Question

I need help ASAP!
In Sophocles's Greek tragedy Oedipus the King, Oedipus discovers that he has unknowingly killed his biological father and married his birth mother. The horror of this truth causes Jocasta, Oedipus’s wife/mother, to hang herself and Oedipus to stab himself in the eyes. What element of Greek tragedy do these final two acts give expression to?
A. catastrophe
B. hamartia
(C was removed for being wrong)
D. catharsis
E. hubris

Answer 1

Answer:

A. Catastrophe

Explanation:

In literature, the term catastrophe refers to the final resolution that brings the story to its end. When it comes to tragedies, the catastrophe often involves the downfall and death of the main character. In the case of Oedipus the King, the catastrophe is based on Oedipus' discovery that he married his own mother, which leads to her death and his self-mutilation.

Hamartia is the flaw that leads to the downfall of the tragedy's protagonist.

Catharsis is the purification and purgation of emotions that follows the observation of a tragedy.

Hubris is a characteristic of excessive confidence or arrogance. In Greek tragedies, this arrogance offends the gods and leads to a character's downfall.