Question

"Introduction to Oedipus the King": Based on the following excerpt, with which of the following selections would the author most likely agree?
"The soul of drama, as Aristotle says, is plot—the action that demands and succeeds in engaging our attention so that we are no longer detached spectators but are involved in the progress of the stage events. Its outcome is important for us; in the greatest plots (and the plot of this play by Sophocles is perhaps the greatest) it is for the moment the most important thing in the world. But this engagement of the audience proceeds from an identification with the figures on stage, and this is not possible if we are made to feel that the action of the characters is not free, not effective. We expect to be made to feel that there is a meaningful relation between the hero’s action and his suffering, and this is possible only if that action is free, so that he is responsible for the consequences."
A) An identifiable hero must suffer the consequences of his or her own choices.
B) A drama does not necessarily need a hero in order to be effective.
C) A hero must be a good person in order for the audience to identify with him or her.
D) A hero must apologize for the wrongs he or she has committed.

Answer 1

Answer:

A) An identifiable hero must suffer the consequences of his or her own choices.

Explanation:

In the given excerpt from Introduction to Oedipus the King, Sophocles wrote about how the success of the drama or any text is dependent on many elements of the story. While the plot is an important part of the drama, the consequences and understanding of the characters is also an important factor in the whole success of the story.

Likewise, the actions of the hero and how he reacts to any of those is also an important factor that makes the audience feel connected to the plot and the drama as a whole. On that note, the author seems likely to agree that an identifiable hero must be capable of suffering the consequences of his/her own decisions, whatever the outcome may be.

Thus, the correct answer is option A.