Literary Insights: Characters and Structure in Oedipus Rex and The Divine Comedy
Oedipus Rex: Characters and Structure
Key Characters in Oedipus Rex
Oedipus
The son of Laius and Jocasta, Oedipus was abandoned at birth due to a prophecy. Unknowingly, he fulfilled this prophecy years later by killing his father, Laius, the King of Thebes, and subsequently marrying his mother, Jocasta, thus becoming the new king.
Creon
Jocasta’s brother, Creon assumes a significant role in the events, particularly after Oedipus seizes the throne. He is portrayed as a passive yet capable man, adept at problem-solving and good governance. Creon is characterized by his self-confidence, fearlessness, and firm convictions.
Tiresias
A blind Theban seer, Tiresias is responsible for announcing prophecies to Oedipus. His pronouncements often reveal uncomfortable truths that Oedipus initially resists.
Jocasta
The Queen of Thebes, Jocasta married Oedipus after her first husband, Laius, was killed. She is depicted as a very emotional and dramatic woman. Jocasta attempts to conceal the truth about Oedipus having killed his own father, but ultimately fails and tragically commits suicide.
Coryphaeus
The leader of the chorus, who often provides commentary and represents the voice of the Theban elders.
Messenger
A messenger from Corinth brings news of Polybus’s death, Oedipus’s supposed father. Another messenger from inside the palace reports Jocasta’s suicide and Oedipus’s self-blinding.
Structure of Oedipus Rex
Oedipus Rex is a classical Greek tragedy, typically understood to have a five-part structure, adhering closely to the dramatic unities of time, place, and action. The entire play unfolds within a single day, in one location, focusing on a singular plot. The author, Sophocles, presents the events as a witness, not taking sides or directly involving himself in the plot’s development.
The play’s structure consists of a presentation, middle, and conclusion, and includes:
- Prologue: The opening scene, setting the stage for the unfolding tragedy.
- Parodos: The entry song of the chorus.
- Episodes and Stasima: The main action of the play is divided into four episodes, interspersed with choral odes (stasima).
- Episode 1: Features the intense confrontation between Tiresias and Oedipus, followed by Stasimon 1.
- Episode 2: Involves Oedipus, Jocasta, and Creon, leading into Stasimon 2.
- Episode 3: A messenger arrives with news about Oedipus’s alleged fathers, followed by Stasimon 3.
- Episode 4: The servant reveals the full truth about Oedipus’s origins, concluding with Stasimon 4.
- Exodus: The final scene, which includes a messenger detailing Queen Jocasta’s suicide and Oedipus’s self-mutilation, along with scenes of profound pain and resolution.
The Divine Comedy: Characters and Structure
Key Characters in The Divine Comedy
Dante
The protagonist of The Divine Comedy, Dante embarks on an epic journey through Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise, accompanied by his guides.
Virgil
One of the main characters and Dante’s primary companion through Hell and Purgatory. Virgil serves as a symbol of human reason and classical wisdom, offering guidance and friendship to Dante.
Beatrice
Representing divine love and grace, Beatrice is Dante’s ultimate guide through Paradise. She inspires Dante’s spiritual journey and symbolizes the path to salvation.
Structure of The Divine Comedy
The Divine Comedy is an allegorical epic poem, meticulously structured into a total of 100 cantos. This includes an introductory canto, followed by three main sections, or cantiche:
- Inferno (Hell): Comprises 33 cantos.
- Purgatorio (Purgatory): Comprises 33 cantos.
- Paradiso (Paradise): Comprises 33 cantos.
The poem’s structure is deeply rooted in the symbolism of the number three, linked to the Holy Trinity. Each cantica consists of 33 cantos, and the verse form is terza rima, a three-line stanza (tercet) with an interlocking rhyme scheme (ABA BCB CDC, etc.).
This work embodies a perfect sacred architecture, where themes of pity, tenderness, and sadness evoke a powerful and unique aesthetic emotion. It is an allegory of remarkable precision and strength, describing the poet’s imaginary journey through the afterlife.
Dante’s cosmological structure for the poem reflects the Ptolemaic universe model, incorporating the philosophical ideas of Thomas Aquinas and Scholasticism, as adapted by medieval culture. The Earth is depicted as a sphere situated at the center of the universe, divided into two hemispheres. Near the holy city of Jerusalem, access to Hell opens, conceived as an inverted cone-shaped vortex formed when Lucifer was expelled from Paradise and fell to the Earth’s center.