Mēdén Agan Carved into the temple Delphi in Greece is the phrase, “mēdén ágan” which means “nothing in excess.” The ancient Greeks had a firm belief in moderation. They thought that if there was an extravagant amount of a particular aspect or quality in one’s life, consequences would ensue. In the play Oedipus Rex Sophocles expresses this philosophy of “nothing in excess” by depicting the negative effects and the ultimate downfall of people who don 't live in a moderate state. While Sophocles was writing “Oedipus Rex,” the power of Athens was diminishing. A war broke out in 431 B.C. between Athens and Sparta and that dragged on for 27 years and nine years later in 404 B.C. Athens suffered a humiliating defeat — leading to the loss of power …show more content…
In the play, Jocasta and Laius received an awful prophecy about their son. This prophecy claimed that their son would one day kill Laius and marry Jocasta. Because of this, Jocasta sends her son away to die in an effort to prevent the prophecy of the Gods. This belief that she could outwit the gods and avoid the prophecy indicates Jocasta’s extreme excessive pride. She assumed she was more powerful than the Gods and could run away from her fate. It was foolish of her to believe all was well after trying to intervene with her future she knew to be inevitable. What Jocasta does not know is that her son didn 't die and the prophecies did, in fact, come true. Yet, because she is filled with so much pride, she lives her life with the inability to see the truth. Jocasta thinks because she sent her son away to be killed, the problem of the prophecy is solved; but this isn’t the case. She ends up doing the very thing she was certain could never happen and marries her …show more content…
His arrogance is shown in the very first lines he speaks, “Here I am – myself – you all know me, / the world knows my fame: / I am Oedipus” (7-9). When Oedipus is told by the oracle that he will marry his mother and kill his father, he arrogantly thinks he can run away from his fate. Believing that Polybus and Merope were his biological parents, Oedipus fled Corinth, attempting to escape his destiny. Oedipus ' pride is revealed in his belief that he is greater than the gods. He believes that he is capable of establishing his own destiny apart from the gods ' control or help. He flees his home to try to thwart the prophecy; but just as Jocasta’s fate was inevitable, so was Oedipus’. Oedipus ends up committing the two acts the prophecy projected, though he does not know it at the
In Sophocles’ Oedipus The King, King Oedipus of Thebes is confronted. and strangely obsessed with the mystery of who killed Laios. former king of Thebes, for a great plague has overtaken the city of. Thebes because of this murder. During his quest for the truth, he begins to discover that the answer to his query is also the answer to another disturbing mystery about himself, who am I?
The authority which Oedipus and Jocasta defy is the same. Both the king and his mother defy the authority of the gods by trying to evade their edict. The edict states that a son would be born to Jocasta who would marry his mother and kill his father, as Oedipus says, “How mating with my mother I must spawn a progeny...having been my father's murderer.” (OEDIPUS, Oedipus, 44). When Jocasta hears of this, she attempts to kill the baby Oedipus, thus trying to escape the prophesy. Similarly, when Oedipus, as an unmarried adult, hears that he would kill his father, he runs away from his home town, Corinth, never to return. Oedipus and Jocasta both defy the gods' authority, which in this case comes in the form of running away from a menacing prophesy. In the end, however, Jocasta dies and Oedipus is overthrown and ruined.
Oedipus's pride caused him a lot of trouble not only when he reached the land of Thebes, where he became king, but also in his own land of Corinth. There are several examples in which Oedipus is not able to put aside his pride and put the pieces of the puzzle together in order to realize that the Oracle prophecy came true. In the beginning, he believes that he can outsmart the Oracle. In fact, when telling Iocaste about his past he states that, "They prophesied that I should kill Polybus, kill my won father; but he is dead and buried, and I am here—I never touched him, never, unless he died of grief for my departure, and thus, in a sense through me. No. Polybus has pacted the oracles off with him underground. They are empty words (I iii 54-59)." First, his pride prevents him from respecting the power that Tireseas is given by the gods by being disrespectful to him. He completely ignores Tireseas when he says, "I say that you are the murder whom you seek (I i 144)." He is told straight out that he is the murderer and instead says in response, "Now twice you have spat out infamy. You'll pay for it (I i 145)." Second, his pride prevents him from seeing the similarities between Iocaste's story of how her husband died with his own story of how he got to Thebes. Iocate tells him that Laios was killed at a place where three highways meet (I ii 185-94) and this jogs Oedipus's memory and he tells the story of how he killed a man where three highways came together.
When reading the story of Oedipus the king people see it from Oedipus’s side “that he a child would kill his father and marry his mother;” however nobody sees it from the view of the mother, imagine how terrible it would be to find out that you have been bedding your own child and are grandmother and mother to the children you share. Jocasta is the Queen of Thebes, Never the less when a person is to think about what a queen 's life would be like, it would not be wrong to picture glamorous parties, fancy clothes and even an easy stress free life. However Jocastas first marriage did seem to emulate that life, and it seems like her first marriage to King Laius was happy. After the arrival or her son the happy king and queen receive the prophecy
Ironically, he initially became a King by solving a riddle and now he is trying to solve another to try and maintain his image and control his destiny. “Human happiness is built on an illusion” (Dodds 27). This quote is a good connection to the role of Oedipus, because while attempting to keep the Kingdom under control and keep his image unharmed, he is left in the dark by ignoring the signs. The irony of ignoring the past continues when “Creon brings the information that there will be no relief until the murderer of Laius is expelled from the city… [And] the murder mystery slowly becomes a quest for Oedipus ' identity” (Derrida). Building upon the investigation, Oedipus grows a keen interest for who he truly is. Is there any truth to the prophecies that which he and Jocasta have seemingly forgot about? At this point, it seems as though Oedipus must finally face his fear and discover the truth that he has been avoiding for so long. The only way for Oedipus to find out the lies he has been living is to seek for the only witness of his father’s murder, a shepherd. Only until Oedipus threatens to kill the shepherd does he tell the truth and reveal the tragic events which have been avoided for so long. In this moment before certainty of the past is brought to light, the relationship between self-control and self-image is linked and soon to be changed
As a young man in Corinth, Oedipus learns from the Oracle at Delphi that he is destined to “kill [his] father, the one who gave [him] life!” (Sophocles). No one informs Oedipus that he is adopted, so he believes that his adoptive father, Polybus, is his biological father. Consequently, he runs away from Corinth in an attempt to beat the prophecy. For years, Oedipus has “given Corinth a wide berth” and Polybus has remained alive (Sophocles). This illusory correlation between Polybus’ survival and Oedipus’ departure causes Oedipus to believe that he has defeated the prophecy. Oedipus ' arrogance swells further when he defeats the Sphinx that terrorizes the city of Thebes. As Oedipus ascends to Thebes’ throne, his hubris escalates. He begins to see himself as more than a mortal. In fact, Oedipus deems himself a god on Earth. When the Chorus prays to the gods to save the city of Thebes, Oedipus responds, “You pray to the gods? Let me grant your prayers” (Sophocles). Oedipus’ arrogance is not challenged by the city of Thebes. On the contrary, Oedipus’ tyrannical rule only illuminates society’s lack of rebellion. The Theban citizens are completely subservient to Oedipus’ will. A priest refers to Oedipus not only as “first of men” but also says that “your country calls you a savior now” (Sophocles). The citizens of Thebes
under our modern laws. It was every Greek's duty to harm his/her enemies, and as far as Oedipus knew, King Laius was an enemy. & nbsp; Queen Jocasta wasn't exactly guiltless, either. The great Queen had also. tried with King Laius to kill their son, and had no respect for the prophecies. of Apollo: "A prophet? Listen to me and learn some peace of mind: no skill in. the world, nothing human can penetrate the future. She was also the other half.
Although Jocasta tried to murder her son, Oedipus, to save her husband and herself from the terrible prophecy foretold at Oedipus' birth, Oedipus still deserves most of our criticism. He chose to murder another human being, through no fault of Jocasta's. She honourably tried to save her husband by having her son murdered although the person meant to do it couldn't go through with it.
Oedipus shows himself as being very pridefull when he leaves his adopted parents in Corinth. Oedipus leaves after he is told about his destiny from an old prophet. The prophet tells Oedipus that he will one day kill his father and marry his mother. Fearing this, Oedipus decides to leave Cornith. In doing this he is going against the gods, he is saying that he is not going to let this happen to him and he is going to control his own destiny.
Oedipus’ personality clearly reflects pride and determination throughout the play. When Oedipus heard the oracles’ prediction that he was to kill his father and marry his mother, he was determined to prevent the prophecy. Therefore he left his homeland of Corinth never to return. Then when he solved the Sphinx’s riddle, Oedipus’ pride rose to a new level. He was praised by the people of Thebes, resulting in his marriage to Jocasta, Queen of Thebes. Oedipus also shows his determination when in search of Laius’ murderer. He stated that he would avenge the King’s death as if Laius were his own father. He cursed the murderer, announcing “May he drag out an evil death-in-life in misery.” These characteristics of pride and determination, which Oedipus emanates throughout the play, may appear to be positive attributes to one’s personality. However, Oedipus’ actions, based on these characteristics, are what led him to his eventual downfall and suffrage.
I think Jocasta has some blame because she angered the gods and even after the gods told her that if she had a kid, he would kill his dad and sleep with his mother but she still had a baby.After blowing the chance of changing the prophecy for Oedipus, she still could have saved him if she were to see the baby be killed so she makes sure that the baby was dead. Jocasta could have also realized the prophecy was coming true as soon her husband Laius was dead. Over all Jocasta should have feared and listened to the gods in the first place like every other Greek citizen.
Oedipus is doomed to his fate so he uses his freewill to purge the truth (WowEssays). He uses this illusion to control his life so he doesn’t feel so scared of the prophecy ever coming true. He goes to his hometown Thebes to get away from the prophecy, and while he was on the road he murders his father not knowing that it was his real father, fulfilling one part of the prophecy. When he arrived in Thebes he married his own mother, Jocasta, and believed he was the king of Thebes. Jocasta believed her son, Oedipus, was dead, but as pieces of information began to fit she realized she had married her son and that the prophecy was coming true. Nevertheless, Jocasta’s blindness lead her to commit suicide.
Jocasta’s compliance to the demands of the men around her is revealed through her constant role as a nurturing mother, one who provides emotional connections, but cannot make decisions. This role spans throughout the entire prophecy, throughout her entire life, and throughout her roles as Oedipus’ mother and then his wife. With the arrival of the prophecy that her and Laios’ son is destined to kill his own father and marry his own mother, Jocasta had to leave her child to essentially die in order to evade the prophecy. A mother’s first instinct is typically to protect her child at all costs; however, Jocasta goes against this by actually putting her child in danger in order to protect her husband. This instance proves that the husband seems to be the main focus. Every action seems to be to p...
In Greek tragedy the natural forces are destructive. These forces might be nature, gods or fate. Man is helpless in facing these powers.
Sophocles, a Greek author and philosopher, created a magnificent work of literature, Oedipus Rex. Oedipus Rex describes the legendary tales that King Oedipus of Thebes took in order to confirm that his biological parents were King Polybus of Corinth and his wife Merope. This tragedy of fate explores the depths of modern psychoanalysis as Oedipus unwittingly kills his father and marries his mother in an attempt to avoid the very prophecy he ultimately fulfills. The play was created by Sophocles, an intellectual philosopher that was born in 495 B.C. about a mile northwest of Athens. Sophocles has become one of the most prominent playwrights of the golden age. He was a son of a wealthy merchant, therefore, he enjoyed all the benefits of a thriving Greek empire. As an accomplished actor, Sophocles performed in many of his own plays, such as Oedipus Rex. The famous Sophocles is known as one of the greatest innovators of the theatre. The Theatre of Dionysus is where the greatest playwrights performed their infamous tales, it was a major open-air theatre build in Athens, the theatre was dedicated to the god of wine and fertility, it hosted the City Dionysia festival. The Theatre of Dionysus is where Oedipus Rex is first acknowledged to the world. Oedipus Rex embodies the nature of life and society in ancient Greece.