The Perfect Aristotelian Tragedy: Oedipus the King by SophoclesWorks Cited Not IncludedOedipus the King is an excellent example of Aristotle's theory of tragedy. The play presents a perfect Aristotelian tragic plot composed of paripetaea, anagnorisis and catastrophes; he has the perfect tragic character who suffers from happiness to unhappiness because of hamartia (tragic flaw) and the play evokes pity and fear which produces the tragic effect, catharsis (a purging of emotion). Oedipus the King has the necessary ingredients for intrigue. of a good tragedy, including the twists and turns. According to Aristotle, a twist is necessary for a good plot. The peripeteia is “a reversal of one’s fortunes, from happiness to disaster” (Abrams 322). Oedipus's reversal of fortune occurs when he realizes that he is the son of Laius and Jocasta. The messenger comes to Oedipus assuming that he will relieve the king of the fear of killing his own father as predicted by the Oracle. But by revealing the secret that Oedipus is not who he thinks he is and that he was found and given to his father Polybius, the messenger does the opposite. The messenger makes Oedipus more fearful and he turns Oedipus' life around. The Chorus says: “You are my great example, you, your life your destiny, Oedipus, man of misery – I consider no man happy” (1318-20). The Chorus declares that its idea of ​​human happiness is now destroyed by Oedipus's reversal of fortune. According to Aristotle, anagnorisis is another important aspect of the plot of a tragedy. Anagnorisis is “the discovery of facts previously unknown to the hero” (Abrams 322). In Oedipus the Knight, anagnorisis fell apart for Oedipus. It begins when Oedipus recognizes the area, "at a place where...... middle of paper ...... and discovers that the truth is almost complete at this point. All the tension and mystery is gone. Oedipus reveals the truth and now the feeling of anxiety is replaced by grief and sorrow This release of tension causes an overwhelming emotion, a relief of emotion that marks Sophocles' Oedipus the King has the necessary ingredients for good. Aristotelian tragedy. the play contains the essential parts which form the plot, consisting of the peripeteia, the anagnorisis and a catastrophe which are all necessary for a good tragedy according to the Aristotelian notion, Oedipus is the perfect tragic protagonist; as his happiness turns into misery due to hamartia (a mistake) also evokes both pity and fear in his audience, causing the audience to experience a catharsis or purge of emotion, which is the real thing. test of all tragedy according to Aristotle..