Preview

Do Immigrants Hurt Our Economy

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
669 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
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.
I believe he was a victim of the actions of others though, but

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Oedipus Selfish Quotes

    • 1428 Words
    • 6 Pages

    At the beginning of the play Oedipus proclaims justice for the death of Laius. Oedipus claims that he will avenge Laius’ death with the bloodshed of his killer. Being willing to fight for what is right for your people, or in this case your wife, is a more than heroic quality. Not only is he willing to fight for just but he is adamant about it. Throughout the entire play he is in search of the Laius’ killer. A hero overcomes the obstacles and brings victory out of defeat by strength of might and wisdom. Yet most of the Greek heroes had an Achilles’ heel that doomed them. Oedipus is no different. He runs away to protect those he loves, only to find he destroys those he loves as well as himself. He kills his own father with strength of might and ignores the wise warnings of Tiresias. When did he begin to realize that he was sitting on the throne of his own father, whom he had murdered? Oedipus fits the profile of a tragic hero because though he spent the whole play fighting for justice and searching for the answer he is longing for, searching for the cold killer of Laius and promising vengeance by spilling the blood of the murderer. He crumbles and becomes the fool when he finds out that his blood is the answer. In the end his people win their battle over the chaos, but he loses the fight inside himself. Oedipus realizes the metaphorical blindness that has been hindering him throughout the play and decides that the only way to make it right is to physically blind himself with Jocasta’s…

    • 1428 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    As the play progresses, Oedipus begins to question his own involvement, because he has had an incident that happened to him that sounds like what happened to Laius. At one point Oedipus and Jocasta have a conversation about the murder of Laius. “I came across a group escorting an older man in a horse-drawn carriage… Then, as I fought on, I killed the rest.”(17) Oedipus starts to think that he is the murderer of Laius, because of the event that happened to him. People have heard that there was multiple thieves that were there when Laius was murdered. As he explains to Jocasta what happened at the cross road, he expresses guilt and fear. Jocasta tells him not to assume anything. “Oedipus I'll send for the shepherd now. His testimony will ease…

    • 182 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Oedipus summons Tiresias to prophesize what he should do to help the city, but Tiresias knows what he has done and does not wish to prophesize for Oedipus. First, Tiresias tries to hint at the mistake Oedipus has made but Oedipus’s pride is too great and he refuses to listen to Tiresias and blames him for the murder. You see this when Oedipus says “… You did the work, yes, short of killing him with your own hands- and given eyes I’d say you did the killing single-handed.”(Fagles 178) Another time when Oedipus is blinded by his pride is when he is talking to Tiresias and Tiresias tells Oedipus of his own blinding. When see this when Tiresias says, “I pity you, flinging at me the very insults each man here will fling at you so soon.”(Fagles 181) Finally once more after Oedipus is very unkind to Tiresias, Tiresias prophesizes what Oedipus’s life is and what it will be. We see this when Tiresias says, “… you’re blind to the corruption of your life... double lash of your mother and your father’s curse will whip you from this land one day… That day you learn the truth about your marriage, the…

    • 750 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In Oedipus the King, the main character Oedipus as well as his parents Jocasta and Laius were fated by the gods. It was prophesied that the child of Laius and Jocasta, Oedipus, would kill his father and marry his mother. Afraid of this prophecy coming true, Jocasta and Laius sought to avoid their fate by piercing a spike through baby Oedipus’ ankles and leaving him on a mountaintop to die and therefore preventing the events the prophecy predicted from occurring. However, because of the actions they took to avoid their fate, they actually caused the prophecy to come true. Oedipus is rescued and put in the care of an adoptive family who he believes are his real parents. Because of this, Oedipus runs away from home after hearing the prophecy several years later because he does not want to kill his father or marry his mother. However, his action actually causes the prophecy to come true as he kills his real birth father, Laius, and marries his birth mother, Jocasta, unaware that he was adopted after being found abandoned on the mountainside. In this way, by trying to avoid their fate, Oedipus, Jocasta, and Laius actually cause it to happen.…

    • 652 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In Oedipus Rex a man blindly searches for the truth not knowing that it will be the cause of his own despicable fate. He finds out the to end the plague he has to find the former king's killer. He fights with Tiresias,the seer and says Creon is plotting against him. He fights with Jocasta about the past and current “coincidences”. They both realize the truth and Jocasta hangs herself and Oedipus stabs his eyes out. Creon becomes king and agrees to take care of Oedipus’s daughters, Oedipus is banished. Throughout the whole play Oedipus struggles with seeing and realizing the truth.…

    • 625 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    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
  • Good Essays

    Oedipus Rex displays an error in judgement by escaping the Corinth prophecy, believing that Teiresias is lying about the prophecy, and also believing that Creon is only there to doom him. By escaping the Corinth prophecy Oedipus still kills his father, Polybus, by being alive. The Prophecy was true. That’s why Oedipus was sent away at only two days old to be left alone on top of a mountain so he could die and Polybus remain king. Teirsias comes to Oedipus and tries to explain that the prophecy is still true and tries to get it out of him, that he is his father’s murderer. Oedipus states “Old man, I did not wish to kill my father” kind of realizng…

    • 610 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    This semester, we have read a myriad of pieces of writing that mingled the argument of immigrants. In the selective, “Do Immigrants Actually Hurt the U.S. Economy?” the author, Adam Davidson, explains how immigrants help the economy of the united States to grow and how it is a disadvantage for the wealth and resources of a country. The author describes the certain point that can make the economy strong with immigrants by saying they lowered the general cost of construction, make greater in size the number of a paid position the company could book, which means by increasing more customers and more money. On the other hand, the writer said immigrants use some of the free services the government promotes and provoke a lot of crimes. Immigrants…

    • 1334 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    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…

    • 568 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    The topic of immigration, whether legal or illegal has been rife with discussion in the United States, since perhaps the first immigrants sailed from Europe in the fifteenth century. With decades of endless debate, the topic has remained in the forefront of the American voter’s mind for a very long time.Immigration has many talking points: arguments over the social, political, and future implications of immigration have plagued our society for decades. However numerous, among the most important are the economic effects that immigrants have on the United States of America. What positive effects do immigrants; both legal and illegal have on the economy of the United States of America?…

    • 1209 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    After studying about what Mexican American immigrants mean to the United States Economy, I would have to conclude by saying they do not bring more harm than good to our economy. I arrived at this conclusion because I believe Mexican immigrants actually stabilized the economy and help those who can’t afford to pay very high wages to sustain their employees. The theories about how Mexican immigrants take up natural born citizen’s jobs and bring those wages of the market down are ludicrous. These theories also say that immigration effects low-skilled jobs in the United States, but give a weak argument that hasn’t surfaced to reality. The last key thought I am going to…

    • 623 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Oedipus Personality

    • 584 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Oedipus’ hot temper was a major factor in his undoing. On many occasions, his quick bursts of fury backfired on him. For instance, when Tiresias keeps refusing to reveal the identity of the killer to Oedipus, Oedipus becomes aggravated. “‘You won’t talk? Nothing moves you? Out with it once and for all!’” (Fagles 276). The king’s prodding got under Tiresias’ skin, and Tiresias releases the truth. Oedipus is quick to deny the prophecy, but if not for Oedipus’ hasty temper the awful truth wouldn’t have been forced to the surface. Additionally, Oedipus accuses Tiresias of conspiring with Creon against him. “...‘I have such fury in me’…‘You helped hatch the plot, you did the work, yes, short of killing him’…” (Fagles 276). This creates a divide between the two lords, causing even more conflict. Ultimately,…

    • 584 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Most people don’t realize that 75% of immigrants came to this country legally and only 25% have come illegally, and 40% of those illegal immigrants just have expired visas. This goes against what many people think because when someone says the word “immigrant”, the perception is naturally that they are illegal. Immigrants affect our country in both bad and good ways and that is what this paper will talk about.…

    • 657 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Given the tensions in the US over immigration, the United States should be open to all ethnic, racial, and religious groups immigrating to America because it helps improve the economy. Immigrants from everywhere have helped increase the United States’s GDP and the amount of taxes paid. Cesar Maximiliano Estrada, a writer for the Center of American Progress, wrote the article “How Immigrants Positively Affect the Business Community and the U.S. Economy” which states, “In 2013, for example, immigrants added $1.6 trillion to the total US gross domestic product.” In other words, immigrants are adding to the production of goods in America. The production of goods correlates with the income of workers as well, so with the immigrants in the workforce…

    • 1084 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    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

Related Topics