In Sophocles' Oedipus the King, Kalidasa's Sakuntala and the Ring of Recollection, and Shakespeare's King Lear, there are characters that help the hypothetical figure see the "whole of reality". In Oedipus the King the characters Jocasta and Tiresias allow Oedipus realize his tragic flaw. The same can be said of Kent in King Lear. Also, in Sakuntala and the Ring of Recollection the ring that was given to Sakuntala is the catalyst that allowed King Dusyanta realize that Sakuntala was indeed his wife. These characters serve three important purposes in their respective plays (although a ring is not usually considered to be a character). First of all, they are crucial in shaping the plot of the play. Secondly, they are important in revealing to the audience the flaws of the main character. Lastly and most importantly, they are a symbol of truth and through them the ostensible figure is able to see the "whole of reality".In Oedipus the King, Tiresias is introduced early in the play. At first he refuses to tell Oedipus what he knows about the death of Laius. He says, "Let me go home. That way is best, for you, for me. Let me live my life, and you live yours." (37). This is important in that Tiresias offers Oedipus a way to avoid the truth and suffering that comes with it. If Oedipus would just accept this the truth would never be revealed. Instead Oedipus' true nature is revealed as he becomes angered and demands the truth that he should not want to hear. Tiresias then proceeds to openly accuse Oedipus of killing King Laius. He is the only character in the entire play to do so as he says, "I say you, you are the killer you're searching for." (40). At this point in the play Tiresias has turned Oedipus from the investigator to the accused. Oedipus is very defensive and instantly tried to blame someone else. The reader has not yet been told that Oedipus remembers killing an old man at the crossroads many years before. The fa...
