Greek & Elizabethan Cultural Influence on Sophocles & Shakespeare

Oedipus Rex and Othello are two tragic masterpieces written by Sophocles and Shakespeare in two completely different time periods, but more importantly, in two completely different cultures. A cultures influence on us and thereby the artist is profound, permeating almost every aspect of who we are.

In light of this one must wonder to what degree culture influenced Oedipus Rex and Othello. If culture truly does determine what kind of people we become, then these tragedies are just as equally a creation of Greek and Elizabethan culture as they are of Sophocles and Shakespeare. Because tragedy is a Greek invention, we'll begin with Greek culture and Oedipus Rex.

Part of understanding Greek culture's influence on Oedipus is understanding why Greeks of fifth century B.C. went to see tragedies to begin with. Tragedies of the time were performed only at religious festivals. The City Dionysia event being the most relevant, boasted a theater of 17,000 people. Since these tragedies were being played at such a huge religious ceremony, playwrights most likely had ulterior motives hidden within the performance, which could have included teaching lessons or reinforcing cultural values. Some plot segments from Oedipus suggest this statement to be true. For example, when Oedipus learns that he is destined to kill his father and marry his mother, he attempts to reverse his destiny by leaving his adoptive parents, but by doing so ultimately does exactly what he had been trying so hard to avoid. Due to fate being highly regarded as real in Greek culture, this lesson would imply letting fate run its course, because it is impossible to escape.