QURTUBA UNIVERSITY

BS ENGLISH 4th

❖ NAME: SAYYED HAMZA SHAH

❖ ID NO: 13647
❖ SUBJECT: CLASICAL AND RENAISENCE DRAMA
❖ ASSIGMENT:
❖ Does Oedipus Rex fulfill Aristotle’s three unities,
explain?
❖ What are the key features of Elizabethan age?
❖ TEACHER: MAM YASEENA
❖ DATE: 11 SEP 2020
➢ Does Oedipus Rex fulfill Aristotle’s three
unities, explain?

Oedipus Rex followed all the three unities. It has unity of action as
there are no sub-plots and everything contributes to the play as a
whole. It follows the tragic rise and fall of Oedipus as he attempts to
escape the oracle's prophecy that he will kill his father and many his
mother. As the unity of time requires, the story of Oedipus Rex
portrays the happenings of just one day, though it refers to past
events. As far as the unity of place is concerned, Oedipus Rex has only
one scene outside the palace ofThebes.
Therefore, from the manner in which Sophocles' Oedipus Rex contains
all the six basic elements of Poetics: Plot, Character, Melody, Diction,
Thought and Spectacle, it can be described as a classic Aristotelian
tragedy.
Due to the huge impact of Freud’s psychological analysis of Oedipus
Rex, the modem spectators are inclined to link Oedipus with Oedipus complex. Even
Freud himself accepted the fact that Oedipus, the son,
never even thought of substituting his father and acquiring his mother. Oedipus commits
both the sins towards his parents totally
unintentionally, unknowingly and being unaware of their identities.
Though Freud asserts that the theme of Oedipus complex perpetually
runs throughout the play on a subconscious level and partly
contributes to the outstanding fame of the play, Oedipus’ behaviour
with Jocasta does not reflect even a tinge of being “Oedipal” due to his
complete innocence of the fact. Another considerable factor is that the
play is not based upon how Oedipus killed his father and married his
mother but in the pursuit of his true identity years later. This pursuit
of truth of Oedipus’ own identity creates various probing aspects of
the play. Solving one riddle gives birth to another, for example, in the
beginning, an attempt of finding a remedy for the plague; a need
arises to investigate the murderer of Laius which in turn paves way for
Oedipus’ discovery of his own identity. This leads Oedipus Rex to be
read as the first detective story in Western Literature.
The exploration ofthe real identity of Oedipus also creates the enquiry
of the authenticity of oracles. In the pivotal scene of the play, Jocasta
says victoriously that the child who was predicted by the gods to
become the killer of his father himself died, and the father was killed
by some alien robbers. From this, she concludes that the prophecies
of oracles are of no worth and she induces her husband to pay no
heed to them.

➢ What are the key features of

Elizabethan age?
Introduction:
Elizabethan Period is generally regarded as the greatest in the history of English
Literature. Historically, we note in this age, the tremendous impetus received from
the Renaissance from the Reformation & from the exploration of the new world.

It was marked by a strong national spirit, by patriotism, by religious tolerance, by social

content, by intellectual progress & by unbounded enthusiasm.

Such an age of thought, feeling & vigorous action, finds its best expression in the
drama; & the wonderful development of the drama, culminating.
Though the age produced some of the excellent prose works, it is essentially an age of
poetry; & the poetry is remarkable for its variety, its freshness, its youth & romantic
feeling.

Revival of Interest in Greek Literature:

The ardent revival in the study of Greek literature brought a dazzling light into many
dark places of interest. The new classical influences were a great benefit. They
tempered & polished the earlier rudeness of English Literature.

Abundance of Output:
The Elizabethan age was rich in literary productions of all kinds. Singing is impossible
when one’s hearts undeclared & at any moment one may be laid prostrate.

Not till the accession of Queen Elizabeth, did a better state of things began to be. In the
Elizabethan age, pamphlets & treatises were freely written.

Sometimes writers indulged in scurrilous abuses which were of personal character. But
on the whole, the output of the literature was very wide, & after the lean years of the
preceding epoch, the prodigal issue of the Elizabethan age is almost embarrassing.

The New Romanticism:

The romantic quest is, for the remote, the wonderful & the beautiful. All these desires
were abundantly fed during the Elizabethan age, which is the first & the greatest
romantic epoch (period).

According to Albert, “there was a daring & resolute spirit of adventure in literary as well
as the other regions, & most important of these was an un-mistakable buoyancy &
freshness in the strong wind of the spirit. It was the ardent youth of English Literature &
the achievement was worthy of it.”

Translations in Elizabethan Age:

The Elizabethan age witnessed translation into English of several important foreign
books. Many translations were as popular as the original works. Sir Thomas North
translated Plutarch’s Lives & John Florio translated Montaigne’s Essais.
No less popular were the translations of poetry. E.g. Metamorphoses by Arthur Golding,
Aristotle’s Orlando Furioso by Sir John Harrington, Tasso’s Terusalom Liberata by
Richard Carew.
Spirit of Independence:
In spite of borrowings from abroad, the authors of this age showed a spirit of
independence & creativeness. Shakespeare borrowed freely, but by the alembic of his
creative imaginations, he transformed the dross into gold.

Spenser introduced the ‘Spenserian Stanza’, & from his works, we got the impression of
inventiveness & intrepidity. On the whole, the outlook of the writers during the age was
broad & independent.
Development of Drama
During the Elizabethan Age, the drama made a swift & wonderful leap into maturity. The
drama reached the splendid perfection in the hands of Shakespeare & Ben Jonson,
though in the concluding part of the age, particularly in Jacobean Age, there was a
decline of drama standards.
Popularity of Poetry
Poetry enjoyed its hey-day during the Elizabethan age. The whole of the age lived in a
state of poetic fervour. Songs, lyrics & sonnets were produced in plenty, & England
became the nest of the singing birds. In versification, there was a marked improvement.
Melody & pictorialism were introduced in poetry by Spenser.

Prose & Novel:

For the first time, prose rose to the position of first-rate importance. “Even the
development of poetical drama between 1579 A.D. -1629 A.D., is hardly more
extraordinary than the sudden expansion of English prose & its adaptation to every kind
of literary requirement.”
The deadweight of the Latin & English prose acquired a tradition & universal
application. English Novel made its first proper appearance during this age.