Oedipus

This analysis of Oedipus’s character shows how Oedipus, the protagonist and the antagonist against himself, dealt with unfortunate situations which sealed his fate. Oedipus was a strange round character that was really interesting and mysterious. Oedipus’s life was a good example of a true Greek tragedy; he worked himself up to be a great king and ultimately in the end he died with only his perception on life. Oedipus was once a man of power who falls impoverished. He goes from having much respect in his great position to being impure, blind, and expelled from the land that he once ruled.

At the beginning of Oedipus the King, Oedipus’s wisdom and actions as a king are very effective. To his subjects he is respected and very well accepted. His intelligence is known to his people as a hero as a result of his correct answer to the riddle of the sphinx. Oedipus’s subject’s affection is shown by the chorus’s account, “People of Thebes, my countrymen, look on Oedipus. He solved the famous riddle with his brilliance, he rose to power, a man beyond all power. Who could behold his greatness without envy? (Oedipus the King, 1678–1682). His intelligence also corresponded with his swift nature. Oedipus was always looking towards the future which could be a product of his many prophecies which seemed to always haunt his nature. During the tenure when Oedipus was successful, his quick actions were useful. He was always trying to stay one step ahead, for example, he tries to save the city against the plague by sending Creon to the oracle of Delphi for a solution to the problem. After Oedipus’s reputation and successful lifestyle began to fall, his quick actions began to damage his status rather than assist it. His immediate perceptions began ...

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...of his death he new he could only sit and wait for his fate to come; which is ironic to his former outlook on life. Also when Jocasta mentioned, “groping through the dark”, it foreshadowed Oedipus stabbing out his eyes and living a life of exile wandering around. In the final act Oedipus accepted his fate and punishment, and gave up on trying to foresee the future; while beginning to live life randomly by chance.

All in all Oedipus experienced life to its greatest highest points, but also to its deepest darkest depths. Oedipus experienced enough tragedy that it eventually gave him a personality makeover. I think Oedipus came to realize that he could not control the outcome of his fate, but he could deal with the twists and turns it gave him.

Works Cited

Shakespeare, William. "Oedipus." Norton anthology of world masterpieces. New York: W.W. Norton, 1997. Print.