Sophocles Journal 5

Sophocles uses many things to evoke pity and fear. He uses literary devices such as images, characterization, metaphors, similes, etc. One example is seen through the actions and personalities of the characters such as Oedipus. Now because the reader/audience already knows what happens in the story, a good poet, such as Sophocles, will play off of those expectations and try to create something new. Knowing what happens starts the reader/audience off with the feelings of fear and pity for the characters. Then it is the poet's job to build up those characters like Sophocles does with the Chorus and other characters in building up Oedipus. By doing this and then that character having the tragedy happen to them provokes even more pity because they knew what would happen and yet they had to sit by and watch it take place. This fear is also evoked by motifs of things such as death and that people's fates are predetermined and there's nothing they can do to change it. This also creates a sadness/pity, once again, for the characters. There are many literary techniques and basic writing material that is used to evoke pity and fear throughout tragedies.