More handpicked essays just for you.
Connect oedipus to human condition
Oedipus the king through psychological lens
Oedipus the king through psychological lens
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: Connect oedipus to human condition
After banishment from his own city Oedipus experiences the joy of having a relationship his child. Yet, Oedipus at Colonus shows the conflict between father, Oedipus, and son, Polynices.
At the start of Oedipus at Colonus, we see Oedipus as an exiled man who has suffered through a lot. He was banished from his city, Thebes, and was wronged by his family and this leaves Oedipus a passive man who knows that he is going to die. Oedipus acknowledges this fact to Theseus when he says “I have suffered terribly, Theseus, wrongs on wrongs, no end” (Sophocles 670-671). Oedipus is incompetent and relies heavily on the assistance of Antigone to interact with the outside world which is displayed when he tells Antigone to “watch over the blind man” (Sophocles 24) to which she replies “no need to teach me that, not after all these years” (Sophocles 25). This dialogue shows that Oedipus is deficient and self-pitying and that he has been for the preceding years of expulsion. This self-pity is a direct result of the hardships Oedipus has faced. However, as the play progresses we see a shift from the more passive, impotent man to the
The act of condemnation really shows the conflict between a father and his son because a father should be loving toward his son, but Oedipus is the absolute opposite. By condemning the lives of Polynices and Eteocles, Oedipus is essentially condemning the relationship they share as parent and child. This also makes the reader feel more sympathy for the curser than the cursed because deep down Oedipus truly loves his sons no matter what they do. This can also be said for Polynices when he accepts he says “I must go to meet this doom in silence” (Sophocles 1592-1593). This declaration shows that Polynices loves and respects the word of Oedipus because if he didn’t he would have challenged the word of
“Shepherd: I am on the brink of dreadful speech/ Oedipus: And I of dreadful hearing yet I must hear” (Sophocles 63) With this Oedipus shows that he wants the truth to be reveled so that he can save the city and have the truth realized. It does not matter what the truth is only that he must know who he needs to kill or banish to save the people of Thebes. Oedipus also shows his care for the city of Thebes when he finally learns the truth about who his parents were and that he had in fact fulfilled the prophecy that he had so desired to not do. Oedipus chooses to still banish himself and stick to what he promised the city at the beginning of the play. “conceal me somewhere far from Thebes” (Sophocles 75) Oedipus does this to not only hid from the shame he receives from fulfilling the prophecy but to also end the plague and to save the people of Thebes. Finally Oedipus shows his quality of care for his children a trait that makes him more admirable in the play. This moment is shown after Oedipus finds out that he has fulfilled the prophecy and is the reason for the plague. Then he blinds himself and prepares to banish himself but before he is banished he asks for Creon and asks of a favour “Take care of them Creon do this for me” (Sophocles 77) Thus Oedipus shows his compassion for his children
Firstly, a significant portion of the play consists of Oedipus complaining about his status (Sophocles 65, 65, 72, 79). Complaints are not at all the mark of one who accepts responsibility for their situation, as Oedipus should. Complaining constantly to others about a problem that one caused for oneself is not at all something any sane person would do if they truly see themselves as guilty. In fact, Sophocles seems to go out of his way in Oedipus at Colonus to set Oedipus up as a helpless man with absolutely no control. Oedipus is incapable of caring for himself due to blindness and frailty, his daughters have to escort him everywhere, and he is forced to be an outcast and is only able to come to rest because of the grace of the Athenians (Sophocles 59, 101, 106). The main plot consists of other people trying to decide where Oedipus goes for his death, and the final outcome is not the decision of Oedipus or any of the other people, but that of Apollo himself (Sophocles 106-107). Oedipus is completely and utterly at the mercy of fate and those around him, which is an incredibly stark contrast to the power he held over himself and his kingdom in Oedipus the King. These things alone, however, are mere setup that do not necessarily indicate determinism. “Perhaps Sophocles merely wanted to highlight how low Oedipus’s actions
In Antigone we enter the final part of a trilogy collectively referred to as the Theban Plays. Antigone is the daughter of Oedipus, the unfortunate namesake of the complex (supposedly issuing from the repression of urges that he so infamously, if unwittingly, acted out). Oedipus transgressed some of the most universal taboos; he committed patricide and committed incest by sleeping with his own mother. Antigone is the product of that “unholy” union. Just before the action of Antigone, in Oedipus at Colonus, after the death of Oedipus, a conflict had broken out between his sons Eteocles and Polyneices (“The Internet Classics Archive | Oedipus at Colonus by Sophocles.").
Aristoteles’s “Theory of Tragedy” suggests that the tragic flaw in Sophocles’ play Oedipus is the King’s “self-destructive actions taken in blindness,” but a worse flaw if his arrogance. There are a few opposing views that stray from Oedipus being fully arrogant. First is that he took actions to save himself further pain. Second by putting himself in charge was the right thing to do as the leader of his people. Third Oedipus never tried to outwit the gods but used the prophecy as a warning to leave Corinth. All three opposing arguments shows a different side of Oedipus other than that of arrogance.
The Greek tragedy Oedipus at Colonus was written by the renowned Greek playwright Sophocles at around 404 B.C.. In the play, considered to be one of the best Greek dramas ever written, Sophocles uses the now broken down and old Oedipus as a statement of hope for man. As Oedipus was royalty and honor before his exile from his kingdom of Thebes he is brought down to a poor, blind old man who wonders, “Who will receive the wandering Oedipus today?” (Sophocles 283) most of the time of his life that is now as low as a peasant’s. Although former ruler of Thebes has been blinded and desecrated to the point where he is a beggar, he will not give up on his life and on the life of his two daughters Antigone and Ismene, and his two sons Eteocles and Polynieces who were supposed to help their sorrowful father like true sons and true men but instead they “tend the hearth like girls.”(304). Yet Oedipus still gives praise to those who have helped him, his daughters Antigone and Ismene, although he has no sight, is poor, and his life is of no meaning to him, he recognizes honor and loyalty when he sees it:
...k him years to understand that what he did was wrong and with his guilt, he takes his own sight from him. As he climbs this hill to get back some peace he become a prophet and predicts Polynices death, which he accepts it his death. At the end of Oedipus’ life he has a peaceful death and will protect the city of Athens. I think that the three themes of this play, illustrated that no matter how hard someone tries to predict their lives, it will always be in fates hand. And something greater than Oedipus want what is best for him, like the gods giving him a peaceful death.
Oedipus’ baneful traits of naiveté, arrogance, and curiosity blend with one another in Oedipus Rex to comprise his horrible, inevitable fate. With the traits given to him, Oedipus is destined to have the fate he receives, but what would become of him if he is not arrogant? What if he was not curious or naïve? Would Oedipus still finish with his eyes gouged out and his subjects scorning his name? Even the author himself, Sophocles, may not know if the tragic hero could ever free himself of his inescapable web of his fate.
In the play, Oedipus the King written by Sophocles, the protagonist Oedipus finds himself in many conflicts, most of which seem to be a result of a combination of the actions he took. The play addresses that Oedipus is his own worst enemy, who is too determined to find out who he is and too proud to listen to the Gods. He thinks he can get out of following through on his own fate. So, because of that he doomed himself. Oedipus’ first reaction to rumors about his father not being his birth father lead him to overreact.
In the short story Oedipus at Colonus by Sophocles, we see our once valiant and heroic antagonist Oedipus reverse his entire character. In the end of Oedipus the King and the beginning of this story, we learn that Oedipus has been reduced to a lowly, blind peasant who has been exiled from Thebes and lives his life wandering the grounds of Greece. As he came to the city of Colonus, he ended his journey and realized he was meant to find his death there. Accompanied by his daughters, Antigone and Ismene, he reaches out to Theseus (King of Colonus) for assistance regarding his inevitable fate.
Oedipus the King conveys many lessons that are relevant to people living today despite the fact that it was written by Sophocles twenty four centuries ago. Oedipus is a child destined to kill his father and marry his mother. During his life, he makes many mistakes trying to avoid his fate. These mistakes teach us about the nature of humans under certain circumstances. Oedipus possesses personality traits which causes him to make wrong decisions. Attributes like arrogance and his inability to make calm decisions in certain scenarios due to his anger causes his downfall. Oedipus’ excessive pride, like many people today, was an important factor that brought him grief. Oedipus’ lack of patience caused him to make hasty decisions which lead him to his greatest agony. Oedipus’ massive ego turned into excessive vanity, this was the first step to his downfall. Oedipus talks to Creon about the murderer of Laius. He declares, “Then I’ll go back and drag that shadowed past to light… but by myself and for myself I’ll break this plague” (Sophocles, 11). Oedipus is saying that he will be the on...
“…they will never see the crime I have committed or had done upon me!” These are the words Oedipus shouted as he blinds himself upon learning the truth of his past. It is ironic how a person blessed with perfect physical vision could in reality be blind to to matters of life and conscience. During his prime as King of Thebes, Oedipus is renowned for his lucidity and his ability to rule with a clear concept of justice and equality. The people loved him for his skill and wit, as he saved Thebes from the curse of the Sphinx. As a result, Oedipus became overly confident, and refuses to see that he may be the cause of the malady that is plaguing his kingdom. Although physically Oedipus has full use of his eyes, Sophocles uses sight to demonstrate how Oedipus is blind to the truth about his past what it might me for both him and his kingdom. Upon learning the truth, Oedipus gouges out his eyes, so he won’t have to look upon his children, or the misfortune that is his life. Once physically unable to see, Oedipus has clear vision as to his fate, and what must be done for his kingdom and his family
First of all, Oedipus is determined to discover who he is, just like any person who is having problems. One explores the reason behind the problem to set their mind free and feel relief. They try to explore what is causing the problem and when it is discovered it is better left unknown. Oedipus can not accept things as they are and by investigating his past, he is his own worst enemy by destroying his relationships and himself. When he was a young man he heard that his parents were not his real paternal parents, from the oracle. He believed that his adopted parents were his real parents so he moved to Thebes so he would not fulfill what the oracle had predicted as his fate. Oedipus was a character that had a certain way of feeling sure about himself. Many people act this way, but this are the same kind of people that spend their time searching for the truth about themselves. I believe that his pride was his biggest character flaw and because of this, the conclusion of the play was tragic. He feels that he has to take responsibility for his actions even though he had no control over them and fate was to blame. Yet many aspects could have been avoiding with extensive research about his background from his adoptive parents, but because he avoided this, his circumstance determined his fate.
Initially, Oedipus is a confident leader who believes he is educated and knows the truth about himself and the land he presides over, Thebes. This is because he was proclaimed the most famous man alive as a result of his answering the Sphinx’s riddle to save Thebes from a tragic epidemic. However, at the beginning of the play there is another plague causing grief to the members of Thebes, and Oedipus goes so far as to say that he will stop at nothing to rid Thebes of this pollution. He states, "Each of you grieves for himself alone, while my heart must bear the strain of sorrow for all--myself and you and all our city’s people. No I am not blind to it," (p.4). Yet in essence he is blind to it because he is the indirect cause for the epidemic in Thebes. Oedipus finds out that the cause for the Epidemic is that nobody came forth as an avenger in the murder of King Laius. Oedipus then states, "I shall not cease until I bring the truth to light. Apollo has shown, and you have shown, the duty which we owe the dead," (p.5). This is ironic in that Oedipus vows to make the truth come to light so that everybody can see it, including himself. Moreover, th...
The myth of Oedipus is one of a man brought down by forces aligning against him. Over the years, different playwrights have interpreted his character in various fashions. In Sophocles’ Oedipus the King, Oedipus is a man who is blind to the path on which his questions take him and exemplifies the typical tyrannical leader in ancient times; in Senaca’s Oedipus, it is the fear of his questions that give Oedipus a greater depth of character, a depth he must overcome if he is to survive his ordeal.
Oedipus is depicted as a “marionette in the hands of a daemonic power”(pg150), but like all tragic hero’s he fights and struggles against fate even when the odds are against him. His most tragic flaw is his morality, as he struggles between the good and the evil of his life. The good is that he was pitied by the Shepard who saved him from death as a baby. The evil is his fate, where he is to kill his father and marry his mother. His hubris or excessive pride and self-righteousness are the lead causes to his downfall. Oedipus is a tragic hero who suffers the consequences of his immoral actions, and must learn from these mistakes. This Aristotelian theory of tragedy exists today, as an example of what happens when men and women that fall from high positions politically and socially.