Oedipus The King: When The Connections Are Made
The Tragedy of Oedipus: When the Connections Are Made
The Revelation is the Tragedy
Oedipus the King, a Greek play written by Sophocles, tells the tragic life story of King Oedipus. What make the play tragic is not the literal series of events that occurred, but the story and the narration behind the events. Several elements contribute to the difference between Oedipus's own autobiographical accounts and what others know of him. It is only when that gap is closed that the reality of the situation is revealed.
However, Oedipus is a protagonist who encounters many obstacles during his search for the truth. One of them is that he cannot step back and see himself from an outside perspective. The other is the fact that he has no memory of his …show more content…
/ Do you know who your parents are?" (Sophocles 28) Here sight is being associated with knowledge hence Oedipus's limited sight equals limited knowledge. Oedipus might be able to literally see the present, but it is Teiresias who, perhaps in exchange for his current lack of sight, can see beyond the present.
Teiresias is the one who is able to foretell the past and the future, for example, "A deadly footed, double striking curse / from father and mother both, shall drive you forth / out of this land, with darkness in your eyes…(28)" What Oedipus believes about the past, or the story that he has told himself about himself, consists solely of what he remembers. Thus one can say that there is a strong link between how he perceives the present and what he recalls from the past.
This is where the fault of memory enters the equation. It is impossible for Oedipus to remember the details of every event in his life; such that he can recall immediately recall any memory. Therefore, it is only understandable that he fails to make certain connections such as the murder of a king and his killing a stranger on the road. However, later as Oedipus comes to a realization he
The Revelation is the Tragedy
Oedipus the King, a Greek play written by Sophocles, tells the tragic life story of King Oedipus. What make the play tragic is not the literal series of events that occurred, but the story and the narration behind the events. Several elements contribute to the difference between Oedipus's own autobiographical accounts and what others know of him. It is only when that gap is closed that the reality of the situation is revealed.
However, Oedipus is a protagonist who encounters many obstacles during his search for the truth. One of them is that he cannot step back and see himself from an outside perspective. The other is the fact that he has no memory of his …show more content…
/ Do you know who your parents are?" (Sophocles 28) Here sight is being associated with knowledge hence Oedipus's limited sight equals limited knowledge. Oedipus might be able to literally see the present, but it is Teiresias who, perhaps in exchange for his current lack of sight, can see beyond the present.
Teiresias is the one who is able to foretell the past and the future, for example, "A deadly footed, double striking curse / from father and mother both, shall drive you forth / out of this land, with darkness in your eyes…(28)" What Oedipus believes about the past, or the story that he has told himself about himself, consists solely of what he remembers. Thus one can say that there is a strong link between how he perceives the present and what he recalls from the past.
This is where the fault of memory enters the equation. It is impossible for Oedipus to remember the details of every event in his life; such that he can recall immediately recall any memory. Therefore, it is only understandable that he fails to make certain connections such as the murder of a king and his killing a stranger on the road. However, later as Oedipus comes to a realization he