Oedipus at Colonus Quick Write
Oedipus at Colonus- Quickwrites
Quickwrite 1: How has Oedipus changed? Is this change internal or external (or both)? In Oedipus the King Oedipus was a very strong willed confident man. He was a great leader, though at times he showed hubristic characteristics. He like to brag that “[everyone] knows [him], the world knows [his] fame,” (Oedipus the King. 7) and that he was the greatest person. He also thought the he was the most powerful man. These hubristic characteristics are what arguably led to his downfall. This was Oedipus’s tragic flaw. He was not humble by any means in this first book, but in the second book that all changed. After Oedipus could see the truth, and realized that his prophecy of killing his father and having children with his mother came true, he blinded himself. He wanted to escape what he could see (metaphorically) so he blinded himself (physically). In Oedipus and Colonus, Oedipus was old, weak, and weary. He was humble and pitied himself. He had to rely on his daughter, Anitgone, to guide him and care for him wherever he went after his exile. He has faith in the gods and realized that they are always watching you and know if your faith has faltered. In the first book he thought that he could prove the oracle wrong and show that the gods were not always right, but in trying to outrun his prophecy he caused it to happen. He changed drastically mentally and physically because of this. He lost all of his pride and was only full of pity. Also, he gouged his eyes out to try to escape seeing the truth.
Quickwrite 2: Is Oedipus innocent because he sinned unknowingly? Should this decrease his guilt? Why or why not? Oedipus is innocent because he sinned unknowingly. If Oedipus had not received a prophecy from the gods saying that he would kill his father and marry his mother, he would never have left Corinth. The prophecy would never of happened if it was not said. The same goes for Laius’s prophecy. It is not Oedipus’s fault that he killed
Quickwrite 1: How has Oedipus changed? Is this change internal or external (or both)? In Oedipus the King Oedipus was a very strong willed confident man. He was a great leader, though at times he showed hubristic characteristics. He like to brag that “[everyone] knows [him], the world knows [his] fame,” (Oedipus the King. 7) and that he was the greatest person. He also thought the he was the most powerful man. These hubristic characteristics are what arguably led to his downfall. This was Oedipus’s tragic flaw. He was not humble by any means in this first book, but in the second book that all changed. After Oedipus could see the truth, and realized that his prophecy of killing his father and having children with his mother came true, he blinded himself. He wanted to escape what he could see (metaphorically) so he blinded himself (physically). In Oedipus and Colonus, Oedipus was old, weak, and weary. He was humble and pitied himself. He had to rely on his daughter, Anitgone, to guide him and care for him wherever he went after his exile. He has faith in the gods and realized that they are always watching you and know if your faith has faltered. In the first book he thought that he could prove the oracle wrong and show that the gods were not always right, but in trying to outrun his prophecy he caused it to happen. He changed drastically mentally and physically because of this. He lost all of his pride and was only full of pity. Also, he gouged his eyes out to try to escape seeing the truth.
Quickwrite 2: Is Oedipus innocent because he sinned unknowingly? Should this decrease his guilt? Why or why not? Oedipus is innocent because he sinned unknowingly. If Oedipus had not received a prophecy from the gods saying that he would kill his father and marry his mother, he would never have left Corinth. The prophecy would never of happened if it was not said. The same goes for Laius’s prophecy. It is not Oedipus’s fault that he killed