Autism from Theories to learning

Autism from Theories to learning Since it first identified as a distinct disorder by Leo Kanner (1943), autism studies continued in order to explain its causes. Many theories and clinical studies evolved. However, none of them seems to be conclusive. Although it was interchangeably considered as part of schizophrenia, recently it is defined as a distinct disorder that has its own characteristics. The field of management is still challenging. In this paper, I am going to discuss different theories that explain autism. Then, I am going to summarize different learning approaches that are used for autistic children based on the different theories and ideas. Introduction: What is autism? Autism is part of the autistic spectrum disorders. The name itself is originated from the Greek word autos which means self.1 Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life and is the result of a neurological disorder that affects the normal functioning of the brain, impacting development in the areas of social interaction and communication skills (ASA).2 There are five autistic spectrum disorders labeled as pervasive developmental disorder (DSM IV).3 Causes of autism: There is no known single cause for autism. Many theories evolved to explain the possible causes. There are many different cognitive and psychological thoughts describe the autism symptoms. On the other hand, new beliefs developed which explain the autism symptoms as results of genetic or environmental influences.4 Controversial ideas like the effect of diet and vaccines on the development of autism symptoms recognized as hot topics for the last few years.5 Autism symptoms: Autism, as per the definition, consists mainly of three main categorical symptoms which include behavioral, communication and social aspects.6 The severity of the symptoms fluctuates from one child to other.7 Treatment methods: Treatment approaches and methods vary widely according to the teaching center and to the autistic child assessment of needs and symptoms.8 There are many behavioral and cognitive modalities in dealing with autistic children.9 Recently, many therapies introduced for the management of autism symptoms such as diet therapy and drugs therapy.10 None of these therapies appears superior to others. It is the child condition and needs that judge. Cognitive models: Since the introduction of autism as a definite disorder by Leo Kanner (1943),11 many theories developed to explain the dilemma behind this disorder. Three main theories expressed the cognitive dysfunction on autism. These are The Theory of Mind Deficit, Executive Dysfunction theory and the Weak Central Coherence theory. Theory of mind deficit: Theory of mind refers to the ability to make full mental states (beliefs, desires, intentions, imagination, emotions, etc.) that trigger action.12 Child with autism has difficulty to understand others thoughts which consider, according to the theory of mind, as the core cognitive deficit in autism.13 Executive function theory: Executive function theory deals with planning, working memory, impulse control, inhibition and mental flexibility.14 Also, it includes the initiation and monitoring of action.14This theory explains some of the autism symptoms. For example, repetitive and restricted behavior observed in autistic children might be explained due to executive dysfunction.15 In addition, the poor social interaction could be due to defect in cognitive shifting which is a vital part of executive function.16 Central coherence theory: Weak Central coherence theory describes inability to understand the context or to see the big picture.17 This could explain common autistic behaviors such as repetitiveness, focusing to parts of objects and persistence in behaviors related to details.18 Other cognitive theory: Autism could be described by Piagets two-factor theory of figurative and operative functions. Several autistic children exhibit an arrest in operative functions at the sensorimotor level while remaining to grow in figurative functions. This arrest limits consequent development of higher-level theoretical, figurative, and social skills.19 Limitations of cognitive theories: Cognitive theories have successfully explained the typical abnormal behavior seen in autistic children. However, cognitive theories have their weakness in explaining the total picture of autism. Also, the deviation in the autistic symptoms between different affected children could not be clarified by the cognitive theories. The other notable limitation in the cognitive theories is explaining autism as a static cognitive impairment rather than studying the developmental approach of the condition.20 Psychoanalytic theories: Psychoanalytic theories have their potency in explaining the developmental attitude of autism. Psychoanalysts perceive autism as a disorder in which the development of self-perception and perception of others is altered significantly. Psychoanalysis has advocated understanding the development, maintenance, and treatment of autism.17 Autism has two main psychoanalytic explanations. One is that it is a failure to an earlier stage of development. Second idea rationalizes autistic behavior as a defense mechanism in response to extremely stressful conditions.17 Reflection of Freud theory on autism: The methods of social engagement, which proceeds to identification as defined by Freud are essential in autistic development. Freuds original ideas of drives have influenced the psychodynamics explanations of the causes of autism.21 In 1975; Donald Meltzer established a model of autism based on three main philosophies: the dismantling of the ego, adhesive identification, and the bio-dimensionality of object relations. The dismantling of the ego represents the idea that autistic children dispersed their ego throughout the various senses, so that they can never appropriately perceive the world around them. Adhesive identification is often seen in autism. It follows the transmission of energy from the death drive and the libido when these drives are being defused. The bio-dimensionality of object relations discusses how the autistic child connects to libidinal objects, with an incapability to see beyond the surface of objects.17 Refrigerator mother theory: Refrigerator mother theory is another psychological theory explaining the cause of autism. Bettelheim was the first who introduce this concept. The theory claims that autism is a defense mechanism against cold, impassive, and detached mothers. Autistic children are been raised to dampening and hardhearted families during the initial stages of development where language and social skills typically acquire. There is limited interaction between mothers and their children, and this is the core cause of autism according to Bettelheim.17 Attachment deficit theory: Autism has been argued as a result of social isolation from parents; hence the attachment deficit theory arises. Rutgers et al. (2004) relates the social isolation noted in autism to the absence of early and secured attachement.17 Ecological theory on autism: Bronfenbrenner described human development in the form of interconnected, nested ecological levels, which can be applied to the environmental circumstance of autistic children. According to the ecological theory, the child with autism behaves in various microsystem structures and processes in the home, school, and community. A collection of interactive microsystems composes a mesosystem. Exosystems have an indirect or secondary impact on the child through their direct influence on the persons who interrelate with the child. The exosystems formal and informal social contexts modify characters in the childs micro- and mesosystems, hence ultimately affect the autistic children themselves.22 Management of autism: Identifying a child with autistic spectrum disorder is a dilemma for parents and caregivers. Different tools could be used to assess the severity and disability. Dealing with autistic children is challenging. Many modalities have been used with different achievements. Using drugs or diet is controversial. Many schools attempt to reflect the psycho-cognitive theories for autistic spectrum disorders in their approach to manage these cases. Learning approaches for autism: Many approaches evolved to teach autistic children. Most of These approaches are based on the different psycho-cognitive theories on autism. I am going to discuss the approaches that are recognized by the American society of autism. Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA): This method attempts to teach the autistic child different skills and behavior in stepwise approaches. The child get rewards after completing the task, so reinforcing the task or behavior. This method appears successfully beneficial in improving the personal skills and social behavior. However, it required intensive training time at school, and it does not prepare the autistic child to respond to new situations in life.23 Treatment   Education of Autistic and Related Communication of Handicapped Children (TEACH): Based on the sense that the environment should be acclimatized to the child with autism, the TEACH approach uses a structured teaching method to introduce skills and behavior for children with autism. There is no specific technique for this method. The childs learning abilities evaluated, and then teaching strategies are planned according to the childs needs. Although this approach has been criticized for being too structured, it helps the autistic children to understand the environment around them and peoples behaviors.23 Picture Exchange Communication Systems (PECS): This method intends mainly to teach autistic children, especially those that do not speak. It helps to improve the communication skills. It is a clear and intentional method. The child hands on the picture of interest to communicate with the teacher.23 Pivotal Response Treatment: Pivotal response treatment is aiming to teach the autistic child behavior, communication and social skills. Also, it enhances the skills of self-management and social initiation. This approach uses a multi-task method to teach the child critical behaviors. The child plays a leading role in defining the activity or object to be used in teaching.23 Floor Time: This approach is using a developmental, stepwise method in teaching the child with autism. It is much like play therapy. It does not plan to teach a single task. However, it advanced the child skills to encourage emotional development. The problems with this method are the difficulty in processing the information by the child, the child may under or over react and children with autism may not have control over their body to do different tasks or play.23 Social Stories: Social story method helps the child with autism to understand the expected or appropriate response. Through stories, the child learns how to interact socially and behave appropriately. This method has been adopted in view of the theory of mind deficit.23 Sensory Integration: Occupational and physical therapist implement this method to help autistic children to overcome their hypo or hypersensitivities. Children get desensitized to help them identify the sensory information.23 Facilitated Communication: This method is based on the idea that the autistic children are not able to communicate because of a movement disorder, not the insufficiency in communication skills. In this approach, the facilitator or the teacher supports the child arm helping him or her to communicate through the computer or typewriter.23 Complementary Approaches: Different intended approaches have been tried for autistic children. Using music, playing, models or animals are some of the methods that are not categorized under any of the known approaches.23 Conclusion: Autism is still considered as a mystery for teachers and physicians. Many causes seem to interact together to result in autistic symptoms. Learning the theories behind autism could help teachers and physicians to understand how appropriately approach autistic children. Human development theories help to understand the steps of building up the knowledge for autistic children. Conflicts of interest: none.

Working Under Supervision

Generally teamwork can be defined as a group of people working under supervision together to accomplish specified goals. In nursing the main goal is to improve the patient’s health and promote recovery. Supervision, according to Harries (1987), means â€Å"to be in charge of a group of workers or students and be responsible for making sure that they do their work properly† [Longman (1995, p. 1449)]. Working with a group of people has the potential for being a supportive and enriching experience.It increases the nurse’s knowledge, acquired by sharing experiences, skills, ideas and techniques obtained by watching, observing and learning from other members of the team when performing a task. Nurses are required to work as part of multi-disciplinary teams (MDT). The care and management of individuals, relies heavily on the participation in team based efforts and requires individuals who share a common goal, in order to create a well managed health care system. The co ncept of team work within health care was created to â€Å"provide quality holistic healthcare to every patient†.Each team member must have a clear role and contribute effectively in order to maintain a well balanced and supported environment. It gives the patient high standard of care: It creates an opportunity for every member of the team to provide information about the patient’s need which can be orally or written, this will allow the care team to have an insight and understanding of how to offer the best possible care for the patient. Teamwork makes the duties easier and faster: If every member of staff collaborates and works together, less time is required to carry out the job and it is easy.In this case, the workload is well distributed and this relieves stress, saves useful time that can be used to observe patient needs, deterioration and improvement. There is less chance of inaccuracy because each member is focussed and co-ordinated on his or her work thereby enhancing effectiveness, whereas if it was one person doing the job the person is running from one point to the other in order to meet up with patient’s need thereby creating room for mistakes and disorganisation [Potter and Perry (1995)].In conclusion teamwork is very important in nursing and can also be enjoyable if all members are actively and sincerely partakers to ensure that the work is rational to every member and also meet targets. [Potter and Perry (1995)] Working under supervision builds the nurse’s character, confidence and self-esteem knowing that the supervisor cares about the work done. This will stimulate the nurse to be of good conduct. In the same way, patients feel safeguarded and confident knowing that there is a competent person in charge.According to Fowler (1995) Supervision involves a learning, supportive and monitoring process. The learning process exposes the nurse to liaise with other professional bodies such as the doctors, radiotherapists, p orters, cleaners, healthcare assistants, and paramedics and so on, as well as the patients and family members. The monitoring process could be formal or informal to assure that the desired standard is achieved. The supportive process includes discussion of difficulties, challenges, dilemmas and solution of how to deal with them so that positive goals are achieved [Hinchliff S. 2008)]. These processes are essential and vital for the health and safety of the patient. The nurse can then learn how to deal with challenging situations which promotes the delivering of high standard of care to the client. In contrast, when there is no supervision there is no opportunity to update knowledge, develop and improve skills. The nurse might be implementing the wrong skill or technique in attending to a patient. This might have a dangerous effect on the patient and the overall team.

Current trading relationship Between the United States and China Essay

Introductions International trade refers to the exchange of raw materials and manufactured goods (and services) across national borders. This situation happen since every country has specific products or services that are better in terms of quality, price, or any other measurable factors than one form other countries. This idea refers to competitive advantage. This situation drives countries to exchange their products and services to benefit from the countries that can produce goods more effective and efficient. Within the past few decades, the increase of international trade has driven the integration of the world economy. Furthermore, there are interesting facts that between 1980 and 2002, the volume of world trade has increased significantly relative to world output. This is because, for instances, traded goods have become cheaper over time relative to those goods that are not traded. In addition, we witness there are three factors characterize the increase in trade: The decrease in costs of trade. In transportation, communication and search, currency exchange and tariffs are all factors that influence when trading goods internationally. Within the past 20 years, these costs are falling; suggesting that there would be an increase in the volume of trade. Second factor is the fact that tradable goods sector experience improved productivity growth. According to studies, it is found that productivity growth tends to be higher in the tradable goods sector than in the non-tradable goods sector. This situation will in turn increase the ratio of trade to output. The third factor is the increase of income per head. The increasing income will likely drive consumers to shift their spending away from basic food and clothing products and into manufacturing goods, which offer more differentiation, diversification and international Due to the needs to trade with other countries, a country is driven to find and develop their competitive advantages, which in turn sustain their trade relationship with other countries in the world.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Concerning the international trade, this paper will discuss about current trade relationship between U.S. and China including the current status of this trading relationship, impact of devaluing of the U.S. Dollar affect this trading relationship, sources of Chinese domestic inflation, American recession affects the Chinese economy, and the future of trading relationship between U.S. and China. Current Status of U.S – China Trading Relationship The trade relationship between U.S. and China represents a significant issue for both countries. This is because, each country regards the trade between the other party is important. For the U.S., for example, the trade with China is ranked number 3 with US$29.9 billions of dollars. The first trading partner for the U.S. is Canada (US$48.9 billions of dollars) and Mexico (US$29.9 billions of dollars). This condition highlights that the trading between the two countries will be managed suitably although the two countries often involved in political tension regarding military force, Tibet issue, and trade secret.   Table 1 shows the U.S. trade relationship with China in the first two months in 2008. Table 1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Trade Relationship between U.S. and China NOTE: All figures are in millions of U.S. dollars. Month Exports Imports Balance January 2008 5,854.9 26,167.7 -20,312.8 February 2008 5,773.9   24,128.6 -18,354.7 TOTAL 11,628.8 50,296.3 -38,667.4 Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2008   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Above figure represents the stable trends in which a year later in 2007, the trade value is undulating as shown in the following table (Table 2). The top value of trade between U.S. and China occurred in October 2007 where it reached US$31.6 billions of dollars (U.S. Census Bureau, 2008). Table 2  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Trade Relationship between U.S. and China in 2007 NOTE: All figures are in millions of U.S. dollars. Month Exports Imports Balance January 2007 4,364.2 25,635.0 -21,270.9 February 2007 4,630.7 23,064.5 -18,433.8 March 2007 5,479.4 22,725.4 -17,246.1 April 2007 4,849.4 24,222.9 -19,373.5 May 2007 5,322.7 25,338.4 -20,015.7 June 2007 5,900.1 27,061.1 -21,161.0 July 2007 4,779.2 28,583.4 -23,804.2 August 2007 5,904.6 28,431.4 -22,526.8 September 2007 5,610.5 29,375.3 -23,764.8 October 2007 5,683.1 31,611.2 -25,928.1 November 2007 5,816.3 29,768.8 -23,952.6 December 2007 6,898.2 25,690.2 -18,792.0 TOTAL 65,238.3 321,507.8 -256,269.5 Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2008   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are many reasons why U.S. has strong trade relationship with China. The country is home for more than 1.3 billion people, becomes one of the world’s fastest growing economies. Within the past decade, the country recorded an average of 8.2% of GDP growth. The figure put China to be the world’s 7th largest economy and 4th largest trader to date (Jintao 2003). The main reason of the country’s successful rapid growth comes from its decision to conduct comprehensive economic reforms, including its 2001 WTO accession (â€Å"People’s Republic†, 2005).   The impact of such reformation is China becomes famous for its dramatic shift from a relatively closed economy prior to 1970 to the world’s largest recipient of Foreign Direct Investment to date. The year 1978 was the time when the country conducted a massive makeover of its foreign trade policy (Coughlin, 1999). As the first policy of allowing limited amount of foreign investment has seemed to work superbly, the Chinese government figured out that it was a good idea to let ‘a little more’ money coming in. Once the decision to get â€Å"a little more money’ set up, immediately afterwards, the foreign investment into China grows significantly, putting the country to be one of the main pillars of Chinese economic reformation while playing a key role in Chinese economic integration initiatives. Concerning the situation, analysts believe that FDI into China continues playing a major part in the development of China (Coughlin, 1999). Thus, we can say that to some degree, China’s economic development can be observed through the activity of FDI inside the country. Recent development shows that FDI inflow patterns into China form an obvious trend. The technology-intensive industry has attracted more investors to put their plants in China while increasing the number of FDI in-flows into the country. Along with condition, FDI inflows to traditional industries like footwear, travel goods, toys, bicycles and electrical appliances have been declining. Experts believe that the trend will reasonably continue in the future (‘China’, 2002). Devaluing of the U.S. Dollar affect this trading relationship Multinational companies having subsidiaries all around the world or a country that conducts trade with other countries generally has at least one issue to constantly think about, which is foreign currency exposure. Companies or countries cannot operate using the same currency within different countries and markets. However, their national reporting standards generally require these companies to report all their incomes and expenses within a single currency. Hence, the problem of managing foreign currency exchange risk becomes significant. Multinationals who failed to manage their currency risk accordingly could end up losing millions of dollars annually due to currency exposure (Abo & Simkins, 2004). Investorwords.com defines exchange rate risk as the risk that a business’ operations or an investment’s value will be affected by changes in exchange rates (Investorswords, 2008). Under such circumstances, for example, â€Å"if money must be converted into a different currency to make a certain investment, changes in the value of the currency relative to the American dollar will affect the total loss or gain on the investment when the money is converted back (Investorswords, 2008). Since companies that deal with foreign currency will encounter the risk of undulating exchange rate, they had better to have risk management and tools to reduce and alleviate the negative impact of such undulating rate to maintain their companies’ profit. In trade relationship point of view, the devaluation of U.S. dollar would put the trade deficit much deeper. In Table 1 and Table 2, we find that U.S. trade with China always experiences a deficit. This condition could get worse if U.S. dollars experience devaluation since it means China companies will pay less to the U.S. counterparts when they conduct trade in U.S. dollar currency. Figure 1 shows the U.S. trade deficit. Figure 1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   U.S. Trade Deficit with China (Mankiw, 2003) Sources of Chinese domestic inflation In general, inflation is influenced by a number of factors, including the degree to which the productive capacity in the economy is being utilized; one-time shifts in product prices resulting from shocks to important supply and demand curves; changes in productivity growth; and inflation expectations. Kohn in his speech further reveals that there are four determinants of inflation: Economics slack. history reveals that economic slack indicates that when capital and labor are not fully employed, competition for market share and for jobs tends to bring down the inflation rate and vice versa Price shocks. Supply and demand influence the increase in a few prices for the specific products. This situation in turn contributes to the broad pickup in inflation although Kohn believes that price shocks are not going to be a source of continuing upward pressure on prices. Productivity. The combination of rapid productivity growth and weak aggregate demand has resulted in the slack in resource utilization, which contributed to the decrease in inflation. In addition, productivity growth also influences inflation through its effects on labor compensation and profit margins. Inflation expectations. This determinant plays a key role in price determination. In addition to other effects, a rise in inflation expectations tends to become self-fulfilling as people seek to protect themselves in the process of setting wages and prices. (Federal Reserve, 2004) Concerning China domestic inflation, we find that the country’s government policy becomes one major issue that influences the inflation. In 1989, for example, the government enacted policies which were intended to prevent the overheating economy. The policy was taken because in 1988, there was an aborted effort at the wholesale price reform. The incident resulted panic buying and wildly increased inflation. This explains the sudden raise of GDP growth. However, the government managed to create price stability by canceling large investment projects and decreasing domestic demands of products and services. The following economic turmoil was caused by the Beijing Massacre 1989. AS displayed within the table, the incident causes slowdown of national businesses, especially those involved with foreign investments. In 1991, the economy started to rise again, however, still with limping steps due to the worsened national image. In 1992, Deng Xiaoping decided to perform a tour through the Southern region of the country and attempt to revive international trust to the national economy. The tour achieved a significant portion of its intentions. Immediately, international interest in the rapidly growing economy was revived and FDI inflow to the coastal regions of the country was significantly boosted. Particularly in Shanghai, the new economic tendency brought significant governmental investment into the region, to build further infrastructure for international investment. The governmental initiatives brought increasing trade activities within the region, which encourage growth and also inflation (People’ Daily Online, 2006) Bilateral trading relationship heading in the near future The first analysis in conducting a trade with other country is about analyzing the country risk. This is important factor that U.S companies should be taken into account since trading with other countries involve any factors such as law enforcement for traded goods etc. in software industry, for example, many times, U.S. software developer complain about high rate of software piracy in China.   In short, country risk analysis is performance assessment regarding the uncertainty of a particular country in order to know about business environment in that country. In addition to using several macro and micro factors of country risk rating such as checklist approach, Delphi technique, and inspection Visits (Madura 485), U.S. – China trading trends is because China still holds the highest FDI Index that encourage U.S. companies to continue conducting trade with China in the future as shown in following figure. Figure 1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Top 25 Countries in term of FDI Confidence Index Source: A.T. Kearney References    Aabo, Tom. Simkins, Betty J. (2004). Interaction between real Options and Financial Hedging: Fact or Fiction in Managerial Decision Making. Adler, M. B Dumas. (1984). Exposure to Currency Risk: Definition and Measurement. Financial Management 13, pp 41-50. China. (2005). Retrieved May 7, 2008 from http://www.dfat.gov.au/geo/fs/chin.pdf#search=’China%20Fact%20Sheet%20pdf’ Coughlin, Cletus C. Segev, Eran. (1999). Foreign Direct Investment in China: A Spatial Econometric Study. Federal Reserve Bank of St Louis. Retrieved May 7, 2008 from http://research.stlouisfed.org/wp/1999/1999-001.pdf Federal Reserve. (2004). Remarks by Governor Donald L. Kohn. Retrieved May 7, 2008 from http://www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/speeches/2004/20040604/default.htm Foreign Direct Investment. (2003). Retrieved May 7, 2008 from http://ucatlas.ucsc.edu/fdi/fdi.html Jintao, Hu. Australia-China free Trade Agreement Joint Feasibility Studies. Retrieved May 5, 2008 from http://www.dfat.gov.au/search International Trade Theory. Retrieved May 5, 2008 from http://www.radford.edu/~aorlov/econ340/Ch04.pdf Investorswords. (2008). Exchange Rate Risk. (2004). Retrieved May 5, 2008 from http://www.investorwords.com/1808/exchange_rate_risk.html Krugman, Paul R., and Maurice Obstfeld. (1997). International Economics: Theory and Policy. Addison-Wesley Mankiw, N. Gregory. (2003). China’s Trade and U. S. Manufacturing Jobs. Retrieved May 7, 2008 from http://www.whitehouse.gov/cea/mankiw_testimony_house_ways_and_means_oct_30.html Mclain, Charles. (1995). China’s Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment Law. Retrieved May 5, 2008 from http://www.1990institute.org/publications/pubs/ISUPAP11.html People’ Daily Online. (2006). Poverty Reduction Remains Tough Job for Asia-Pacific Countries. Retrieved May 6, 2008 from http://english.people.com.cn/200609/19/eng20060919_303966.html U.S. Census Bureau. (2008). Trade in Goods (Imports, Exports and Trade Balance) with China. Retrieved May 7, 2008 from http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/balance/c5700.html

Oedipus the King - 1125 Words

Oedipus the King by Sophocles is about Oedipus, a man doomed by his fate. Like most tragedies, #8220;Oedipus the King#8221; contains a tragic hero, a heroic figure unable to escape his/her own doom. This tragic hero usually has a hamartia or a tragic flaw which causes his/hers#8217; downfall. The tragic flaw that Sophocles gives Oedipus is hubris (exaggerated pride or self-confidence), which is what caused Oedipus to walk right into the fate he sought to escape. Pride like that of Oedipus had been the downfall of many great leaders. Oedipus is blinded by his arrogance and won#8217;t accept the fact that he can#8217;t avoid his fate. His pride first affects him when he is told about what his fate has in-store for him. Oedipus†¦show more content†¦What I am suffering is enough.#8221; (pg 57, 1.1060-2) Oedipus let his arrogance make his decision and wouldn#8217;t let it go until he figured everything out. The begging of his wife, couldn#8217;t even stop him. He called for the shepard and interrogated him till he discovered the horrifying truth that he is the killer of King Laius and Jocasta is his mother. Sophocles used Oedipus#8217; pride to characterize Oedipus as a tragic man. It showed that he was destined to make himself miserable because of the hubris he was born with. He also uses it to show that there is fate, but we are a part of it and it is only what might happen based on the person we are. Oedipus came about his tragic discovery not because of an evil act or an evil trait but because of the person he was. When the oracles stated that Oedipus would kill his father and marry his mother, he stated what could happen. Oedipus#8217; fate might have been avoided if Oedipus was not the type of person he was. Oedipus was a tragic hero. Sophocles, instead of killing Oedipus in the end of the novel, chose to give Oedipus a fate worse then death. Oedipus found out who he was and that he killed his father and slept with his mother. His tragic end was a re sult of his hamartia, hubris. His pride was what caused him to attack the carriage and kill his father, which led to him marrying his mother. HeShow MoreRelatedOedipus The King Of Oedipus868 Words   |  4 Pageschallenge that waits upon one. Confidence overpowers cockiness. The cocky trait is heavily represented in the story â€Å"Oedipus the King† (c. 430 B.C.) by Sophocles. In the story, Oedipus the king of Thebes has the cocky trait and it results in torture for life. Oedipus’s arrogant personality shows throughout the story as he tries to find the killer of the former king of Thebes, his father. Oedipus tends to deem himself as a god throughout the story which plays a big role in interaction with people around himRead MoreOedipus The King : Oedipus1328 Words   |  6 PagesOedipus the King Oedipus had a lot of different character traits both good and bad. He had a good conscience; he cared deeply for the people in his life and protected them. He was very empathetic, smart and a dependable man who lived his life with great integrity. He was an honest man with strong moral principles and lived a righteous life. He found it difficult to live anything less than a righteous life; when he realized what had become of his life, his guilty conscience consumed him. He was filledRead MoreOedipus The King Of Oedipus1019 Words   |  5 Pageswhat makes Oedipus actions in his quarrel with Teiresias and also throughout the play so dramatically compelling, is the fact that the audience knows the outcome of the story. We know Oedipus fate even before he does, and there is no suspense about the outcome itself, instead, the audience anxiously awaits Oedipus to reveal his fate unto himself in his desperate quest to rid his city of the terrible plague, or maybe even more so, to simply d iscover his own unfortunate tale. Oedipus is relentlessRead MoreOedipus the King1065 Words   |  5 PagesSophocles’ use of irony is amongst the greatest of all time, as demonstrated masterfully in Oedipus the King. He displays both ambition and understated humour by using irony in diverse ways, both cosmic and dramatic, as well as verbal irony to add a greater level of wit. Every word spoken holds great symbolic weight and those words contribute to a narrative that reflects the gods plans. Adversely the work of Johnathan Swift takes the form of a social satire, combining economic arguments with a sociopoliticalRead MoreOedipus the King1164 Words   |  5 Pagesmen of high reputation and good fortune such as Oedipus.† This attitude, commonly found in men of high station is not specifically identified as pride in the case of Oedipus and, indeed, different readings can place Oedipus’ great flaw in a number of areas. It seems as if Sophocles intended to emphasiz e the more common interpretation of Oedipus’ flaw being excessive pride, but other interpretations, such as Pier Paolo Pasolini’s 1967 film Oedipus Rex, present other possibilities as the main characterRead MoreOedipus the King773 Words   |  4 PagesThe Greek drama Oedipus the King, written by Sophocles, is regarded as one of the most perfect tragedies ever written. The tragedy Oedipus the King is highly esteemed partly due to its use of dramatic irony. Dramatic irony means that facts or events, which are not known to the characters on stage or in a fictional work, are known to the audience or reader. Sophocles uses dramatic irony to demonstrate how little the protagonist really knows. The main dramatic irony in Oedipus the King contrasts Oedipus’sRead MoreOedipus The King, Or Oedipus Rex1249 Words   |  5 Pagesmost famous probably being Sophocles’ Oedipus the King, or Oedipus Rex. For a play to be considered a tragedy, it must have a tragic hero. According to Aristotle’s definition of a tragic hero, they must be a decent moral person, of high social standing who eventually meets with a tragic downfall, of their own doing, suffering more than deserved, and realizing their error too late. In the play Oedipus the King, Oedipus is the epitome of a tragic hero. Oedipus Rex was generally a â€Å"good† person; heRead MoreOedipus The King And Oedipus At Colonus1567 Words   |  7 Pagesworks of Sophocles and particularly evident in Oedipus the King and Oedipus at Colonus, not only exalts the Greek nationalism present at the date of composition but dictates the course of the story, evolving as its tragic hero works through his fated anguish. Hubris, defined as exaggerated pride or self-confidence, is the earmark character trait of Oedipus and perhaps Creon. However, it is the abandonment of his sanctimonious nature that distinguishes Oedipus as a true hero. The theme of the evolutionRead MoreOedipus The King, And Oedipus At Colonus1343 Words   |  6 Pages Oedipus, a play written by Sophocles, has become a staple in the study of a Tragic hero in classic literature. When this was written in the fifth century, theatre was more than a means of entertainment but almost a religious event. Robert Fagles goes even further by saying tha t†theatre was not only a religious festival; it was also an aspect of the city’s political life.† (Fagles) . Greek dramas were presented only twice a year during religious festivals that honored Dionysus, the god of winesRead MoreAnalysis Of Oedipus Oedipus The King 1152 Words   |  5 Pagesreading Oedipus the King. The number of times the words â€Å"see† or â€Å"blind† are in the play make it make it undeniably obvious that they are significant. The theme is developed throughout the dialogue, through characters such as Tiresias and Oedipus, and also directly in the irony of the play. It is important in a play about the truth because almost every character was â€Å"blind† to the truth. All of the characters, except one, can physically see, but mentally cannot see the truth. Oedipus seems to