Reason For Oedipus The King's Actions
Reason For Oedipus’s Actions
Death seems to be the easy and simple way out, or maybe even the best solution when things get rough. However, in the play Oedipus Rex after Oedipus realizes his fate he doesn’t commit suicide but instead he blinds himself. Even his wife and mother, Jocasta commits suicide after finding out the fate and truth surrounding their life. This was different for Oedipus he punished himself with blindness. He blinds himself in the hope of not having to see the city which he failed, not having to see his mother and father in the afterlife or his children, and he could not kill himself due to fate.
One reason Oedipus blinds himself is so he doesn’t have to look upon his city. Oedipus doesn’t want to face the people he failed. He was the murderer of their past king and committed incest, two of the biggest crimes in ancient Greece and the people looked poorly upon that. In the play on page 257, …show more content…
His children, also considered his brothers and sisters were created through sin. They would just be another reminder of the sins he committed. His children are no longer delightful to his eyes now he knows the truth about how they were conceived. This is shown when Oedipus comments, “Or do you think my children; Born as they were born, would be sweet to my eyes” (Oedipus. 1323-1324)?. He wants no additional reminders of his sins.
Although it still seems as if Oedipus still would’ve been better off dead it’s also his fate keeping him alive. He is unable to die and has to live with the suffering and memories of his crimes. In the play Oedipus states, “Death will not ever come to me through sickness; Or in any natural way: I have been preserved; For some unthinkable fate” (Oedipus. 1403-1404). In this quote Oedipus is explaining that his life is conserved because of the fate. He cannot die and have to live through the punishment of his crimes of murder and
Death seems to be the easy and simple way out, or maybe even the best solution when things get rough. However, in the play Oedipus Rex after Oedipus realizes his fate he doesn’t commit suicide but instead he blinds himself. Even his wife and mother, Jocasta commits suicide after finding out the fate and truth surrounding their life. This was different for Oedipus he punished himself with blindness. He blinds himself in the hope of not having to see the city which he failed, not having to see his mother and father in the afterlife or his children, and he could not kill himself due to fate.
One reason Oedipus blinds himself is so he doesn’t have to look upon his city. Oedipus doesn’t want to face the people he failed. He was the murderer of their past king and committed incest, two of the biggest crimes in ancient Greece and the people looked poorly upon that. In the play on page 257, …show more content…
His children, also considered his brothers and sisters were created through sin. They would just be another reminder of the sins he committed. His children are no longer delightful to his eyes now he knows the truth about how they were conceived. This is shown when Oedipus comments, “Or do you think my children; Born as they were born, would be sweet to my eyes” (Oedipus. 1323-1324)?. He wants no additional reminders of his sins.
Although it still seems as if Oedipus still would’ve been better off dead it’s also his fate keeping him alive. He is unable to die and has to live with the suffering and memories of his crimes. In the play Oedipus states, “Death will not ever come to me through sickness; Or in any natural way: I have been preserved; For some unthinkable fate” (Oedipus. 1403-1404). In this quote Oedipus is explaining that his life is conserved because of the fate. He cannot die and have to live through the punishment of his crimes of murder and