King Polybus and Queen Merope. One day Oedipus receives a message from a prophet which declared that he will kill his father and marry his mother. In fear of the prophecy he decides to leave Cornith, never to see his parents again. After leaving Cornith Oedipus kills an old man out of rage and continues on his way to Thebes. There he meets the monstrous being known as the sphinx. The Sphinx has a great power over the town of Thebes. This power can only be broken if a tricky riddle is solved. Oedipus solves the riddle and is hailed as savior of the city. He is appointed king and is granted marriage to the former Queen of Thebes. This Queen is the wife of the old man Oedipus killed early in his journey and is also the mother of the boy who was sent to Cornith. Oedipus is that boy, King Laius is the old man, Oedipus's father, and The Queen is Queen Jocasta, Oedipus's mother. After a few golden years as the king of Thebes, Oedipus must again save the city's people from a deadly plague. He believes that the solution or cure to this wild fire like affliction is finding the murderer of the former King Laius. Oedipus develops such rage for this killer that he will stop at almost nothing to find him. He states in his proclamation to Thebes: " As for the criminal, I pray to God- Whether it be a lurking thief, or one of a number- I pray that that man's life be consumed in evil and wretchedness And as for me, this curse applies no less If it should turn out that culprit is my guest here, Sharing my hearth. " Little does he know that this hatred is directed to himself. In his search for the killer he