Oedipus The King and the Existence of Man

Oedipus The King and the Existence of Man

Since the beginning of time, man has used various methods on which to

pass down stories, beliefs, and myths which explain different aspects of life.

From oral tradition, to pictographs, to clay tablets, and onto paper, all

compose the world of literature. Literature has always been an infinite realm of

ideas, morals, and trains of thought. Although the sphere of literature is

encircled with extreme diversity of thought, its core is focused on one theme:

man. All literature carries with itself three main characteristics: it is

written by man, for man, and about man. Oedipus the King, the great Greek

tragedy by the unparalleled philosopher, Sophocles, is no exception to

literature's domain. It deals with one king, Oedipus, and his plight to avenge

the death of his predecessor, King Laios. In his determined search to find the

murderer, he establishes a proclamation which would demand the banishment and

even the death of the murderer. In his ironic action, the reader discovers that

this murderer that Oedipus is so determined to discover is none other than

Oedipus himself. In adhesion to the definition of literature, this tragic plot

reveals to the reader three main commentaries about the nature of man: man

cannot escape his past, pride is the sin which leads man to greater evils, and

although the life of man is in itself a positive good, there will always be a

shadow of terrible tragedy that falls across it.

All throughout literature, many works have portrayed characters who

carry with them a dark and gloomy past, and try to tear this shameful history of

their lives from the books of their life. Unfortunately, this is impossible due

to the fact that the past is a precursor to the present which, in turn,

determines one's future. It is one's past that makes one what he or she is today.

For example, if an individual committed ruthless acts such as theft or murder,

was not caught by the law, and later realizes that that particular aspect of his

or her life has caused them great grief and regret, he or she will make the

effort to change and become a new individual. Let us say that individual becomes