Prophecy/Dreams in "Oedipus the King" and the Qur'an Sura 12 on Joseph
Please select one of the following prompts:
1. Analyze the recognition scene in at least two of the materials we have covered in class. How does the narrative structure render each recognition scene more or less effective? Why?
2. Choose one motif below and explore it in relation to two of the materials we’ve read or watched. What are the ways these concepts are used to service the narrative? Are they useful, or not?
Disguise
Ignorance/Knowledge
Tokens
Animals
Names
Prophecy / Dreams
Fate
Masculinity/Femininity
Hamartia / character flaws
Hospitality
3. Select a film or text from the syllabus or of your choosing and put it in conversation with at least one other film or at least one other text from what we have covered in class. Explain and justify your choices through a comparative analysis. You may want to consider the following here: What are the ways your selections advance similar arguments, or utilize similar tropes, devices, or symbols to advance their stories? Does one intentionally subvert the message of another? What are the competing messages at play?
4. Select a film or text we have discussed. Write on a topic of your choice, making reference to themes and concepts from class.
Class Reading materials:
Aristotle’s The Poetics (read chapters 6, 10, 11, and 16 for class) ;
Sophocles’ Oedipus the King;
Homer’s Odyssey Book 8, 16-23;
Genesis 1-36
Abraham and the vision at Mamre; Jacob & picaresque elements of deceit, discovery, and transfiguration in biblical narrative;
Genesis 37-50: Judah and Tamar; The Joseph Romance; the transformation of Joseph through the ages;
The Qur’an Suras 81 (The Overturning) and 12 (Joseph)
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Prophecy/Dreams in "Oedipus the King" and the Qur'an Sura 12 on Joseph
For years, prophecy/dreams have been a compelling story motif that adds drama, mystery, and revelation to literary and religious tales. This essay examines how Sophocles' "Oedipus the King" and the Qur'an's Sura 12 about Joseph employ this concept of which tales reveal how prophecies and dreams have influenced the main protagonists differently throughout time and society. The tragic tale of "Oedipus the King" shows how escaping destiny only makes it happen, and Qur'an Sura 12 is a story about how God steps in and changes things for the better, and dreams are seen as signs of hope and direction. The results and themes of these two stories are different by comparing them, but they help people understand how complicated free will, fate, and the part of the divine are in stories.
"Oedipus the King" by Sophocles
Prognostications and dreams are very important to "Oedipus the King." Oedipus runs away from his parents to avoid killing his father and marrying his mother, but he fulfills the oracle's prediction without realizing it (Sophocles 16). This action is a classic case of a prediction coming true, and the king is on a trip to try to avoid his fate, but the things he does bring him right to it.
Prophecy that comes true
The forecast in "Oedipus the King" is a famous case of one that comes true. It is written in the stars that Oedipus will kill his father and marry his mother, and he is determined to avoid this at all costs. His trip to get away from this fate becomes the story's central theme, and his parents, Polybus and Merope, are who he thinks are his birth parents. He runs away from them and kills his birth father, King Laius, on the way to Thebes. Also, he married his mother, Queen Jocasta, without knowing who she was. The sad nature of the story comes from the odd turn of events in which his efforts to stop the promise from coming the truth make it come true.
Dramatic irony is a device used in "Oedipus the King" to convey a story in which the audience is aware of information that the performers are not. The audience knows Oedipus' true identity and the tragic outcome that awaits him. However, Oedipus is still unaware of his true ancestry and the fulfillment of the prophesy (Sophocles 25). Deep suspense and anxiety are created throughout the play as the spectator observes Oedipus approach his destruction without realizing it, whereby using dramatic irony lets intense times of discovery and recognition happen, which are essential parts of the tragic genre.
The recognition scene
The moment of recognition is a turning point in "Oedipus the King" and the story's end. In this scene, Oedipus finally finds out where he came from and realizes that he has unintentionally come true to the promise. Because the audience knows the truth while Oedipus does not, this recognition works very well because it builds suspense throughout the play.
Dangerous flaw (Hamartia)
Oedipus's Hamartia is his arrogance and belief that he can trick or avoid his fate because he is always looking for the truth and determined to figure out the Sphinx's puzzle, which shows how cocky and sure of himself he is. Ultimately, this flaw makes him face the hard truth about who he is, which brings him down; the story is driven by prophesies and dreams, which show Oedipus' sad flaw and make his character more complicated. This scenario makes the scene of discovery more moving.
The Qur'an Sura 12 (Joseph)
The story of Sura 12 of the Qur'an is based on Joseph's dreams, which he tells his family about, and the fact that heavenly bodies bow down to him in these dreams is a sign of his future greatness and destiny. With the help of dreams, the story moves forward and shows how God picked Joseph, and his dreams are like a reading of the future because they tell him that he will be a guide and a leader (The Holy Qur'an Sura 12). In contrast to Oedipus, Joseph's dreams do not lead to a sad end; instead, they bring about a positive change and the fulfillment of his fate. In this case, the greeting scene is about him making peace with his brothers, who had betrayed him before, and the way dreams and prophecies are used to bring about this reunion makes the point of the scene, which is that God is in charge and forgives His people.
What Joseph's dreams mean
In Sura 12, Joseph has two important dreams whereby the sun and the moon, which represent the heavens, bow down to him. These dreams are more than just images; they are spiritual messages telling Joseph that he will be successful and...