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Identity In Oedipus The King

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Identity In Oedipus The King
In the tragedy of Oedipus Rex by Sophocles, a man tries to escape the Fate he had been given, but unfortunate circumstances ensure that it comes true. Oedipus, the new ruler of Thebes tries to find information of his past and on King Laius' death but unravels the unholy secrets of his true identity. Oedipus had killed his father, Laius, at a crossroads and married his mother, Queen Jocasta unknowingly, then created many children with her such as his featured daughters Antigone and Ismene. The truth shattered the sinful family and Jocasta hung herself, Oedipus stabbed out his eyeballs, and Creon ironically became king. Oedipus walks into a fate he was trying to escape and is blind to the truth until it is revealed in the end. At the beginning …show more content…
At first, Tiresias was refusing to speak with Oedipus because he didn't want him to reveal the horrible truth of his identity for fear of all hell breaking loose in the kingdom. "I can see where your ill-fated words will take you and I do not want to be your companion on that journey." Tiresias told him on page 6. But he eventually grew angry and outright told him the consequences of looking into his identity. "In your ignorance," he first mocked Oedipus on page 7, "you perform vile acts with those closest to you. Vile acts, of which you know nothing and which you cannot …show more content…
After his detective work, he realized his true identity. He was the baby that Jocasta had sent to die, he really did marry his mother and might've even killed his father during his travels. This horrific news caused Jocasta to hang herself and Oedipus to stab out his eyes, becoming literally blind. Oedipus' stubborn blindness during key moments in the play, made the truth more shocking when it was eventually revealed. In general, people tend to ignore or avoid information that they don't want to hear, as if they're blind to the truth. "Your anger, King Oedipus, which lives deep in your own raging heart -- that anger you do not see. You do not wish to see!" Tiresias said to Oedipus on page
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