Oedipus Reflection Essay

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Recommended: Analysis of Oedipus the king by Sophocles

With the dawn of each day upon the city of Thebes, a great leader opens his eyes and awakens, straining to see whatever has the misfortune to fall into his line of sight. This leader, however great he claims hismself to be, is infested with arrogance, and doomed to plunge into eternal darkness; he has no one to blame for it but himself. This leader, needlessly toying with fate - which by definition is inescapable - is none other than Oedipus of Corinth (Friedlander). As a chine, he was bound by the feet (Oedupis translates to "swollen feet") and left for dead is the woods by his parents, Laius and Jocasta of Thebes (Friedlander). Later in Oedupus ' life, he ventures to find the identity of his true parents, but in a twist of fate, kills his …show more content…

Ironically, had he not been ignorant to the identities of his parents before leaving Corinth, Oedipus wouldn 't have killed Laius, and therefore couldn 't marry his mother; also Oedipus is blissful not knowing the truth. In a conversation between Oedipus and his wife/mother Jocasta, Oeidpus reflects on his day, still wondering more; as he speaks with his wife, Oedipus slowly begins to put pieces together and powerfully comes to the realization that he is the corruption which he has cursed. "Strange, hearing you just now... my mind wandered, my thoughts racing back and forth. (Sophocles, 293)" This marks the point where Oedipus conveys that he is putting the pieces of his prophecy together (the prophecy called for him to murder his father, and marry his mother). His mind 's wandering and thoughts ' racing relate to his actions, wandering away from his home to escape marrying his mother, and hastily killing his father unbeknownst to him. "Oh no no, I think I 've just called down a dreadful curse upon myself - I simply didn 't know! (Sophocles, 294)" Oedipus stutters again, this time on the word "no," indicating his bewilderment when he sees his ego is being tarnished. He had made up a curse to …show more content…

As a rule of thumb, its best to sit back, and let life lead on its own without trying to foresee the future with outside assistance such as from a prophet life Tiresias. In Oedipus; case, that would have solved his first problem, and thus not even created his second one. Oedipus ' prophecy because what it is because he is never satisfied with what he has. The moral of the story is to relax, and become self informed, but at a casual pace so one doesn 't over-do it. To put Sophocles ' point as bluntly as Tiresias would: "don 't be dumb like Oedipus: think before acting upon an

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