Preview

Oedipus And Jocasta Suffer Extreme Punishment

Satisfactory Essays
Open Document
Open Document
696 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Oedipus And Jocasta Suffer Extreme Punishment
Tania Amjad
3-3-14
Oedipus the King
2) By the end of the play, Oedipus and Jocasta suffer extreme punishments. Write an essay that evaluates the punishments and how the punishments contribute to the tragedy of the play.
Justice was served to Oedipus and Jocasta at the end of the play when they both suffered extreme punishments. By the end of the play Oedipus the King written by Sophocles, Oedipus and Jocasta suffer extreme punishments. Jocasta is the Queen of Thebes and Oedipus is Jocasta’s husband. After her first husband dies; he solves the riddle of the Sphinx and is awarded to become King. These punishments were given to them by their individual choices. The end of the play led to many misfortunes for both characters. The punishments …show more content…
Oedipus sent Creon to the God’s to ask them how to save Thebes from the plague. When Creon returned with the prophecy of the plague he told them that Laius’ murderer had to be killed in order for the plague to end. Oedipus says, “Whoever killed the king may decide to kill me too, with the same violent hand by avenging Laius I defend myself” (line 158-159). Oedipus does not know he is the murder he is giving such strict consequences resulting in death. This is fair because even though he is not aware of anything that is going on or what has happened to him he is giving honest punishments for that reason. If he believes that death is the punishment for murder of the king than he should be able to accept it since he is the murder. Oedipus as well is the cause of his blindness. When he went to Tiresias to find out the truth Tiresias told him that he was the murder. Due to his pride he didn’t believe him and was very rude to the blind prophet a mocked his blindness. Tiresias says, “True, it is no fate to all at my hands. Apollo is quite enough, and he will take some pains to work this out” (line 428-430). Tiresias curses Oedipus with blindness because he was insulting him. At the end of the book when Jocasta hangs herself Oedipus stabs his eyes in shock. This is fair because he was underestimating Tiresias he knows the truth about everything. If Oedipus was not so stubborn he would have
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Oedipus Selfish Quotes
    • 1428 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Oedipus Selfish Quotes

    How does Oedipus treat those who are reluctant to obey him throughout the play? What does this tell you about his character?…

    • 1428 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Does Oedipus Deserve What Happened To Him
    • 632 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Does Oedipus Deserve What Happened To Him

    Firstly, Oedipus deserved what happened to him at the end of the play because, while it may appear to be a good quality for a leader, he asked too many questions; even when there were warning signs for him to stop his investigation for Laius’ murderer, Oedipus persisted and eventually caused his own downfall. This shows that Oedipus deserved what happened to him because if he had asked fewer questions, he would not have discovered the truth, and he would not have had the same fate. However, in my opinion, the fact that he asked so many questions showed that Oedipus did not deserve the fate he received. This is because Oedipus only asked so many questions in order to discover the source of the plague and end it. Therefore, Oedipus’ questions present him as a good leader, which did not deserve a bad fate, as he was doing…

    • 632 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Oedipus Intellect Quotes
    • 923 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Oedipus Intellect Quotes

    Shortly before Oedipus becomes king, he defeats a Sphinx that held the city of Thebes captive. Here intellect is Oedipus' greatest strength – by answering the Sphinx correctly, Oedipus gains fame, a kingdom, and a wife. Without realizing his relations to the Queen, Jocasta, Oedipus willingly marries her as a reward for defeating the Sphinx. He begins to believe "the world knows [his] fame," and believes himself invincible (l. 8). However, when Oedipus discovers his identity at the end of Oedipus the Play, his shame exposes intellect as his greatest downfall. Oedipus finally learns of his adoption, Laius, and the chaos he creates by marrying Jocasta. He truly becomes "the curse, the corruption of the land," when he gains knowledge of his identity (l. 401). In this case, intellect and Oedipus' shame cause him to blind himself, bringing about his…

    • 923 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Oedipus The King-Dripping With Irony
    • 597 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Oedipus The King-Dripping With Irony

    Oedipus hopes to divert the plague on Thebes by identifying the killer of Lauis, as the oracle instructed. He assumes that, although he has killed someone in the past, there is no way he could have been responsible, seeing as how he came to Thebes long after the king's death. Later on, Oedipus accuses Creon of plotting treason against him. In actuality, Creon has no desire to be king; he enjoys all the wealth and comfort without having to take on any of the responsibility. Oedipus, clouded with confusion and paranoia, starts to put the pieces together and glimpses at the horrible truth. He is stubborn in his firm belief that the people who raised him were in fact his blood. Even after Oedipus realizes that his wife, Jocasta, is in fact his mother, he is in just as much disbelief as he is in horror. How could this have happened? Throughout his life, Oedipus has gone to great lengths to prove the oracle wrong. Ironically, so did his parents, and this ultimately is the reason why the events took place. Unknowingly, the decisions that Oedipus makes through his own free will play right into the hands of fate. It is ironic that everything that befalls Oedipus is the result of his own doing, yet most everything he does is an attempt to disprove the…

    • 597 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Oedipus The King: A Tragic Analysis
    • 1506 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Oedipus The King: A Tragic Analysis

    A tragic hero is defined as “a [great] man who is neither a paragon of virtue and justice nor undergoes the change to misfortune through any real badness or wickedness but because of some mistake” (“Aristotle”, n.d.). Therefore, a tragic hero has some sort of tragedy that surrounds their life. A tragic hero also makes dramas more interesting and makes readers think. Dramas sometimes either exemplify or refute Aristotle’s definition of a tragic hero. Oedipus by Sophocles exemplifies Aristotle’s definition in four different aspects. The first aspect involves both Oedipus’ ignorance and knowledge of his life situations, the second involves his hamartia, the third involves the actual plot itself, and the fourth involves the characterization of…

    • 1506 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Do Immigrants Hurt Our Economy
    • 669 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Do Immigrants Hurt Our Economy

    So we can see that because of Oedipus' excessive pride and determination to avoid his 'fate', he walked straight into it. He even mocks the fact that Tiresius is blind because in line 353 and 354, Oedipus says to Tiresius, "If you could see, I should have said the deed was yours alone. We can see this when he is talking to Creon, asking him to take him into exile (lines1525-1533). When avenging Jocasta's previous husband, and his true father, King Laius' death, he was blinded by his pride to the concept that perhaps he was the murderer. Now Oedipus not only sees how the prophecy was played out, but also is able to look beyond the surface of things. As the very last statement from the Chorus says, "we must wait, and see his end, scrutinize his dying day, and refuse to call him happy till he has crossed the border of his life without p!ain. law of Oedipus excessive pride, or 'hubris. This I do not see as a downfall, because had he not realized his fate, he would have lived in ignorant bliss for the rest of his life. Then, when Tiresius still declines to tell Oedipus of his fate, Oedipus starts to accuse Tiresius as being the one who killed Laius. He had fulfilled the prophecy because of his own actions, which he had believed were beneficial. His pride of conquering the Sphinx led him to the marriage of Jocasta, his mother. However, other events opened his eyes to the tragedy, which had taken place http://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/6780... ---------------- He was blinded (not literally) by his ego. His pride made him so conceited that he could not see beyond, and could not see to his past to learn from it. He committed the opposite mistakes as his father, whom he killed, his father believed too much in others; he didn't and believed too much in his own self but in a negative way. It wasn't that he knew who he really was but that he was who he wanted to believe he was and could not see past that image.…

    • 669 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Oedipus and Creon: Leaders of Thebes
    • 1104 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Oedipus and Creon: Leaders of Thebes

    In the plays Oedipus the King and Antigone Sophocles portrays two characters, Oedipus and Creon, as rulers of Thebes. After the murder of Laius, former King of Thebes, Oedipus became leader when he successfully solved the riddle of the Sphinx. Some time later, Creon became King of Thebes as the result of his nephews deaths. "Oedipus is a good ruler in spite of his defects. Creon is a bad ruler in spite of his virtues." This essay will discuss Oedipus and Creon as rulers of Thebes.…

    • 1104 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Remorse In Oedipus The King
    • 923 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Remorse In Oedipus The King

    Oedipus, who was “sick at soul” eventually “tore the brooches from the robe of his dead wife and ground the pins into his eyes” (Bennet, Kerr, 3). As a result of this action, it is shown that Oedipus, filled with guilt and shame, imposes his own punishment on himself by abolishing his sense of sight. Through this, Oedipus clearly demonstrates how high the degree of remorse he feels is. On the contrary, when Creon becomes informed of the deaths of his own son and wife, he asks aloud “Is there no sword for me, to end this misery?” (Sophocles, 16). In this scene, Creon wishes to end his misery by killing himself as well, but as the story comes to a conclusion, it is speculated that Creon in fact, does not sentence himself to death. He imposes to only to be led away, to dwell for the remainder of his life in his own kingdom. It is here, that the true distinction between Oedipus and Creon shows. Oedipus, undeniably showing more remorse brings blindness and exile upon himself, compared to Creon, who only decides to reside within his home to live forever in sorrow. Unmistakably, through their self-imposed retributions, Oedipus demonstrates a higher level of remorse when compared to…

    • 923 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Oedipus The King Jocasta Essay
    • 659 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Oedipus The King Jocasta Essay

    In the year of 430 B.C., Sophocles wrote a tragic ancient Greek play entitled Oedipus the King; which is concerning a righteous king who is on the hunt for the killer of the former king. Amidst this time, the entire country is plagued by famine and death while awaiting a curse from the God’s to be lifted. While searching for answers, the king’s wife, Jocasta, appears in the story line only to leave me thinking that she is the true embodiment of being a hapless, unfortunate, and ill-fated character.…

    • 659 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Self-Binding In Oedipus The King
    • 952 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Self-Binding In Oedipus The King

    When all else fails and his throne is taken out of his hands, his last hope is his children, specifically his daughters, - Antigone and Ismene. As Oedipus is dragged out of view, he exclaims,”No, don’t take them away from me,” (107). Even though Oedipus has nothing left, he still holds a place of love for his children in his heart, showing that he is not all arrogant as he seems. Furthermore, he is shown in complete sadness, being at the side of the deceased Jocasta. After barging into the room where Jocasta lay, he sees her and gives a “deep dreadful cry of sorrow and loosened the rope round her neck” (93). Believing that everything is his fault, he stabs himself in the eyes with sorrow. On the other hand, during the time Oedipus is unaware of the truth, he pledges to his people that he will most certainly catch the murderer who brought upon the demise of Laius. He acknowledges that under any circumstance the murderer will be caught, even if he/she resides in his own household. However, if with his own knowledge, the murderer stays in the house of Oedipus; “in that case he, himself, be subject to all the curses that he called down on the people” (15), This shows his determination to catch the murderer as cursing oneself is a courageous feat in that one must have complete confidence that they are doing the right thing. This act of bravery, once again, shows the genuine emotion of need to…

    • 952 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Who Is Oedipus Selfish
    • 562 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Who Is Oedipus Selfish

    Oedipus is a little slower, and thinks, “Perhaps she’s upset to find out I'm not really of royal blood.” The flaw in his character represents less a vicious want and more a vulnerability, or a blind spot. He therefore traveled to the oracle of Delphi, who did not answer him, but did tell him he would murder his father and sleep with his gentry. After Tiresias leaves, Oedipus lower Creon with death or exile for concur with the prophet. As proof, she notes that the Delphic oracle once told Laius he would be murdered by his son, when in fact his son was cast out of Thebes as a baby, and Laius was murdered by a bit of steam.…

    • 562 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Oedipus Free Will Research Paper
    • 716 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Oedipus Free Will Research Paper

    The citizens beg Oedipus to remove the plague, so he sends his brother Creon to the oracle to learn how to remove the plague. Creon finally returns and announces that the plague can only be removed by finding Laius’s killer and bringing him to exact justice. Oedipus sets out to find the killer upon hearing this news, so he summons the blind prophet Tiresias. Tiresias refuses to tell Oedipus who the killer is so he demands that he tells him who the killer is and Tiresias tells him that he is the killer. Oedipus outraged by this news mocks and accuses Tiresias of being the killer and orders him to leave. Tiresias on his way out hints at an incestuous marriage and a future of blindness, infamy, and wandering. Oedipus in complete disbelief, seeks to gain advice from his wife…

    • 716 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Oedipus The King Free Will
    • 1244 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Oedipus The King Free Will

    Instead, of Oedipus stabbing his eyes, he could have chose to ask the Gods for forgiveness or another chance. He lost hope in himself and wishes Creon the best. He says goodbye to Creon and tells him to “take care of [his daughter]; do this for me.” The audience can view how Oedipus makes no attempt to choose a different path since he announces that he has “neither sight nor knowledge.” He went from blaming everyone and everything, but himself to having the sinking feeling of hopelessness and devastation. He breaks the responsibility of being a king which undercovers his lack of ownership. In addition, Oedipus is not only a victim of his fate, but a victim of a free will as well because he runs right into his own fate, yet he had the ability to act at his own judgement. Trying to escape only made Oedipus’s fate to rise and eventually it came to the point where he could not prevent…

    • 1244 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Argument in Favor of Oedipus Rex
    • 1505 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Argument in Favor of Oedipus Rex

    Many questions were raised against Oedipus in class argument about his character flaws, running from the fate, killing his father, marrying his mother, and insulting prophet etc. Here I would try to answer as much I can.…

    • 1505 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Sight and Blindness in Oedipus Rex
    • 1305 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Sight and Blindness in Oedipus Rex

    When Oedipus calls on Teiresias to reveal the identity of King Laios' killer, Teiresias reveals the murderer is Oedipus and Oedipus himself reacts in anger, rage, and denial. The chorus as well as Oedipus himself refuses to believe this, understandably. Instead of assessing the situation with level-headedness and a clear mind open to all possibilities, his anger blinds him as to what truly could have happened and, in his rage, he accuses both Creon and Teiresias of plotting against him.Oedipus was blinded from the start, ignorant to his true origins, thus, causing him to trigger the unavoidable chain of events that would lead to the fulfillment of the prophecy. He could not have made a conscious, well-informed decision on how to avoid the prophecy because he lacked the insight to do so. However, even if he had known beforehand, fate itself is unavoidable, rendering insight useless. The irony here lies within the themes of sight and blindness when applied to Teiresias in comparison to Oedipus. Oedipus, with both his eyes, as well as his knowledge and comprehensive skills, could not see the true nature of his actions in killing the…

    • 1305 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More

Related Topics