What Was Oedipus The King Justice
Question 3
Justice… Justice is to do the right thing, or when wronged, to get more-or-less even with that person. That is normally what is meant by “bring to justice.” However, just is a rather complex word, a word that you can look at from different angles and get a different answer every time. In the story of Oedipus, however, the definition of justice has a more cruel undertone.
In the literary work of Oedipus Rex, Oedipus is a prideful man who refuses to accept fate. By refusing to listen Tiresias, the one who foretells his fate, he angers the gods. In this situation, by refusing to acknowledge the words of the blind man whom the gods entrust their wisdom onto, Oedipus has wronged the gods. He has disobeyed; denied them, even. The gods …show more content…
His punishment is to learn that he has sinned greatly by unknowingly murdering his father, King Laius, marrying his mother, Queen Jocasta, and having children with her. By the end of the story, he is a much more humble person, finally bending to the will of the gods, but it has come at a great price. For he is blind and appears to be ashamed and miserable.
Furthermore, there is also the fact that the reason Oedipus’ family was cursed in the first place was because King Laius took advantage of a young prince, and the boy killed himself in shame. The prince’s father, King Pelops, cursed that Laius would have no son and if he did he would be killed by him. The oracle itself foretold him this as well, so Laius sought to get rid of his own son when he had …show more content…
When Tiresias confronts him about him being the murder, Oedipus retaliates by blaming the blind man instead. Even his wife/mother at some point is suspicious of it and tries to stop him from knowing of the abomination that he has been living. As his mother,she tries to protect him from the truth as it is a horrible sin.
Even with all this uncertainty, however, Oedipus still pushes on to find his own “justice”.
Once he does, Oedipus does what any reasonable person would do and decides he has seen too much of this cruel world and gouges his eyes out.
In the end, Oedipus’ search for the truth was successful in that it opened his eyes, in a figurative sense of course. It came at a great cost, and whether he deserved this kind of justice or not is debatable, but he was enlightened of his true past and is aware that he has been living in sin. Through this search, Oedipus grows as a character by becoming a more humble person. He also learns to accept his shortcomings as well as repent of the way he treated others, such as Creon, whom he appears to be ashamed of the way he accused him of plotting against him. Overall, justice is not all always just. Oedipus’ fate was determined for him, but at least he found the truth he
Justice… Justice is to do the right thing, or when wronged, to get more-or-less even with that person. That is normally what is meant by “bring to justice.” However, just is a rather complex word, a word that you can look at from different angles and get a different answer every time. In the story of Oedipus, however, the definition of justice has a more cruel undertone.
In the literary work of Oedipus Rex, Oedipus is a prideful man who refuses to accept fate. By refusing to listen Tiresias, the one who foretells his fate, he angers the gods. In this situation, by refusing to acknowledge the words of the blind man whom the gods entrust their wisdom onto, Oedipus has wronged the gods. He has disobeyed; denied them, even. The gods …show more content…
His punishment is to learn that he has sinned greatly by unknowingly murdering his father, King Laius, marrying his mother, Queen Jocasta, and having children with her. By the end of the story, he is a much more humble person, finally bending to the will of the gods, but it has come at a great price. For he is blind and appears to be ashamed and miserable.
Furthermore, there is also the fact that the reason Oedipus’ family was cursed in the first place was because King Laius took advantage of a young prince, and the boy killed himself in shame. The prince’s father, King Pelops, cursed that Laius would have no son and if he did he would be killed by him. The oracle itself foretold him this as well, so Laius sought to get rid of his own son when he had …show more content…
When Tiresias confronts him about him being the murder, Oedipus retaliates by blaming the blind man instead. Even his wife/mother at some point is suspicious of it and tries to stop him from knowing of the abomination that he has been living. As his mother,she tries to protect him from the truth as it is a horrible sin.
Even with all this uncertainty, however, Oedipus still pushes on to find his own “justice”.
Once he does, Oedipus does what any reasonable person would do and decides he has seen too much of this cruel world and gouges his eyes out.
In the end, Oedipus’ search for the truth was successful in that it opened his eyes, in a figurative sense of course. It came at a great cost, and whether he deserved this kind of justice or not is debatable, but he was enlightened of his true past and is aware that he has been living in sin. Through this search, Oedipus grows as a character by becoming a more humble person. He also learns to accept his shortcomings as well as repent of the way he treated others, such as Creon, whom he appears to be ashamed of the way he accused him of plotting against him. Overall, justice is not all always just. Oedipus’ fate was determined for him, but at least he found the truth he