Essay on Oedipus the King A Tragic Hero - 698 Words

Tragedies have been written, told, and acted out for a number of years. Aristotle defined in his book, Poetics that a tragedy is to arouse the emotions of pity, fear, and finally a catharsis, or purging of emotions. A tragic play that perfectly completes this cycle of emotions is Oedipus the King by Sophocles. This play follows a king of the town of Thebes through his journey of the emotions of pity, fear, and finally a catharsis. It is a tale of a man who unknowingly kills his father and fathers the children of his mother as well. The audience is pulled into the play and experiences the plot along with Oedipus. The emotion of pity enters the play right from the beginning. First, it is Oedipus who feels pity for his people and their†¦show more content†¦The audience begins to identify so much with this flawed king that the emotion of fear begins to slowly bleed into a feeling of fear. The audience feels so much empathy for this man, they start to think about how this might possibly happen to them. They see that Oedipus has experienced a very sudden reversal of fortune. Here is a man that appears to have it all. He is king of a wonderful town, has a beautiful wife, and four children. All of a sudden, he slowly finds out that all this is clouded by his destiny, one that he had tried his best to put behind him and not live out. Fear enters the play, not only for Oedipus, but for the audience as well. The audience begins to see that no matter how hard a person tries, the gods are still going to have their way. Could the gods do this to me? is a question that pops into the mind of every member of the audience. Because of their former feeling of pity the audience can see the Oedipus did not wholly deserve his misfortune. It seems as though the gods wanted to prove a point through him. Even Oedipus feels fear as he begins on his search for Laius killer. I am afraid, Joca sta, that I have said too much-that is why I want to see this man. (55). This is the first time that Oedipus realizes that he may in fact be the cursed killer of the former king of Thebes. The play also deals with the characters blatant disregard andShow MoreRelatedThe Tragic Hero Of Oedipus The King1528 Words   |  7 Pagesdescribes the tragic hero as having three components which should be present in order to influence the audience. The audience must become involved emotionally with the hero so they become fearful for his welfare or well-being. The concluding suffering of the hero draws pity from the audience. Aristotle describes this emotional transition as â€Å"catharsis† which refers to the purging or releasing of emotions. This is what Aristotle believes entices audiences to watch tragedies. The hero must also beRead MoreOedipus The King : A Tragic Hero1541 Words   |  7 PagesAristotle (384-322 B.C.) defines a tragic hero as one who possesses the characterist ics of hamartia, peripeteia, anagnorisis, and that the characters fate must be greater than deserved (Else). Since the main character in Sophocles’ classic tragedy Oedipus Rex or Oedipus the King matches up to Aristotle’s definition, Oedipus certainly exemplifies what it is to be a â€Å"tragic hero.† The play’s protagonist Oedipus is revered as a good man and intelligent ruler who acts quickly to support Thebes- a cityRead MoreThe Tragic Hero Of Oedipus The King987 Words   |  4 PagesWhile exemplifying the high estate, noble character, and flawed nature of Aristotle’s tragic hero, Oedipus fails to have a personal mistake become his undoing, hence denying him the status of Aristotle’s tragic hero. A key criteria of Aristotle’s tragic hero is that he or she comes from high estate, such as a royal family. Aristotle’s definition of the tragic hero is well thought out in this manner. High status is important as it gives the character a long way to fall (Kennedy Gioia, 2013). ThisRead MoreTragic Hero In Oedipus The King1502 Words   |  7 PagesThe idea of a tragic hero was first thought of by the philosopher Aristotle in his work, â€Å"Poetics†. In article discussing the philosopher’s ideology of a tragic hero, with emphasis on hamartia, the author states: The function of a tragedy is to arouse the emotions of pity and fear and Aristotle deduces the qualities of his hero from this function. He should be good, but not perfect, for the fall of a perfect man from happiness into misery, would be unfair and repellent and will not arouse pity. SimilarlyRead MoreOedipus The King : A Tragic Hero987 Words   |  4 PagesLike most greek tragedies, Oedipus the King had a tragic hero whose downfall was the result of a tragic flaw. Oedipus, like other greek characters, did not see his errors until his reign was coming to an end. Oedipus, the man who saved Thebes did not understand that every good thing must come to an end. A tragic hero defined by Aristotle has five characteristics that lead to their downfall and their understanding of why the situation happened. Oedipus is the ideal tragic hero because his downfall followedRead MoreThe Tragic Hero Of Oedipus The King1156 Words   |  5 Pages The topic I chose is the tragic hero topic. There exists a number of parameters that describe a tragic hero and thus it was my desire to get to understand these parameters. It was also my desire to be in position to give the difference between normal heroes and a tragic hero and give see the main dimensions of the two figures. I preferred to work with the book by Sophocles Oedipus, the king, in order to portray the attributes of a tragic hero. The book contains adequate information concerning theRead MoreThe Tragic Hero Of Oedipus And King1060 Words   |  5 Pageshowever, Oedipus and Dido lost much more than that. These were two great leaders that both, suffered by losing their reputations, their sanity, and their kingdoms. These are two great examples of what a tragic character displays, according to Aristotle’s conception. Aristotle’s definition of a tragic hero is a distinguished person occupying a high position, living in prosperous circumstances and falling into misfortune because of an error in judgment. King Oedipus and Queen Dido are tragic charactersRead MoreOedipus the King a Tragic Hero936 Words   |  4 PagesEnglish 1302-6504 Mrs.Weatherford 21 November 2011 A Tragic Hero Indeed! In Sophocles tragedy Oedipus the King, King Oedipus swears to solve the murder of former King Laios in order to free the city from the plague. The plague taunts the city destroying crops and livestock and making the women unable to bear children. A seer, Teirsias tells Oedipus that he himself is Thebes’s pollution for killing his father and marrying his mother. Oedipus ignores his words and is blind to the truth until he discoversRead MoreOedipus The King : A Tragic Hero870 Words   |  4 Pagestragedies and his most famous being performed there. While only seven of his plays have survived, many, like Oedipus the King, are still prevalent today. It definitely meets the five main criteria for a tragedy: a tragic hero of noble birth, a tragic flaw, a fall from grace, a moment of remorse, and catharsis. Oedipus the King is seen as a perfect tragedy. It features a hero with a tragic flaw, Oedipus, and highlights many common themes in Greek tragedy such as fate or destiny, love, pride, loss, the abuseRead MoreOedipus : The King Of Thebes And Tragic Hero Essay728 Words   |  3 PagesOedipus: The King of Thebes and Tragic Hero Ancient Greek Literature encompasses an assortment of poetry and drama to include the great masterpieces of tragedy. In Classic Literature, tragedies were commonly known for their elaboration of a protagonist fitting the classification of a tragic hero. This type of a tragic hero often collectively described as a character of noble birth, facing an adversity of some nature and a fate of great suffering. The characteristics of what encompassed a tragic hero

Anemia in Pregnancy free essay sample

Zawadi Saidi, aged 22 years was a housewife, husband was unemployed. She lived in Utange area near Shanzu in Kilifi district. She was admitted in the labour ward at the Coast Provincial General Hospital on 6/4/2011 at 10. 34PM as a referral from a private clinic. On admission, she was in poor general condition. She had laboured breathing and complained of headache, dizziness and palpitations, which had lasted about one week. Her parity was 3+0 gravida 4. Her last menstrual period was on 20/7/2010 and expected date of delivery 27/4/2011, hence gestation was 37 weeks on admission. She had attended her first antenatal clinic visit at a gestation period of 30 weeks. During the visit, antenatal profile revealed haemoglobin level of 7g/dl, urine and stool analysis was normal. HIV test and Khan Test were negative. She was given ferrous sulphate and folic acid to supplement iron and folate levels, and given a return date of one month. She however never tuned up again to the antenatal clinic. On 6/4/2011 she was taken to a private clinic but due to her condition, she was referred to the provincial general hospital where she came in poor condition. She started labour some hours after admission. Physical examination showed signs of pallor on conjunctiva and palms of the hands, facial and pedal pitting oedema. She also had clubbing of finger nails. She had laboured breathing, chest recession and bilateral crepitations on auscultation. A repeat haemoglobin level estimation gave a result of 2g/dl. Blood for grouping and cross match was taken and the obstetrician ordered blood transfusion of three units of packed cells if available otherwise whole blood. This was not available till in the morning at 8. 30AM when two units of whole blood were availed. Since admission the patient was put on Oxygen and the head of bed raised. The bed had sidebars to prevent her from falling off. At 8. 00AM a vaginal examination was done to assess the onset of labour and the cervix was found to be 7CM dilated and the membranes were bulging. Artificial rupture was done, clear liquor was drained and there was no cord prolapse. The mother was therefore anticipated for a vaginal delivery. During transfusion vital signs observations were done half hourly with no significant deviations noted. After the first unit of blood (10. 15AM) the mother’s condition was getting worse and the doctor ordered intravenous lasix 80mg stat, intravenous aminophylline 250mg slowly. Things seemed to be worsening and at 10. 30AM the mother started gasping, 20 minutes after commencement of the second unit blood. Cardio-pulmonary resuscitation was instituted and the anaesthetist was called to assist but when he arrived, the mother had no cardio-pulmonary activity. He certified the death and the body was put aside for last offices. The objectives of the study included: i. to confirm anaemia in pregnancy as a cause of maternal mortality in Coast Provincial General Hospital ii. to evaluate the management offered to antenatal mothers with anaemia in pregnancy iii. o determine the outcome of poorly managed anaemia in pregnancy The study would offer a comparison between documented information and the case scenario. 2. Literature review Anaemia is a reduction in the oxygen carrying capacity of the blood. Types: The common types of anaemia that may occur in pregnancy include: i. Anaemia of pregnancy whereby a woman’s blood volume increases by as much as 50%. This ca uses haemodilution but is not considered abnormal unless the levels fall too low. ii. Iron deficiency anaemia This is the most common type of anaemia in pregnancy. During pregnancy, there is increased demand for iron, as the fetus uses the mother’s red blood cells for growth and development especially in the last three moths. Deficiency occurs if the mother did not have excess red blood cells stored in bone marrow before she conceived. The stored iron is used to help meet the baby’s needs. Deficiency in iron leads to less haemoglobin as iron is a constituent of haemoglobin iii. Vitamin B12 deficiency This is common in women who are strict vegetarians. Vitamin B12 is important in forming red blood cells and in protein synthesis iv. Blood loss This could be as a result of menorrhagia and post partum haemorrhage during previous pregnancies. If a woman does not have adequate iron stores, she is unable to replace lost red blood cells, hence becomes anaemic. v. Folic acid deficiency Folic acid is a B-vitamin that works with iron to help with cell growth. Deficiency is often associated with iron deficiency since both folic acid and iron are found in the same types of foods. Folic acid deficiency is associated with congenital defects of the brain and spinal cord. Signs and symptoms of anaemia Anaemia in pregnancy may not have obvious symptoms unless the cell counts are very low. Each woman may experience symptoms differently. They include: †¢ Pallor on the skin, mucosal linings and nail beds †¢ Signs of specific causes of anemia like Koilonychia (in iron deficiency), jaundice (in haemolytic anaemia) bone deformities (in thalassaemia major) or leg ulcers (in sickle cell disease) †¢ In severe anaemia there may be signs of hyperdynamic circulation: tachycardia, bounding pulse, flow murmurs and cardiac ventricular hypertrophy. Signs of heart failure may also be present. Diagnosis Anaemia is usually discovered during a prenatal examination through a routine blood test for haemoglobin or hematocrit levels. The cell size can also be measured by flow cytometry, hence distinguishing between the causes of anaemia. According to World Health Organization, a pregnant woman has anaemia when the Hb is less than 11g/dl. Treatment This depends on the type and severity of anaemia. Mild to moderate iron deficiency anaemia is treated by oral iron supplementation with ferrous sulphate, ferrous fumarate, or ferrous gluconate. Taking iron supplements with orange juice is of benefit as it contains vitamin C which aids in the body’s ability to absorb iron. A rare iron replacement method is by administering parenteral iron either intramuscularly or intravenously. Vitamin supplements given orally or subcutaneously replace folic acid and vitamin B12 deficiencies respectively. In cases of severe anemia or ongoing blood loss, a blood transfusion may be necessary especially when delivery is imminent. Prevention †¢ Good pre pregnancy nutrition helps prevent anaemia as well as build other nutritional stores in the mother’s body. A balanced diet during pregnancy helps maintain the levels of iron and other nutrients needed for the health of the mother and growing baby. Administration of vitamin supplements containing 400 ug of folic acid is recommended for all mothers during pregnancy. Zawadi had attended antenatal clinic for the first time at a gestational age of thirty weeks. Antenatal profile carried out revealed haemoglobin level of 7g/dl, an indication of anaemia. Urine and stool analysis were normal. She was offered iron and folic acid supplements, given prophylactic antimalarial treatment and dewormed. She did not attend clinic again till the date she was brought to the labour ward in poor condition at term. On history taking, the mother was 22 years old, not educated and now had the fourth pregnancy. She came from a village where most residents are poor financially. On physical examination, the woman was restless and dyspnoeic with signs of congestive cardiac failure. The woman died before spending twenty four hours in the hospital with the baby unborn. The study was to take into account the presence of signs and symptoms of anaemia in pregnancy in the subject, compare the antenatal profile report with the current one on admission and relate to the outcome. Any gaps in management of anaemia will also be evaluated. The results of anaemia in pregnancy are also eminent in this study since the mother went into labour while in severe anaemia and died with the baby in utero. 4. Results The assessment involved history taking to include name, age, residence, education level, parity and last menstrual period date so as to assess gestational age. Some of the information was obtained from the antenatal profile card. These included the blood group, and Rhesus factor, the date of first antenatal visit and investigations like Khan Test, HIV status, urine and stool analysis, haemoglobin level results and any interventions done. The woman was from Utange area. She was 22 years old and uneducated. She was para3+0 gravida 4. Her last menstrual period was date was 20/7/2010, so the expected date of delivery was 27/4/2011. The gestation period was therefore 37 weeks on the date of admission that is 6/4/2011. From the antenatal card the mother’s blood group was recorded as O positive, Khan test was negative, HIV test was negative. Stool and urine analysis were normal, haemoglobin level was 7g/dl and blood slide for malaria parasites was negative. These were done on the first day of antenatal clinic attendance, 15/3/2011. Any history of previous blood transfusion was also asked, and in this case the woman had never been transfused before, neither had she been admitted in hospital before. All her previous deliveries were home deliveries. She had complaints of headache, dizziness and palpitations, lasting for about one week. Physical examination included assessing the general condition of the woman on admission. She was generally sick looking and restless. The conjunctiva and palms of hands had pallor. The mucous membranes on the lips looked cyanosed. The finger nails had clubbing. There was tachypnoea, flaring of nasal alae and chest recession on breathing. Transmission sounds and bilateral crepitations were heard on chest auscultation. There was pedal and facial oedema that was pitting. The fundal height was 38 weeks, engagement descent was 3/5, cephalic presentation with a longitudinal lie. It was not possible to assess foetal heart state due the mother’s restlessness. On vaginal examination with help from other team members to hold down the mother, the cervix was thin, 7 cm dilated, with bulging membranes. Artificial rupture of membranes was done, obtaining clear liquor. There was no cord prolapse. The mother’s vital signs ware temperature – 36. 5oC, pulse rate 70/minute, respiration 20 /minute, blood pressure 80/40mmHg. Blood for haemoglobin level, grouping and cross matching was taken. The haemoglobin level was found to be 2g/dl. Blood group was O positive but there was no blood in the blood bank. Oxygen was administered by mask 6 litres /minute. The patient’s response was poor because at the time of admission there were already signs of heart failure and blood could not be availed immediately. The stress of labour made the mother’s condition worse. She had carried the pregnancy while still anaemic and never went back for follow-up until the day of admission. She therefore fell a victim whose life and that of her baby could not be salvaged in the institution’s set up. 5. Interventions Interventions for managing Zawadi’s condition were instituted antenatally when the haemoglobin level was found to be low. Iron and folic acid supplements were given to be taken at home. Routine deworming and malaria prophylactic regimen was given. A return date of one month was given, but the mother never turned up. This lost contact between the health team and the mother. During admission, the woman was put on oxygen 6 li/minute by mask. Blood for haemoglobin level, grouping and cross matching was taken. With the hemoglobin level being 2g/dl, urgent blood transfusion was required. Blood was not available so the mother was managed on oxygen, as labour was observed for progress. The mother was propped up in bed, which had sidebars to prevent her from falling off. The consultant obstetrician was called to review the mother. He insisted on urgent blood transfusion. This was availed later and commenced at 8. 30AM. During the blood transfusion, vital signs were observed, that is temperature, pulse, respiration rate and blood pressure half hourly.