Discuss how the play, Oedipus the King, ultimately shows that Sophocles is coming down on the side of belief in prophecy,

1.This is not a personal response, so no use of first person (I). This is an academic research paper that requires a third-person, authoritative voice. Also, no use of “you” (second person). 2. MLA format is required. If you cannot remember the format, there is a guide available at the library as well as online. You may also access some wonderful resources on Purdue’s website at the following url: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/ 3. Do not simply summarize the plot. You need to have a thesis and support for your argument. Your support should come both from evaluated sources (see below) and from within the text. Use a combination of specific passages from the text of your choice and relevant source information, citing them per MLA format. Always use a balance of direct quotation and paraphrasing. 4. I have given you fairly specific topics. Be careful not to make your focus either too broad or too narrow. Be specific in your support and in the details you choose, but be sure that your topic is broad enough to cover 3-5 typed pages. 5. If you choose to compare texts, be sure to be balanced in your analysis. Each text should receive equal treatment. This also applies if you are comparing characters. 6. Remember that you need to develop your character or text analysis beyond simple expressions of “I like or don’t like this character or text.” Dig deeper into both characters and text to see what is being represented. 7. For this paper, spelling, grammar, style, etc., will count. A poorly written paper, regardless of how great your content is, is still a poorly written paper. At this level, a formal paper should be flawless. 8. Use at least 3-5 outside resources from scholarly sources.

Sophocles: Discuss how the play, Oedipus the King, ultimately shows that Sophocles is coming down on the side of belief in prophecy, divine knowledge and design. You might want to discuss how he was reacting against the Sophists of his day and their philosophy of logic. Aristotle’s classic definition of tragedy that we studied has guided writers of tragedy for over twenty-four centuries. Aristotle’s definition includes the definition and importance of “embellished language” and “melody”. Characterize how these parts are accomplished by the chorus in Oedipus the King. What were the tasks of the chorus? How does Sophocles use the chorus? Be sure to support your analysis with textual evidence.