King Oedipus – EssaySophocles' King Oedipus, first performed in 429 BC, the year of Pericles' death, was an ancient Greek tragedy, written according to the notions of Aristotle of classical tragedy as depicted in his great work on aesthetics, Ars Poetica. The tragic conventions used varied greatly, ranging from plot events to characterisation, and these conventions were exploited by the great Sophocles to arouse strong emotions of pity and fear in such a way as to bring about catharsis. The main emotions provoked in King Oedipus are pity and fear. This great play explores the internal conflict when it comes to feeling obligated to help Oedipus but, at the same time, not being able to do so for fear of the consequences. The most important emotion would be the emotion of fear as it overturns any existing pre-balance with compassion out of the audience's protective instincts. In the case of King Oedipus, any mention of the gods is practically synonymous with at least a hint of fear since at the time (5th century BC) the citizens were all strong believers in God, devout and respectful, showing their respect by being obedient. and readily recognizing the importance of oracles and destiny. An example of where the emotion of fear is provoked is when Jocasta's respect for the gods fades, resulting in her dramatically accusing the oracle of being wrong in prophesying that Oedipus would kill her father, despising the oracle. . This is an example of characterization as it develops Jocasta's character by suggesting that deep down she has long been convinced that she has prevailed over the gods. This convention helps create a feeling of fear as the audience would be taken by surprise by Jocasta's reckless impiety. This fear… middle of the paper… will spread in an overwhelming flood of emotions in the audience. In conclusion, Sophocles' interpretation of the myth of Oedipus the King provides the basis for any accumulation of emotional emotions. suspense that could only end wonderfully and with great and lasting dramatic effect, in the ideal tragic response of the catharsis described by Aristotle in his Poetics. This catharsis is achieved through the introduction of various emotions, mainly fear and pity, both of which are developed by the audience's interpretation of various plot events and other conventions present in this great tragedy. The mark of this brilliant work lies in its beautiful gift of leaving a deep, meaningful and, at times, extraordinarily emotional impression on anyone, be it the ancient Athenians or the modern-day 21st century students of literature, quite lucky to meet him..