Modern-Day Relevance of Pre- and Post-Midterm Plays - Essay Example

19 July Modern-day relevance of pre- and post-midterm plays Oedipus the King Oedipusthe King is a pre-midterm play that has a lot of modern-day relevance because of the numerous issues pertinent to the contemporary age that it raises. People placed trust and confidence in Oedipus. As they say, “Now Oedipus, Greatest in all men’s eyes,… find us some strength for rescue” (Sophocles 12). Likewise, today people look up to the government for solution to any kind of public issue. Human pride is one of the most fundamental themes of Oedipus the King.

Throughout the play, Oedipus thought that he could help the people of Thebes get rid of plague. He kept looking into the solutions of the problem but did not realize that the real problem was he himself. In a way, Oedipus overestimated himself without knowing himself. One of the ways in which Oedipus the King applies to the modern times is the financial crisis that the world has recently seen. In the modern age, on the one hand, overspending has been frequently identified as a contributory factor of financial crisis, whereas on the other hand, ways and means are continuously being adopted to encourage the people to overspend.

Such measures include but are not limited to massive advertisement of latest products without which, people can easily do. Oedipus, the King of Thebes has not only killed his own father but has also married his own mother. When Oedipus finds out that he is his own father’s killer and love-maker with his biological mother, he punishes himself to death. Such situations where people are overcome with guilt to such an extent that they commit suicide are not uncommon to be witnessed nowadays. For example, a lot of people who have been suspects of assisted suicides commit suicides out of guilt and trauma.

Last but not the least, the message hidden in Oedipus the King will continue to echo with humanity in all ages, because man is destined to make mistakes. Hamlet Hamlet is a post-midterm play that applies to the contemporary age in several ways. The most fundamental element of Hamlet that coincides with the contemporary age is that Hamlet’s mother helps Claudius kill Hamlet’s father and then gets married to Claudius. And the Queen forgot her deceased husband in no time, as she said to Hamlet, “…all that live must die, passing through nature to eternity” (Shakespeare 9).

This is an act of utmost treachery, dishonesty, and disloyalty on the part of a wife which is not hard to witness happening in the present age. While many people personally know many such women who have been involved in such acts of murder because of their love-affairs, a potential example of the modern-day occurrence of such incidents is the soaps and plays in which such acts are shown happening. Soaps and plays are popular because they throw light upon the real-life issues. Another element of Hamlet that applies to the modern age is the murder of Hamlet’s father by Claudius to gain power.

Claudius could never become a King without getting Hamlet’s father out of his way. Such incidents have been happening throughout history and do happen in the present age as well. Many political leaders are killed for personal gains. A few years ago, Benazir Bhutto was killed because she had very bright chances of winning the elections in Pakistan. Although her murder has remained unidentified, yet the murder was done clearly for political gains. Works Cited: Shakespeare, William. Hamlet, Prince of Denmark.

Bernhard Tauchnitz, 1868. Print. Sophocles. Oedipus the King. London: The University of Chicago Press, 2010. Print.