Q Essay Prompt: Discuss how effectively Sophocles is able to produce feelings of PITY for the Hero and FEAR in the audience through his crafting of character and plot in order to produce Catharsis--the purging of these emotions. What specific qualities, as denoted by Aristotle in his Poetics, does Oedipus reveal that allows us to sympathize with his character and feel pity at his fall? How is the plot and action constructed in such a way as to make Oedipus' decisions, based on his character makeup, almost necessary and inevitable; thus, the audience suspends its disbelief, gets caught up in the events, because they are so plausible, and fears that they might act in the same way if they were the character in the tragedy? Possible outline: Thesis: State an evaluation of how effectively Sophocles produces catharsis through Pity and Fear. State that you will support your view through an analysis of Character and Plot based on Aristotle's "rules" for each so as to produce pity and fear. Body Paragraphs: Character qualities and actions that inspire Pity Support through citation reference to the Play Discussion of support Plot constructs based on cause of effect (possibility, probability, necessity) lending themselves to a realistic situation. Support through citation reference to the Play Discussion of support Conclusion Approx. 750 words.