Oedipus is a mythological character whose story was coined by the ancient Greek scribe Sophocles in a tragedy play. His father was the king of Thebes. Greek culture has existed from as early as the Mesolithic era (10,000 7000 BCE) to the Hellenistic era (323 30 BCE). It has evolved over many centuries to become what is known as Modern Greek culture. Each Greek era had its own cultural and linguistic influences that largely depended on the military conquests. Greek traditions are usually based on religion or paganism. Greek language and tradition has also been influenced by empires that recently dominated them. These include the Roman and Ottoman empires. Indeed the influences of such dominations are prevalent today. For example, many Greek dishes have Turkish (Ottoman) names. (McMahan, Day and Funk, 101)
Discussion
The tale of Oedipus gives the message of predestination and fate. Throughout Oedipus life people try to stop the events that have been prophesied. These attempts however, cause the series of events that culminate with the fulfillment of the prophesy itself. (Adams, 2)
Oedipus mother was called Jocasta. His parents confer with the Oracle of Apollo at Delli. The Oracle informs them that their son will one day kill the king and marry his queen. Laius (king) then orders a servant to kill the child by deserting it on a mountain. The servant disobeys and puts Oedipus in a populated area. Oedipus is found and later adopted by the king and queen of Corinth. (Adams, 3)
One day Oedipus is told that he was adopted. He confronts his parents but they deny adopting him. He goes to see the same Dellic Oracle and asks him, Who am I? The Oracle does not reply as asked but tells Oedipus that he is the man who will kill his sire and marry his mother. (Adams, 6)
Oedipus decides to runs away from Corinth. Along his journey he meets a man at a crossroads and kills the man in self defense. The only eyewitness escapes. Oedipus then meets a troublesome sphinx who he kills. The people of Thebes offer him the recently widowed queen of Thebes as wife and make him their king as a reward for killing the sphinx. After a while a plague hits the land and Oedipus asks the Oracle for a solution. The Oracle tells him that the plague will end when the killer of Laius is either killed or exiled. (Friedlander, 7)
Oedipus launches an investigation into the murder of the former king. Oedipus first consults Tiresias, a blind prophet. The prophet urges him to stop the investigation, but Oedipus insists on it. Oedipus begins to recall how he killed a man at a crossroads many years before. Jocasta enters the room and tells Oedipus that her husband was killed at a crossroads. (Adams, 8)
They are soon notified that the king of Corinth had died. Oedipus does not wish to travel to Corinth because of the Oracles prophesy. This is because Oedipus does not yet know that he was adopted. The messenger tries to calm him down by revealing that he was an adopted child. Oedipus consults the servant who was sent to abandon him as a child and it is revealed that he was the child of Laius and Jocasta. Subsequent revelations make Oedipus and Jacasta realize that the Oracles prophesy had been fulfilled. Jocasta kills herself and Oedipus destroys his eyes. Oedipus is then exiled from Thebes. (Friedlander, 10)
Summary
The narrative of Oedipus the King portrays how choices and destiny intermingle. It seems to support the idea of predestination or a predetermined and unavoidable fate. (Adams, 11)
Oedipus the king is a play written by Sophocles explaining the Greek culture in the ancient days. The play outlines the conflict between gods and the humans, in determining their destinies. At the beginning of the story it is well shown that there were sufferings of all kinds in Thebes. This was the result of a famine which contributed to weakness, starvation or death to the people. Because of starvation, there was a low birth rate; which could not cover the death rate leading to the death of flocks and herds. The Delphic Oracle informed that this famine served as a punishment from the gods for not having reattributed the murderer of the Oedipus royal predecessor (king Lauis); therefore, Oedipus ironically vowed to find the murderer. Just as if Laius was my own father, he claims that he would save Thebans from the plague as the Oracle had stated that the murderer must be identified and justice found.
Main text
In search of the murderer the blind foreseer Teiresias, revealed in a meeting with his sovereign Oedipus that he was the murderer. He points a finger to the murderer after reluctantly being asked to share what he knew. Even though he was insulted, threatened and bullied by the king; he ends up disclosing the information about the killer of king Lauis. The Theban king could not believe that he was the murderer even though he admitted committing a murder on his way to Thebes; since he thought he knew his life very well. He couldnt believe that a king could behave aggressively and unintelligently regarding the correct way at a crossroad that made him kill him (Kennedy et al. p. 278 lines 413-430).
As the play continues, Oedipus starts suspecting himself as the murderer especially when Chorus told him about the supposed killing of Lauis by robbers. By his taking king Lauis throne and wife, means he took over his life. Jocasta told Oedipus that the oracle had informed Laius that he would be killed by his own child, Laius and I were told that our baby would kill him and marry me , as was said by Jocasta.
In the play, there are episodes of conflict, for example Oedipus conflicting with Creon and Tiresias because he believed he was not the murderer (Kennedy et al. p. 286 lines 607-614). But the central conflict is the Oedipus inner struggle with arrogance and self-centeredness, since he wanted to be praised for outwitting the plague by finding the murderer. In scene 4 page 1412, we see him struggling with prophesies of killing his father and marrying his own mother. He had thought that he was too smart to outwit the gods. It is the main conflict because; its a struggle between human freedom and the gods.
After Oedipus recognized his guilt he decided to blind himself. He was blind metaphorically at the beginning since he never knew the truth about his origin; but when he knew the truth, he blinded himself physically for him to see the truth as it was prophesied. He couldnt stand to see the mother who he had slept with; the father he had killed and the children he bore with his mother. He used Jocastas golden brooches to pierce his eyes because his wife also had hanged herself, and he didnt want to witness that.
Conclusion
Oedipus wanted to end the Thebans suffering by looking for the murderer as it had been prophesied. On knowing he was the murderer as was informed by the oracle, he ceased searching for the killer and blinded himself. The object of his search changed because he knew he was the son of Laius who he had killed; and that Polybos was not his father as he thought. He was advised by the leader to have enough evidences before concluding that he was the killer (Kennedy et al. p. 288 lines 691-698).
Work cited
Kennedy, X. & Gioia, Dana. Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing , Compact Edition (5th Edition). Longman. (Dec 10, 2006): 278- 1412
Oedipus the King is a play written by Sophocles in Ancient Greek at around 430 B.C. set in a fabulous past of the ancient Greek. Throughout the play, the king is determined to understand several issues about the community and himself.
As a result, he seeks help from the Theban chorus; Tiresias, the blind prophet; Creon, his brother in-law; Jocasta, the Oedipus wife and the shepherd. Throughout the play, conflict stands out as the main theme as exposited by exploring the three elements of conflict from the play viz. man versus man, man versus himself and man versus nature.
Man versus man conflict
A conflict exists between the king and the prophet Tiresias. The play begins by investigation into the cause of death of Laius, the former Theban king. When the Oedipus King seeks advice from the prophet Tiresias, to his surprise, the prophet tells him that Oedipus was responsible for the murderer of Laius.
In disbelief, the King becomes annoyed with Tiresias and they end up into a heated argument. The king blames the prophet for accusing him for the murder (Sophocles 306). While the King maintains his innocence, Tiresias holds that the murderer of Laius is a Theban citizen whom they have a blood relationship. The manner in which Tiresias leaves the palace evidences unhidden conflict between him and the Oedipus King.
In addition, the king is in conflict with his brother in-law, Creon. When the prophet accuses Oedipus for the murder, the king blames Creon for masterminding the accusations. The king believes that Creon is determined to undermine him. As a result, the king calls for Creons execution.
Another conflict exists between Jocasta and the prophets. Jocasta believes that prophets are liars and the king should take none of their advice. Listen and Ill convince thee that no truth in these prophets (Sophocles 316). This quote reveals that Jocasta does not believe in prophets any more. There is also conflict between the king and the shepherd. When the shepherd refuses to give information on murder, the king threatens to execute him.
Man versus nature
Theban community is in conflict with nature. Oedipus king is determined to fight the plague, which has affected the community. As Sophocles indicates in the Creons conversation with the king, the leadership of Theban community is investigating the cause of the plague: Let me report then all what god declared.
King Phoebus bids us straightly extirpate Fell pollution that infests the land, and no more harbor an inveterate sore (Sophocles 315). From this quotation, it is clear that the people of Theban are determined to fight to the end the plague that runs through the community.
As illustrated on the first scene, the priest and the Theban choir have also visited the palace to seek aid for the plague. The king gives them hope by noting that but I grieve at once both for the general, myself and you (Sophocles 267). To grieve in ancient Greek meant cooperation with the suffering. Plague is a natural disease and therefore fighting it evidences this kind of conflict.
Man versus himself
The king is in conflict with himself. The community expects exemplary behavior from their king, especially in such ancient setting. As the play illustrates, the king killed his father and slept with his mother. The kings behavior is in conflict with the character of Oedipus king. It is therefore vivid that the king is in conflict with himself.
The shepherd is also in conflict with himself. Once requested to come and testify on the murder of Laius, he agrees and in fact provides some information to the king; however, after sometime, he begs to leave without further questions (Sophocles 300). This illustrates the shepherds conflict with himself.
Conclusion
The major conflict arises when the prophet accuses the Oedipus for the murder of the former king. Since the entire play revolves about the murder, it is therefore justifiable that conflict is the major theme in the play Oedipus the King. Kings conflict with the prophet and Creon illustrates man versus man conflict while the communitys battle with the plague evidences the man versus nature conflict. The kings behavior is in conflict with what is expected of him thus underscoring the man versus man conflict.
Works Cited
Sophocles. Oedipus the King. The Collection. Trans. Francis Storr. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1912.
In the tragedy, Oedipus the King, the writer Sophocles poses one of the most important issues of his time the will of the gods and the free will of humans. The mythology served as the basis for ancient poetry, especially for tragedy written by Sophocles. The writer used the myth of the unfortunate King Oedipus in the plot of his drama to show the clash of the will of gods and humans. This tragedy shows the strength of the characters and their desire to direct life following their own free will. This paper will analyze the characters of Oedipus and Jocasta and the relations between them to uncover their personalities and values.
Oedipus is the protagonist of the tragedy, who is depicted as a man with a steadfast and robust personality. He also possesses a system of deeply rooted values and beliefs that make him an honest and dedicated person. Oedipus is the son of Theban king Lai and his wife Jocasta, one of the most tragic heroes of Greek myths and dramas. This character owes his fame primarily to Sophocles, who, using ancient Theban traditions, created the image of Oedipus with unsurpassed mastery, thanks to which this hero remains one of the greatest figures of Greek and world dramaturgy today. Oedipus reminds readers of the eternal inconstancy of human happiness and provides evidence of the inevitability of fate that inspires horror. Once, when Oedipus was already a young adult, some foolish resident of Corinth called him a foundling. Although his adoptive parents reassured their son in every way and did not reveal him the secret of his birth, Oedipus decided to go to Delphi and ask the Apollo oracle about his origin. The oracle, instead of answering, gave Oedipus the prophecy that he was destined to kill his father and marry his mother. Not daring to return to Corinth, which he considered his homeland, Oedipus set off to seek happiness in a foreign land.
Jocasta is the wife of Theban king Lai and his successor Oedipus.
She is depicted as a confident and arrogant woman who dedicates her life to serve her husband. Jocasta and Lai had no children for a long time. One day her husband turned to the oracle and found out that the child born to Jocasta would kill him. He did not say anything to his wife but began to avoid her. After the prescribed period, Jocasta gave birth to a son, Oedipus. Lai decided to get rid of the baby, but the boy survived. Many years later, Oedipus met with Lai and, not knowing who was in front of him, killed his father. After the death of Lai and the liberation by Oedipus of Thebes from the demon-strangler Sphinx, Jocasta became the wife of her son, unrecognized by her. The relations between Jocasta and Oedipus were filled with love and mutual support, even though they had different values and beliefs.
Thus, the prophecy given to Oedipus at Delphi was fulfilled, although neither he nor Jocasta suspected that they were relatives and for about twenty years had a happy marriage, during which four children were born. Only after a long period, when Thebes was struck by pestilence and the Delphic oracle demanded the expulsion of the unsaid killer Lai from Thebes, Oedipus was able to establish, in the process of clarifying the circumstances of the long-standing crime, whose son he killed, and with whom he was married. Thus, the main hero cried: Yes, I am wroth, and will not stint my words, but speak my whole mind (345-346). Jocasta at first tries her best to calm her husband, offended by the inconceivable accusation of the prophet Tiresias. However, after hearing the story of the Corinthian messenger and realizing that she married her child, she prays to her son Oedipus to stop the further investigation and then leaves for the palace, where she commits suicide with shame and sadness. Oedipus gouged out his eyes with a gold clasp removed from the dress of the hanging Jocasta and was eventually expelled from Thebes.
In the end, Oedipus cursed his children with a terrible oath, wishing them to kill each other. He said: And on the murderer this curse I lay on him and all the partners in his guilt (244-245). As soon as Oedipus uttered the words of the curse, there was a thunderclap. It was a sign of the supreme guardian of fate, Zeus Olympic, that Oedipus could descend into the kingdom of shadows. Oedipus said goodbye to his daughters and called to Theseus. He took an oath from the Athenian king to take care of Antigone and Ismen, and in return for this beneficence, he revealed to him the secret of the location of his grave, which would protect Athens more reliably than shields and city walls. He said: Dark, dark! The horror of darkness, like a shroud, wraps me and bears me on through mist and cloud (313-314). After that, Oedipus calmly said farewell to the world and quietly went to the dark kingdom of Hades, on the threshold of which the mortals life and his fate cease.
Overall, the relationships between Oedipus and Jocasta were based on support, understanding, and love until they found out that they were tightly connected with family ties. The fact that Jocasta was Oedipus mother worsened their relations and caused devastating quarrels in the family that later led to the death of the main character. Two heroes had different personalities and values, which contributed to the situation of their dispute and Jocastas death.
Work Cited
Sophocles. Oedipus the King. Trans. David Grene. OER Commons. Web.
Through the whims and wills of the Gods, humans play a preconceived part in the story of life, and our every deed is simply a line in the play. This idea that the span of a person’s life is nothing but an allotment of misery and suffering doomed upon oneself can be held as a precept among many. No matter the amount of action taken to divert from one’s destiny, characters are almost always unable to evade or prolong their ultimate fortune. In the Greek tragedy, Oedipus the King, Sophocles utilizes prophets to illustrate how despite drastic attempts to undermine the Gods, characters ultimately lead to their own fate.
Sophocles holds prophecies with a key significance- without it, one could mistake the misfortune befallen the characters as a consequence of free will or choice. Sophocles asserts that the role of fate is inescapable and out-maneuvering it is futile. When Laius comes to know that his own son is prophesized to be his murderer, he takes steps to ensure Oedipus is killed. This in turn only ensures that Oedipus fails to recognize his own father at a crossroads in the future. Oedipus is left to question if he had only “died then, [he] should not now be leaving” (73), inciting a fortune that cannot be reversed. Furthermore, the play alludes that mankind’s ignorance and disbelief in the Gods and prophecies is a punishable sin. For example, Jocasta and Oedipus consistently are seen to doubt the Oracle of Delphi and Tiresias, thinking they have the power within themselves to avoid it, refusing to accept the power of the Gods over humanity. As the truth dawned on Oedipus as he cries out in realization, “It was Apollo, friends, it was Apollo. He brought on these troubles”. In addition, the prophecies leave many of the characters in the dark, for example, not addressing that Polybus and Merope were not Oedipus’ parents, in which the Gods leave Oedipus in a state of confusion and uncertainty. The prophecies act as factors of fate that help to enact the characters to their ultimate demise. One can illuminate Oedipus as being born into a life condemned to a vile fate.
The Greeks sought great interest in the concept of fate as well, deeming it inevitable as even the Gods themselves could not escape it. Gods like Kronos and Uranous’ deaths were previously prophesized and yet unable to be overcome. From this discovery, the Greeks set up the ideal of ‘Moira’ which sits well between the attempts to apply logic toward the understanding and wills of the universe. Moira represented a power of the living and death of an individual and could be paralleled with the Gods themselves. Similarly, in “Macbeth” by William Shakespeare, fate plays a large role in the actions of the characters. The specific role of fate which led Macbeth to health is one that altered his downfall. One can conclude the chance that Macbeth encounters the weird sisters just after they have received the prophecy is not a mere coincidence. When Macbeth’s wife hears of this prophecy, she will stop at no cost to see that it is sealed. Fate initiates an evil force that drives Lady Macbeth to ensure Macbeth is King. This allows the chance of Macbeth to see the King’s throne and enacts him to commit regicide. Moreover, in “Rappaccini’s Daughter”, Rappaccini plays with the order of the natural order in creating poisons surpassing the limits of the world. At fate’s hand, Beatrice’s ignorance of the destruction in her father’s experiments leads her to perish. Just like the creations of the mad scientist must fail, Beatrice, the creation of Rappaccini, must fail at the wish of the Gods.
At the heart of the Oedipus myth and humanity in all, fate is the underlying motive and powerful role leading to a tragic end. Sophocles casts the importance and inevitability of fate on human beings through the use of God’s power and assertion over others. Fate is proven as a supernatural force predetermining destiny, and preordaining every outcome of every action one takes. This unavoidable power befalls humanity as the universe decides mankind’s future even before they know it.
In all aspects of life, the past is different from the present. Whether that be the way we talk, the way we dress, the way we travel, or the way we learn, it can be agreed upon by everyone that things have changed. The way we interpret things has changed as well. When studying the tragic play that is Oedipus The King, written by Sophocles, that was originally performed around 429 BC to the Ancient Greeks, it is certain that Sophocles had a reason for writing what he wrote. Sophocles presented this play to the people of Ancient Greece because he believed that everyone’s lives are controlled by both fate and free will. He was a strong believer in the fact that our past, present, and future make one circle; the circle of life. Sophocles attempts to emphasize how important it is to have a democracy rather than a dictatorship in all of his plays. This stresses free will over fate. At the same time, Sophocles also recognized that for people to live their lives to the fullest, they must have faith in the Gods. This is seen in the play because it seems as if his fate has already been chosen by the prophecies from the Gods. No matter how hard he tried to run away from it, it was almost as if he was running toward it. There was no escape.
Watching this play would have raised many questions about the belief system and the governing structure with the Ancient Greek audience. Does believing in the Gods and trusting the government allow us to have free choice, or do they decide our fate for us? Although this play was from so long ago, it is still very relevant to us today and is still widely read by students because the idea of fate versus free will is something that people today still struggle with. Back then, people believed that everything was already predetermined by the gods and the prophecies. Since Oedipus was the King, he was obligated to believe in the prophecies to make the people do so as well without questioning it. The Ancient Greeks believed that their gods could see the future and pass on this information to certain people. But when Sophocles was writing his plays, the educated people within the society were beginning to doubt how true these prophecies were. We, on the other hand, are not governors so we have the free choice to believe whatever we want to believe. We are not told what to believe. Nowadays, most people believe in the fact that we decide how our lives will be and choose to believe in free will rather than in fate. In the modern day, the government plays a role in what we are and are not allowed to do, but essentially, it is up to us to make these choices. We are not controlled by prophecies which we must believe.
Plays and other fictional texts can influence a society because they artistically present ideas; in a manner that is not commonly used to get ideas across to people. When ideas are presented artistically, it is up to the audience to perceive them however they wish. Everyone is touched by art in different ways. The main message of Oedipus The King was that pride is often the cause of an individual’s downfall. Oedipus had so much pride he believed that he could outdo the gods and escape his prophecy, which led to his tragic downfall. This influenced society to always have faith in the gods and not see themselves as higher than the gods. Another fictional text that had a great influence on society was Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. This is the story of a little girl who faces the challenges of growing up. Throughout her journey, Alice crosses many difficult paths, accepts the consequences when she makes the wrong choice, and in the end, perseveres and gets where she needs to go. This influences society because it is the story of the path to maturity which everyone can relate to. Everyone faces conflict in their lives and as they mature, it is up to them to decide how they want to face these conflicts. Growing up reading Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland would have helped many young individuals as they matured.
In conclusion, although the idea of fate versus free will has changed throughout the years. it is clear to see that even though many years have passed, the fact that fictional texts affect how we view life has not changed.
“In truth, pride is double-edged: destructive and ludicrous in the wrong place and the wrong proportions, but heroic and admirable in the right ones” (Aicinena). Pride has perplexed philosophers and theologians for centuries, and it is an especially paradoxical emotion. People think that they win when they look like “the best” and when their ego has not been touched. In fact, we become slaves of our ego as soon as we follow it, when we start feeding our pride, so it just gets bigger and stronger. With pride always comes power, since power is almost always the reason for excessive pride. Power is an inescapable feature of human social life and structure. It is a much-needed feature in the human social life since it enforces order and hierarchical, it is normal for a person with power to have some pride. But, if a person isn’t wise enough to know that pride has its own limits, that person will cause his own downfall. Throughout history, men and women occupied many powerful statuses and with those ranks came a tremendous self-confidence that led to numerous horrible social and psychological consequences. An example of this feature and its consequences is found in the play “Oedipus The King”, where a king was too powerful and prideful to see the truth.
Pride and power affect a prideful person’s life immensely; they play a very important role in the social life of that person when it comes to his/her relationship and interaction with others. A study conducted by Jeanne Nakamura obtained experiences of people feeling pride at work and at home. This research found that most situations that elicited high levels of pride were ‘social’ in nature. That is, pride was experienced most strongly when others were around, such as family members or work clients (Mclatchie). Pride has no room in any loving relationship, as excessive pride is the cause of all conflict. It is a wall preventing entrance to the truth. There is no real connection or communication when pride takes precedence. Relationships are all about compromise and understanding whereas pride is an assertive stance which does not back down. The only relationship where pride wins is a destructive one. There is no peace when ego enters the room (Yaz). Excessive pride makes it seem impossible for the person to trust anyone around him, no matter how much effort the other person does to gain the trust of the superior individual, he won’t succeed. An overbearing person thinks that he cannot trust anyone because he is too sure that only he is right and the only right way of thinking is his way of thinking. In the play “Oedipus The King” , Oedipus stopped trusting many people throughout the play for many reasons but mainly because of his pride. After seeking help from Theirisias, the blind soothsayer of Thebes, and after a huge argument between the two because Oedipus thinks Theirisias is hiding something from him, obviously blinded by his pride and ignoring the fact that maybe Theirisias is actually protecting him, Oedipus becomes angry and thus pushes Theirisias who informs him that he is the murderer he’s searching for. The king criticizes Theirisias’s powers wildly and insults his blindness, but Theirisias only responds that the insults will eventually be turned on Oedipus by all of Thebes. Driven into a fury by the accusation, Oedipus proceeds to concoct a story that Creon and Tiresias are conspiring to overthrow him. Although Therisias was wildly known to be very wise and accurate with his predictions, Oedipus still doubted him and did not agree with his declaration because he was too blinded by his pride that does not let him trust anyone around him. In addition, the same argument that Oedipus had with Theirisias led to the assumption that Creon stabbed Oedipus in the back. Another social consequence pride forces upon us is loneliness (sophocles, Oedipus The King 682-692). When a person has too much pride, he/she starts loosing the people they care about or the people that keep them company because of their attitude which then leads to complete loneliness.Accordingly, throughout the play, Oedipus lost his trust in so many people because of his pride and ended up alone in the end when he killed himself in his wife’s room. He prefered to kill himself than to stand all alone and face the harsh truth he has been too proud to face.
To add, a prideful person will have to face many consequences when it comes to his/her psychology and character especially when it comes to progress and to the mental health. Pride and power slow the process of progress since the person would be too blinded by his power to see the truth or the ways he can use to progress and thus falls in many problems he can’t escape. Just like in the play, king Oedipus was too proud to realize that he’s the murderer, no matter how much he wanted to know the truth, he couldn’t. So many people that cared about him tried to open his eyes and show him the accuracy, yet he chose to ignore them, and this shows how pride slows progress since if Oedipus wasn’t that proud, he could have seen the truth and prevent his own death (sophocles, Oedipus The King). To elaborate, a study has been done to see how authentic pride affects runners’ training progress. When participants reported lower authentic pride than usual on a given week, training progress increased the following week, conversely, greater authentic pride was associated with greater training progress on average (Gilchrist, Gilchrist and Sabiston) and this shows how pride greatly affects the progress of a person since when the athlete did not show high authentic pride, he showed more progress. To add, in addition to the lack of progress, pride also causes anxiety. An article indicates that pride and anxiety come wrapped in the same package. If you insist on doing it your way, then expect to feel like the weight of the world is on your shoulders. The only way you can rid yourself of this kind of needless anxiety is by first ridding yourself of the notion that you’re the center of the universe (Furtick).
Furthermore, excessive pride may lead to the failure of the person occupying a powerful position, for example his personality may be affected or maybe he/she will cause his/her own downfall. The personality of a prideful person goes through so many changes: just like in the play “Oedipus The King”, King Oedipus went from being a prideful king to become a desperate man. After realizing that the truth was always right in front of his eyes, but he didn’t see it because of his pride, king Oedipus was really affected as we see in the play when he said: “Light of the sun, let me never look on you again.” (Sophocles 712). He was desperate and angry with himself, he preferred to pierce his eyes wishing to never see the cruel world he lived in than to kill himself, he wanted to go somewhere even darker than death. This shows how angry he was from himself, he thought that death was an easy punishment and that blindness provides much more torture. This also shows how miserable Oedipus was after he realized the whole truth, after he knew that the only thing that was standing between him and the truth was his own pride. In addition to those personality changes, excessive pride may become the reason of a man’s own downfall. There are so many examples that show how pride can get the better of someone, for example: people who turn down roles they deem ‘beneath them,’ missing potentially valuable stepping stones to bigger and better opportunities, or people who opt to struggle on in a role they aren’t capable of doing well rather than ask for help and support, afraid of being judged poorly for doing so, or even people who are afraid to take a risk in their career or business, because they can’t bear the consequences of their failure (Warell). This phenomenon is also present in the play “Oedipus The King”, the king’s tragic flaw led to his own downfall, his pride controlled him so much that he couldn’t see the truth, and when he was finally able to uncover the whole truth, it was too late. Consequently, the king lost control of his empire and even of himself and caused his own downfall by blinding himself and asking for his own exile (sophocles, Oedipus The King).
As a conclusion, pride and power have their own consequences on an individual’s social life, psychology, and achievements such as relationship or health problems, or the person can even get to a point where he/she causes his/her own downfall. As shown in the play “Oedipus The King” and as proved in real life, those consequences can never be harmful unless pride exceeds its limits, therefor a person who has pride should be very careful and aware that pride has limits that shouldn’t be crossed.
References
Aicinena, Dr. Steven. ‘When Pride Goes Wrong.’ The Sport Journal (2011).
DAVIS, WILS. ‘The Side Effects Of Pride: Why Being Arrogant Is Toxic To Your Life .’ elite daily (2015): 9.
Furtick, Steven. The Source Of Your Anxiety. 21 June 2017. article. 30 december 2018.
Gilchrist, Jenna D, et al. ‘Authentic pride regulates runners’ training progress.’ Psychology of Sport and Exercise 38 (2018): 10-16. 30 12 2018. .
Mclatchie, Neil. The psychology of pride. 13 june 2017. 30 december 2018.
Sophocles. ‘Oedipus The King.’ My Perspectives. 2017. 682-692.
Sophocles. ‘Oedipus The King.’ My Perspectives. 2017. Core.
Sophocles. ‘Oedipus The King.’ My Perspectives . 2017. 712.
Warell, Margie. Does ‘Pride’ Sabotage Your Success? 10 July 2013. 2 January 2019.
Yaz. ‘EGO AND PRIDE: HOW DOES IT REALLY EFFECT OUR LIVES .’ 7 july 2015. The Falling Thoughts. 29 december 2018. .
The present paper deals with the inexorability of fate in Sophocles’ Oedipus the King. This author conveys the message that people cannot influence their future because everything is predetermined by God’s will. The sequence of particular events and actions from Oedipus’ life is depicted in the piece of literature to prove this idea. Thus, Sophocles states that those attempts that people make to avoid some events from happening in the future only advance them and result in severer consequences. Furthermore, the given research tries to explain why people in ancient times believed in rough fate and their inability to influence it. Then, the questions of what aspects of human life and to what extent they depended on the supreme powers will be answered. By focusing on Oedipus the King and its details, the paper demonstrates beliefs and ideas that both were popular in Ancient Greece and find their manifestation in the modern world.
Introduction
The question of whether people can influence their lives has always been challenging. Many prominent thinkers tried to present and prove their points of view concerning the given issue. Some of them stated that people could shape their lives with their decisions and actions, while others mentioned that the supreme forces predetermined the future of every person. Among all these philosophers, Sophocles deserves specific attention since this Ancient Greece tragedian created a significant piece of literature on the given topic. His Oedipus the King depicts the inexorability of fate and its relationship to knowledge, political power, and civic life through a sequence of interconnected events. In the tragedy, Oedipus kills his father, has children with his mother, and deprives himself of vision, which demonstrates that people cannot escape what is predetermined for them.
Essay Body
Oedipus is King of Thebes, and he wants to discover why his kingdom suffers from the plague. He sends Creon, his brother-in-law, to the oracle to ask for advice. Creon brings unpleasant news stating that the nation will suffer from this curse until they find a murderer of Laius, their former ruler. Oedipus wants to discover who the murderer is, but Tiresias, a blind prophet, soon makes an unexpected announcement, stating that Oedipus is “the foul pollutant in this land” (Sophocles 27). Oedipus does not have trust in the prophet’s words, and he is supported by Jocasta, his current wife. While she was Laius’ wife, she mentions that some of such prophecies have not come true and provides a specific example. A few years ago, Laius was told that he “would be killed by a son who would be given birth” by him and Jocasta (Sophocles 42). Thus, they decided to have the child killed, and the prophecy was canceled.
Even though that information should have been pleasant for Oedipus, he does not like it. It is so because when he was a child, an older man told him that Oedipus was adopted and that he would kill his biological father and sleep with his biological mother. The situation becomes even more tragic when Oedipus recalls that he murdered a stranger, which is similar to the description of Laius’ death. In spite of Jocasta’s objections, Oedipus decides to reveal the secrets of the past. In a while, Jocasta finds out that Oedipus, with whom she has children, is her son. This discovery is horrifying for her, and the woman kills herself. Soon, Oedipus also understands that the prophecy has come true and that he is the source of the curse for the kingdom. This terrible information makes him put out his own eyes. Furthermore, blind Oedipus is exiled from Thebes to free the nation from the plague.
The information above demonstrates that people take responsibility for their actions and decisions. Once Oedipus discovers his identity and what he has made to his parents, he decides to blind himself as a kind of punishment. The notion of responsibility is essential for the theme under consideration because it shows that people suffer from adverse consequences when they try to escape their fate. In addition to that, the given topic indicates that people’s attempts to change their future can have a negative meaning for others because the citizens of the kingdom experience the plague epidemic. It means that Oedipus blinds himself to assume responsibility and free the population from it.
Even though Oedipus the King is considered by many to be a story about unethical decisions and actions, it presents the theme of fate and humans’ inability to change their lives. Sophocles was an evident fatalist, and it influenced the tragedy under consideration significantly. This piece of literature demonstrates that people cannot change their future irrespective of how hard they try. It is supported by the fact that Laius wanted to kill his son to prevent him from committing the murder and that Oedipus tried to escape having children with his mother. The two men did their best to avoid their destiny, but they failed, which is an example of a fatalistic worldview.
The author has included two significant phenomena in his tragedy, and they are worth mentioning. Firstly, Sophocles stipulates that individuals cannot choose their identities. They are predetermined by the supreme forces, while people can only choose either to define them or not. As for Oedipus the King, Danze mentions that pity motivates the main character to identify his self-recognition (565). Even though Oedipus understands that his revealed identity of a murderer and foundling results in particular social stigma, he tries to neutralize his negative image by punishing himself (Dugdale 421). However, this harsh action fails to influence Oedipus’ fate, and he has to suffer from the adverse consequences of his fortune. It shows that once a person commits an action, he or she will inevitably face some results. Thus, Sophocles conveys a message that individuals cannot hide from the outcomes of their actions and decisions. However, these consequences cannot make satisfaction for the previous sins.
Secondly, it is necessary to comment on hamartia and its role in the tragedy. Thus, the phenomenon refers to an error made due to inadequate knowledge, and this error results in negative consequences (Glassberg 201). In this case, both Oedipus and Jocasta have false information regarding their identities, which leads to unethical situations. This information indicates that people cannot make the right decisions when they do not know everything about an issue. While it is often impossible to know everything, people are subject to making mistakes. In other words, people make decisions, these decisions can have an impact, but the incomplete nature of human understanding makes the effects of actions unpredictable.
It should be mentioned that incomplete knowledge makes it impossible for people to change their future. Even though their actions seemingly alter their destiny, the final outcomes demonstrate the opposite. On the one hand, the central conflict of the tragedy emerged because Laius found out unpleasant information about his son. That news forced him to make some decisions to avoid tragic events in the future. All the following situations, including Laius’ death and the fact that Oedipus marries Jocasta, prove that knowledge can be detrimental under certain conditions. Thus, the author emphasizes the prophecy and its consequences to show how the present information can influence people and their lives.
At the same time, Sophocles conveys a distinction between the information from the prophecy and that from personal experience. The difference refers to the fact that personal experience can present a part of the information that would show the possibility of changing the future, while the prophecy describes those events that will finally happen. Furthermore, Laius demonstrates a firm belief in the unlimited power of knowledge. Once he is told the prophecy, he does not question its truthfulness and credibility. It means that his character is used to depict that the issue of destiny was of crucial significance for many people in Ancient Greece.
On the other hand, Oedipus represents a different approach to knowledge. Once he is told the same prophecy, he does not believe that it is true. Consequently, he does his best to deny the unpleasant prediction. In this case, Oedipus becomes a seeker of truth without drawing attention to the fact that it can have negative consequences for him. In pursuit of knowledge, the ruler makes horrifying discoveries that are detrimental to him. It is possible to state that experience means symbolic death for Oedipus since when he finds out the truth, it becomes difficult for him to keep living with his mother. Thus, Sophocles describes these events to indicate that it is not safe to look for the answers when people are not ready to accept them. Therefore, the truth shocks Oedipus, but he finds the power to bear the responsibility.
Even though the two characters above have different attitudes toward the prophecy initially, it comes true for each of them, and they fail to escape their shared fate. The description of events from the lives of Oedipus and Laius supports Sophocles’ idea that individuals can try to change their destiny, but it will not influence the final outcomes. People can handle knowledge differently, but it does not mean that information always results in some benefits.
Similar to knowledge, the issue of political power and its relationship to fate influence characters differently in Oedipus the King. Thus, Laius seems to be an arrogant and despotic ruler who is ready to kill his own son to preserve his power. One can say that these selfish interests made him try to prevent the prophecy from happening rather than other benevolent intentions. As has been stated previously, Laius’ attempts did not allow him to preserve power, save his life, and preclude the adverse events described in the prophecy. Finally, Oedipus kills Laius and deprives him and accepts his power as a ruler.
By contrast, Oedipus is born in a royal family, and he should become the subsequent ruler of the kingdom. However, Laius tries to prevent it, and the boy grows up far from the throne, and he seems to have no chances to become the king. An occurrence plays its role, and Oedipus kills his biological father and starts living with his mother, who is currently his wife. He thinks that these events are accidental, but it has been proved there were results of the destiny. That is why Oedipus becomes the king, even despite the fact that he did not look for political power. Thus, the events concerning political power prove that fate is also unavoidable when it comes to political power. Even when people do not want something to become true, they cannot do anything to influence the given state of affairs. It suggests that the Greeks believed that the gods chose their rulers. In other words, if it was a person’s destiny to become a ruler, he or she would gain political power irrespective of external conditions.
Finally, Jocasta’s civic life has been significantly influenced. She had a husband, Laius, but their shared desire to cancel the prophecy has led to his death and severe problems for her. As soon as Jocasta finds out that Oedipus is her supposed-to-be-dead son, she cannot bear this tragedy, and she commits suicide. These events indicate that people are powerless to influence anything in their fate. Furthermore, a civic sphere stands for the most crucial aspect of human life since problems in the given area make people kill themselves. It is an interesting example in a way that Jocasta commits suicide in a private sphere. It indicates that she tries to hide from the public to avoid blames. In other words, the Greeks paid specific attention to their civic image, and Sophocles demonstrated that this image was shaped by the supreme forces rather than the people themselves.
The tragedy demonstrates that the Greeks believed in the supreme forces and their immeasurable impact on human life. That is why Sophocles describes prophecies, oracles, and other spiritual elements of that historical epoch. Furthermore, the tragedy indicates that people are minor elements in the whole world and that they can only witness what they are supposed to experience in their lives. In other words, people cannot fundamentally alter their destiny because of the fact described above. Last but not least, the events from Oedipus’ life show that people should not behave like gods and should not try to shape their future. All such attempts can have the opposite meaning resulting in adverse consequences, and the fates of Oedipus, Laius, and Jocasta prove this thought. It refers to the fact that the civic life of the characters suffered a lot because of their attempts to change their destiny.
Conclusion
Oedipus the King by Sophocles is a significant Greek tragedy since it covers an essential topic. It refers to fate and its unavoidable nature for individuals. The author uses emphasis to present the sequence of a few details that are detrimental to the future of his characters. It is exciting that a single prophecy influences three lives and break them once these characters decide to change their fates. Sophocles indicates that the inexorability of fortune is an unchanged phenomenon, and when people try to influence it, they approach them and create even more problems. People can influence their destiny, but they cannot significantly change it, which means that their political knowledge, civic life, and what they know is predetermined. As a result, the Greek philosopher uses his piece of writing to show that people only witness those events in their lives that they are supposed to experience. Any attempts to alter upcoming events will result in severer consequences for people and their lives. Thus, Sophocles’ Oedipus the King conveys the message that the supreme forces predetermine people’s future and that individuals cannot influence their destiny.
Works Cited
Danze, Teresa M. “The Tragedy of Pity in Sophocles’ Oedipus Tyrannus.” American Journal of Philology, vol. 137, no. 5, 2016, pp. 565-599.
Dugdale, Eric. “Who Named Me?: Identity and Status in Sophocles’ Oedipus Tyrannus.” American Journal of Philology, vol. 136, no. 3, 2015, pp. 421-445.
Glassberg, Roy. “Uses of Hamartia, Flaw, and Irony in Oedipus Tyrannus and King Lear.” Philosophy and Literature, vol. 41, no. 1, 2017, pp. 201-206.
Sophocles. Oedipus the King and Other Tragedies: Oedipus the King, Aias, Philoctetes, Oedipus at Colonus. Translated by Oliver Taplin, OUP Oxford, 2015.
Throughout the centuries, literature has always tried to analyze the conflict between fate and free will. These notions always contradict each other and seem almost incompatible. To be more exact, we should say that the very ability of human beings to cope with overwhelming forces has always been a subject of philosophical and literary debate.
The main task of our essay is to compare two entirely different plays, which represent entirely different epochs. The aim to be achieved is to analyze the ways in which two protagonists try to cope with some higher forces. It is also of the utmost importance to discuss the attitude of two authors towards the very notion of the overwhelming force.
The first play that we are going to discuss is “Oedipus the King,” which is considered to be one of the brightest examples of ancient Greek dramaturgy. The plot of this play written by Sophocles is based on the myth of Oedipus. The main character unwillingly and unknowingly kills his father and consequently marries his mother. It is worth mentioning that the oracle foretells that such tragedy will befall Oedipus, he tries to avert this disaster, but in spite of all his attempts, the prophecy comes true. This is a rough representation of the plot.
Oedipus is very often perceived as a puppet in the hands of a puppeteer, or it would be better to say some greater force. The main character seems to be unable to change the course of their actions. At first glance, such a point of view may seem quite rational especially judging from the plot development. However, if we look at this problem from a different angle, we can say that the oracle just predicts the events but not forces them to happen (Meyer, 123). There is a curious paradox: if the main characters had not tried to change the course of action, none of these events would have happened. Moreover, some choices are made only by Oedipus, and we cannot say that he is the victim of circumstances. For instance, it is he who chooses to take Jocasta as his wife; besides, nobody makes Oedipus kill his father.
As far as the play “Proof” by David Auburn is concerned, we can say that the main character Catherine also struggles against an overwhelming force. Nevertheless, her case is a very special one. She is a daughter of a famous mathematician who has recently deceased. The trouble is that the mental disorders Robert, Catherine’s father, had been transferred to his daughter. However, not only this, but Catherine also inherits her fathers incredible talent. The main character is constantly struggling with mathematical genius and mental illness. She is trying to make people believe that she is the author of the proof which she found among Roberts papers. However, people who surround her have serious doubts as to her sanity. This pushes Catherine into a state of apathy. Catherines family background makes her the victim of stereotyping and incredulity.
Thus, it is quite possible for us to arrive at the conclusion that the problem of fate or rather conquering some insuperable force has always attracted many writers. In these two plays, the authors try to show how a human being struggles against something which he cannot change.
Bibliography
Michael Meyer. “The Bedford Introduction to Literature”. Palgrave, 2005.
Oedipus’ life was a series of tragedies from birth to the point of blindness. This tragedies can be assumed to stem out of the fact that Oedipus ’ was an individual with a strong character which made him want to know the truth and as a result the tragedies befall him out of free will.
However, Oedipus was already doomed to succumb to the fate which was foretold long before his birth via the oracle which was at Delphi. From the time the oracle predicts this to Oedipus’ parents Jocasta and Laios, they immediately take action to ensure that the oracle is not fulfilled. Little do they know that the fate of Oedipus’ will come to occur in their lives which would be a series of tragedies that blindly lead them to believe that the oracle would not be fulfilled.
From an initial reading, most readers assume that the tragedies that befall Oedipus and his family are mere actions of free will by both Oedipus, his parents and the shepherd but it is actually the fate that was already predicted by the oracle which leads to all the tragedies that Oedipus goes through in the entire play. The essay thus intends to show that it was due to fate that the tragedies befell Oedipus rather than free will as it appears.
Oedipus’ parents try to avoid the fate that the oracle predicts concerning Oedipus. They send the shepherd to get rid of the child by leaving the child in the jungle so that he might die due to exposure but instead the shepherd does not leave Oedipus to die, rather, he takes him to his home country and Oedipus is left under the care of the queen and king of Corinth.
“Come, then, say, on. Rememberest thou a boy Thou gav`st me once, that I might rear him up As mine own child?” (Sophocles 1168)This causes Oedipus to believe that the queen and king of Corinth are his real parents which causes him to flee from them to escape the fulfillment of the oracle but finally this belief acts a catalyst for the fulfillment of the oracle and Oedipus and his parents (Jocatsa) are forced to come to the realization that they could not control fate.
Fate also plays a tricky game on Oedipus when in his attempts to discover the person responsible for the death of Laios; he comes to know that it was actually him who killed his own father.
Oedipus met with his father and killed him believing that it was a group of bandits while in actual senses it was his father. His quest to discover what happened to the king Laios leads him to his predetermined fate, ‘Tis enough”.
Oedipus replies, I cannot yield my right to know the truth” Oedipus finds it difficult to restrain himself from looking for the truth even though he has already been warned that the truth might lead to disaster on his part. “Whom did he speak of? Care not thou for it, But wish his words may be but idle tales.” (Sophocles 1176).
Jocasta tries to steer away Oedipus from venturing into asking more questions because she had already deciphered the end of the story. Had he listened to what he was told instead of being stubborn then maybe the fate would not have been completely fulfilled.
It so happens that the priest who is currently in Apollo is blind and Oedipus mocks him by telling him that he can never be blind but fate has it that he would be the one responsible for gouging out his eyes leading to blindness. “Woe! woe! woe! woe! all cometh clear at last.
O light, may I ne`er look on thee again, Who now am seen owing my birth to those To whom I ought not, and with whom I ought not In wedlock living, whom I ought not slaying.” (Sophocles 1200).
At this point Oedipus prefers that he would rather be blind so that he would no longer look upon the evils of the world and those that he had already done. Fate had it therefore that he should become blind despite the fact that he had been mocking the priest
In Oedipus the king, Sophocles raises various questions about fate, should individuals be concerned in knowing their fate instead of living their lives freely or after knowing ones fate, which action is best to take. To ignore fate and live life, or to try as much as possible to control and evade fate.
Oedipus and his parents know their fate and try as much as possible to control this fate but all their actions lead them to the fulfillment of the oracle. Thus, it can be concluded that had Jocasta and Liaos lived their lives without seeking to know their fate then they would have lived happily and the same applies to Oedipus.
Work Cited
Sophocles. Oedipus the King. E.d Cavender, Kenneth. San Francisco: Chandler Pub. Co, 1961.