Sophocles 'Oedipus Tyrannus'

Reading Response #1

The play Oedipus Tyrannus by Sophocles, is a tragedy that begins with the reader’s understanding the parents of Oedipus; King Laius and Jocasta, abandon him due to a prophecy given by the Oracle. It stated that their child would murder his father and marry his mother. Regardless of their actions to prevent procreation, they conceive a child and send him away to die, hoping they would never see him again; Oedipus. However, he is adopted into the royal family of Polybrus from Corinth. In his later years, he hears the same prophecy from the Oracle and to spare his parents; who he believes to be his biological parents Oedipus leaves for Thebes; not knowing that the parents he has left are his adoptive parents. Along the way

free will. A timely theme that states if actions and results are predetermined or sought out by the person, in this tragedy however, I wholeheartedly believe that Oedipus was in fact not responsible for his own suffering due to his actions and his existence being controlled by a predetermined prophecy. Even before Oedipus was conceived a prophecy was set that a child of King Laius and Jocasta would kill his father, and marry his mother, Oedipus was never responsible for his own suffering because it was bound to happen eventually, it was his density and density can not be changed. Therefore whatever he did, whatever path he chose he would always end up back to his predetermined density, fulfilling the oracle. Due to this fact there was no accurate depiction of free will in his life. Thus, blaming or mentioning that Oedipus is responsible for his own suffering is uncalled for, he is and cannot be accountable for something that he had no control over. This accusation is like saying it is a caterpillars fault for turning into a butterfly! A caterpillar figuratively knows that it will become a butterfly; it is its destiny, regardless of what it does, or how hard it tries to leave this destiny, it will clearly turn into a butterfly, and the same goes for Oedipus. His own parents sent him away, yet through this oracle came back; he also tried to flee his fate once he hears it from the Oracle

In the beginning and much of the middle of the play Oedipus is “blind” to the truth around him, and doesn’t take to consideration that the truth he maybe seeing is all ignorance. For instance, even when Jocasta mentions to Oedipus that an oracle told her that her son was going to kill her husband and lay with her, Oedipus does not put both scenarios together even though he finds it unusual that he has heard the same prophecy. Oedipus is so blind throughout the play; he even gets agitated when members of the polis suggest that King Polybius may not actually be his biological father. This blindness provides an “ignorance is bliss” view on the entire stance because without this truth, without this knowledge of the murder and his adoption, Oedipus lives a very uneventful life, a life without any worries. But once Teiresias, a blind prophet tells Oedipus the truth of his faith, his “eyes” open and he is able to put two and two together. Knowledge is allowed to start flowing into him and through this his ignorance begins to also