Esther Ebigwei Discussion 3

Aristotle’s claim that poetry is a higher form than history is based on the idea that poetry is concerned with the universal human experience, while history is concerned with a particular period. One timeless human experience that can be found in Oedipus the King is the experience of grief. When Oedipus learns that he has killed his father and married his mother, he is devastated (Sophocles 20). He tearfully begs his wife and mother to kill him and blinds himself. This experience of grief and agony is something that is universal to the human experience. Another timeless human experience is Oedipus hubris. Hubris is defined as excessive pride. Oedipus demonstrates the behavior when he refuses to believe that he is responsible for the death of his father and the marriage to his mother. Hubris is a timeless human experience because leaders often exhibit excessive arrogance and tyranny due to their positions.