Sophocles gives him all this freedom to roam and go about his doing’s that in his own mind are the right things. Which in fact are the opposite because of the information that he doesn’t know. Moving forward upon what Oedipus’s knowledge is the right thing to do is actually in tern leading him to his demise. I believe Oedipus was cheated a very huge proportion due to the fact that he had no prior information about his father or his mother. About who he was and was acting mostly towards a prophecy that was fated to him. Oedipus’s life wouldn’t be a whole lot if he wasn’t trying to move up in life but how can he stand there not fighting back at the fact that the guilt and burden shouldn’t be all on his shoulders. There are many other people to blame like his father because of the actions and choices he made. His mother…
The theme seems to be about human pride. Oedipus arrogantly says to the Chorus, “You pray to the Gods? Let me grant your prayers” (Oedipus the King), it clearly shows how he saw himself, someone higher than the Gods.. Throughout the entire work Oedipus thought that he could resolve the plague of Thebes. Even though Oedipus tried to solve the plague, he did not realize that he himself was the problem. He failed to realize that he was the problem. He lacked knowledge, which was another down fall of Oedipus. Oedipus seemed not to know himself, yet he seemed pretty sure of himself. For example, current day the USA is in debt. The government believes they can solve the problem by raising the cost for Americans, or spending more to try to get back more, but they do not realize that doing certain things like that actually hinder America, and fail to see they are the cause of the problem instead of being a part of the solution. The message in Oedipus the King will always relate to human in current day, because no one is perfect, we all have flaws. It can also go to say that pride or ego can blind…
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…
Oedipus Rex is full of people searching for justice. Throughout the play Oedipus acts upon what he believes is justice.…
In the study of Greek plays, one tries to recreate for an experience, to recapture something of what is meant to those for whom it was written. We know more about the life of Sophocles than we know do about the lives of any other Greek playwright, but this still is not a lot. Sophocles’ work has been said to be the pinnacle of Greek tragedy. Oedipus the King is something like the literary Mona Lisa of ancient Greece. It presents a nightmare vision of a world turned upside down; a decent man, Oedipus, becomes the king of Thebes, whilst in the process unknowingly fulfilling a prophecy that he would kill his father and marry his mother. As scholars, we are bound to relate this story through history, to ask what the writer really meant, how…
The entire story of Oedipus is built around a central ironic theme. The king's world is one full of ironies, most of which are cruel. His life begins in exile, because his father fears a prophecy, one in which his son would kill him and marry his wife. It is this…
King Oedipus' life was very unfortunate, besides being King of Thebes. The King himself did not do anything wrong throughout his life, but when he was called upon by the Thebans to save the city from a plague his life fell apart.…
The thing that struck me about Oedipus was the changing emotions throughout the story. At the beginning of the story the overwhelming emotion is desolation and panic as the kingdom seems to be dyeing this turns to hope when they are provided with what seems to be a cure. They must find Laius's murderer to restore favor in the gods eyes. What follows is a sense of urgency as they try to right the wrong before all is lost. This pressure leads Oedipus to make some rash accusations against Tiresias and Creon which results in an angry dispute. However, after Jocasta calms the argument, the feeling of urgency is renewed as the wait for the shepard who holds the answer to not only who the murderer is but also who Oedipus' parents were. Once everything…
In The Oedipus Cycle, all the characters are constantly faced with situations that challenge their judgement and morality. While they all encounter similar ethical questions, the characters in The Oedipus Cycle all resolve their dilemmas in different ways. From the logic-minded nature of Antigoné to the overconfident nature of Oedipus, the way each and every character of The Oedipus Cycle deals with major moral dilemmas is an insight into not only their unique personalities, but also their status in society. The Oedipus Cycle, in short, is a comprehensive analysis of the relationship between power and morality.…
Oedipus believes that he is married to a woman he has no relation to, and that the parents he left behind are in fact his own. Teiresias, no longer willing to allow Oedipus to be blind says, " he shall be proved father and brother both to his own children in his own house; to her that gave him birth, a son and husband both; a fellow sower in his father's bed with the same father he murdered" (535- 539). Oedipus himself was ignorant to the fact that he married his mother and then is by blood the father and brother to his children. Regardless to the fact that, Oedipus is unaware of such circumstances they are still the true. In fact ignorance can not inhibit truth from being true. There is only so long Oedipus could be blind to the facts in front of him before he is truly able to see. After Teiresias' words Oedipus begins to question his wife, Jocasta, about her previous husband's murder. All she says leads him to fear that in fact he killed him. Jocasta mentions a shepherd who was still alive that witnessed the murder, so Oedipus decides that in order to figure out if he was the murder he would question the Shepard. In refrence to questioning the shepherd, Oedipus says to Jocasta, "I'll tell you; if I find that his story is the same as yours, I at least will be clear of this guilt" (974-975). Oedipus has guilt inside himself because he is aware that he killed the king. His…
What is Sophocles trying to say to the audience about human nature? If it truly is an inescapable fate that gets Oedipus where he is, then no point can be made about the danger of arrogance, hubris, and temper. If Oedipus really had no way out of his "fate", if he truly was on some sort of rail, then his flaws are essentially rendered obsolete. If it is solely fate that takes care of Oedipus' life, then the subtext of Sophocles' point through Oedipus is that no man really has free choice; no man can learn from his mistakes because he is trapped inside of a one-track life, a life that is governed by something other than himself. Instead of leaving the reader with this message, Sophocles leaves the argument of fate versus free will far more ambiguous. By the end of the play, two facts remain: Oedipus' downfall is prophesized, and Oedipus does fulfill the prophecy. The truth of the matter is that Oedipus' choices are what led him to fulfill the prophecy. If the play is viewed in this light, then Oedipus' hubris becomes far more consequential, thus giving the play further meaning. While Sophocles never blatantly states, "What happens to Oedipus is a result of his own choices," the subtext of the play is rife with evidence that nobody is more responsible for Oedipus than Oedipus. Through Oedipus, Sophocles shows the audience the consequences of carelessness in decision-making and…
Throughout this play Oedipus shows too much pride and arrogance toward everyone that he comes across. He always has to have the last word. He does not care what effect the outcome of his words and actions will later have on…
Due to Oedipus being so clueless about his past events, he should not be held accountable for his actions. Oedipus Rex is not guilty of murder nor incest. At infancy he was given to a shepherd by his parents to be…
In conclusion, Oedipus’ search for justice helps the work as a whole by showing that “Oedipus Rex” is not all about injustice. This helps the reader understand that Oedipus was a good man who could not escape a terrible prophecy. Due to Oedipus’ honest character, the reader never questions the integrity of Oedipus. The reader is left with the impression of a great man who greatly suffered despite his good…
The quote,”life is a search for justice,” links very well with the protagonist of the novel “Oedipus Rex”, Oedipus. Throughout the novel he is known for taking every possibility, no matter if dangerous or not, just for the sake of getting justice for his city, Thebes, and the people inhabiting it.…