Gods vs. Mortals in Oedipus Rex & the Bacchae

In the story of Oedipus the king at the beginning Jocasta does not have any idea of what her husband it is to her. Later on she finds out that her husband it is her own son whom she throw away because when he is born a bad prophecy is giving to him. She tries to stop him when she realize it and she starts begging him, she tries to stop him. As an example, she says to him, “listen to me, I beg you: do not do this thing!”(Sophocles 1088) Also she says “you are fatally wrong! May you never learn who you are!” (Sophocles 1088), that gives us a clue, at that point she knows Oedipus is her own son and that the prophecy has already begin to happen in his life. The journalist Anders

Oedipus, outraged at the accusation, denounces it as a plot of Creon to gain the throne. Jocasta appears just in time to avoid a battle between the two men. Seers, she assures Oedipus, are not infallible. To prove her point she cites the old prophecy that her son should kill his father and have children by his mother. She prevented its fulfillment, she confesses, by abandoning their infant son in the mountains. As for Laius, he had been killed by robber’s years later at the junction of three roads on the route to Delphi.

Due to his arrogance and narcissism, Oedipus fails to take heed of Tiresias warning of whom Creon sent him and decided that the accusations that were being made against him are attempts to steal his throne. Likewise, Oedipus tells Tiresias when he was reluctant to tell Oedipus is Laius’ killer, “What then, thou knowest, and yet willst not speak!/Wouldst thou betray us and destroy the

In the end, Tiresias explains that Oedipus is to blame for Laius’s death, for he is the murderer. Oedipus naturally denies the claim and accuses Creon and Tiresias of conspiring against him, so that Creon can gain power. Even though Oedipus is in denial, he still adamantly seeks the truth held by the shepherd. He sends for him, and upon arrival the shepherd was timid to reveal the truth. Oedipus responded by calling to the guards, “Twist his arm back, quickly! (line 1269)” In the end of this scene Jocasta, wife of Oedipus, realizes the truth behind who her husband really is, and that the prophecy had been fulfilled and runs away. Oedipus then continues to question the shepherd further because he still fails to see what is right in front of him.

He is consumed in hubris as he disbelieved the oracles, and sealed his fate. Although he was cursed at birth for his father's misdeeds, his godlessness paired with vain pride leads him deeper into tragedy. Prophecy foretold that Oedipus would kill his father, and marry his mother. Jocasta, without belief in the gods, prays to them. She only prays to them at her own convenience. She prays to the altar of Apollo requesting that Oedipus doesn't learn the truth of the situation. Jocasta thinks that her prayer has come true. A messenger walks in, and reveals that Oedipus' dad has died. She doesn't want Oedipus to find out who his true parents are. Polybus was believed to be Oedipus' father. He was relieved to hear of Polybus' dying a natural death as a sign that the oracles are false. “PAGE 26/40 OEDIPUS...the oracles are dead-- Dust, ashes, nothing, dead as Polybus. JOCASTA “Tell me Oedipus, didn't I tell you this would happen a long time ago?” But Jocasta was just praying to those same 'powerless' gods. Despite the brief relief of his dead father, he refused to visit his mother. He feared the other half of the prophecy, for he was scared of scorn from the Gods. He constantly questions if it can be true, and wavers on the line of deception and truth. Oedipus lives in deception. He lives in constant sorrow and unease, for he is sacrilegious and hypocritical. “PAGE 26/40 OEDIPUS If only my mother

Pride comes in many forms, and when it grows, people get carried away and forget who they are. Supreme pride is just one trait that ties three tragic heroes together, and which it destroys their lives. Creon struggles with his own within the play Antigone by Sophocles; which is shown when he is not capable of creating an atmosphere of respect as king, without putting himself on a holy pedestal. Then Oedipus from Oedipus the King, also by Sophocles, shows his pride in a much different manner. Oedipus tries to go against his own fate that the Gods have already laid out for him.

Oedipus rises as a hero, but eventually loses his power when he faithfully commits to terrible deeds. Jocasta, the wife and mother to Oedipus, doubts that the oracle of Apollo is genuine. Since she and her previous husband, King Laius, left Oedipus to die in the mountains, they refuse to believe the oracle. She claims that “ ..It was fate that he should die a victim at the hands of his own son, a son to be born of Laius and me. But, see now, he, the king, was killed by foreign highway robbers at a place where three roads meet” (Sophocles, 493: 791-796). Despite Jocasta and Laius’s intentions to change their fate, the prophecy remains unfeigned. The fact that Oedipus is alive even after being abandoned, is evidence that their fates are

“Gods can be evil sometimes.” In the play “Oedipus the King”, Sophocles defamed the gods’ reputation, and lowered their status by making them look harmful and evil. It is known that all gods should be perfect and infallible, and should represent justice and equity, but with Oedipus, the gods decided to destroy him and his family for no reason. It might be hard to believe that gods can have humanistic traits, but in fact they do. The gods, especially Apollo, are considered evil by the reader because they destroyed an innocent man’s life and his family. They destroyed Oedipus by controlling his fate, granting people the power of prophecy, telling Oedipus about his fate through the oracle of Apollo, and finally afflicting the people of

When Oedipus hears that he is the killer, his pride is wounded for he cannot accept the truth. His judgment is so blurred that he also begins to view Creon as a traitor for using Tiresias. Creon’s words sum up Oedipus’s rage when he said, “Oedipus, your husband, he’s bent on a choice of punishments for me, banishment from the fatherland or death” (715-717). Jocasta is even surprised with Oedipus’s unusual character, as she said, “For the love of God, Oedipus, tell me too, what is it? Why this rage? You’re so unbending” (767-769). The reason why Oedipus pride is so wounded can be because his negative experiences with the Gods. As a baby, he was condemned to death, yet he survived and learned the horrible truth of his prophecy. In attempt to escape that life, he lost belief in the word of the gods because he refused that the prophecies should come true. This struggle between God and Oedipus only tears his moral beliefs as he has to be stone cold to survive his tribulations. This meant giving no consideration against people who presently posed a great threat to him.

In the play Oedipus has qualities such as caring and being loyal to the people of his city. The play begins with a plague in which the people of Thebes are encountering. Oedipus who is the king is well aware and worried of this terrible event is trying to do whatever it takes to find a solution. The people in Thebes believe in their king since they’ve already witnessed how he rescued their city in an occasion. “Oedipus, we need now the great power men everywhere know you posses. Find some way to protect us learn it from a god’s whisper or a man’s” (pg. 487). Oedipus knows his people are counting on him and as a result his attitude is one of a leader, arrogant, authoritative, confident, intelligent, determined, and compassionate. Once Oedipus uncovers the solution to end the plague is to find the murdered of former king Laios he is determined to do this and no one will stop him. Tiresias the prophet offers an answer to Oedipus’ quest, but his response to the prophet’s prophecy is a disbelieving and offensive one. “Wealth and a king’s power, the skill that wins every time how much envy, what malice they provoke. To rob me of power, power I didn’t

Both topics of Tiresias being accused as blind by Oedipus (when he is in fact the blind one in the scenario placed within the play) and Jocasta being blind to the fact that the prophecy foretold to her came true coalesce in regards to reversal of binary in numerous processes, especially in regards to both having the motif of blindness vs sight, and ignorance vs knowing—not to mention disrespect of the Gods as a whole, something very fundamental to Greek culture at the time. What is happening here in regards to binary within the play as a whole is that such examples explain the central theme at work, the binary of total omniscience and all knowingness of the gods vs the folly and ignorance of humankind as a whole. Such an example of this binary in action is in the case of Tiresias, representing the concept of the all-knowing God within a form more palatable to the decidedly ignorant human, which is Oedipus. He brings up legitimate concerns over Oedipus not regarding the actual servant of Apollo, and therefore his interpreter seriously “I am not your slave. I serve Apollo” (467) is but one of the claims Tiresias spread forth against Oedipus as he continues to not regard his claims. The refusal of Oedipus to look within himself or the gods is why Thebes is in chaos in its own right. Oedipus is the hero of the story, technically—but he is arrogant enough to refuse all attempts of understanding the situation despite the god nearly literally throwing proof of his guilt at him.

Throughout the tragedy, "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles, the authority of the gods and their power is challenged. Gods are a key element in driving the plot of "Oedipus Rex”. This shows the author's sense of cosmic order, and this belief is reflected in the characters he writes. The citizens of Thebes, and their attitude towards the gods, help show the beliefs of Sophocles through a multitude of ways. By analyzing the text written by Sophocles, it is evident that he believed the gods to be cruel, powerful, and that they commanded respect.

Unfortunately, to her disbelief, she is just perpetuating the problem. Jocasta believes that she can take the world into her own hands and prevent the awful tragedy that is her son killing her husband, King Laius, as well as sleeping with and bearing children with her murderous son. To prevent that awful occurrence from happening, she and King Laius bind the child up when he is just three days old and leave him to die on the side of a mountain so there is absolutely no chance of the prophecy being completed; however, she is greatly mistaken. She says feeling confident in her preventative measures, “...So in this case Apollo’s purpose failed…so much for oracles that map our future…” (Sophocles 29). Jocasta believes at that point in the selection that she has thwarted the prophecy of the gods. However, she later realizes that even though she takes precautionary measures to prevent that occurrence from ever happening, she is not greater than the gods. This is purely another example of the gods being sovereign rulers of the people of Thebes. In addition, the gods make sure the prophecy comes true and Oedipus commits the awful acts that he is destined to perform. Because of this, the gods remain victorious and in complete power over her life, her son’s, and the events that occur within

Tiresias’ embodiment of nobility is subtle yet sincere in both works, and other accounts seen in Greek mythology. He has countless respectable qualities in time with the decency and truth. In Oedipus the King, Tiresias is first introduced at the hand of “Leader,” due to the possible solution he may have to the arousing chaos of the plague polluting the city of Thebes. The Leader exclaims, “I still believe… Lord Tiresias sees with the eyes of Lord Apollo. Anyone searching for the truth, my king, might learn it from the prophet, clear as day,” (322-325) suggesting Tiresias must not only be held at a high regard by the Leader, but perhaps Lord Apollo as well. To have eyes in comparison to the Gods suggest a supernatural ability often only granted to few. Already, his reputable occupation as a “prophet” provides a decent first impression. His introduction elevates his already noble status, which is strongly built upon when his vision is illustrated as “clear as day,” suggesting his vision is one to be trusted. Tiresias has an evidently widespread reputation of trustworthy clairvoyant abilities. He is also dangerously aware that his sight is both a gift and a curse, which he makes clear to Oedipus. When asked for the whereabouts of Oedipus’s future, Tiresias wisely suggests, “Just send me home. You bear your burdens, I’ll bear mine. It’s better that way, please believe me.” Conscious to the suffering Oedipus’ knowledge of his prophecy will cause, Tiresias refuses to pronounce any disclosure for his safety. Tiresias morally chooses to remain obstinate against Oedipus’s raging temper in his

When demanded the answer as to who the murderer was,Tiresias told Oedipus that he, was the “defiler of this land,”(30).Essentially, Tiresias was telling Oedipus that he was the unclean that needed to be driven out of the land. Angered, outraged, and confused, Oedipus could not accept this truth of hearing he was the murderer, and further insulted the blind prophet.Similarly, Oedipus’s pride falsely led him to think that he could escape his fate that he was told about in the prophecy. While in Corinth, Oedipus went to a shrine of Apollo, where he was told a prophecy in which he would marry his mother, have unnatural children, and murder his father. “The oracle of Phoebus Apollo said that I/ Must kill my father, lie with my mother. /This drove me out of Corinth. I regret nothing - /I have married happily, raised a family, known the sweetness of power” (61). Oedipus believed that since he escaped his “parents” from Corinth, he escaped his fate and was free of murdering his father and marrying his mother. Because he did not believe in oracles nor know Laius was his father, he was certain at this point that he indeed was not king Laius’s murderer, despite Tiresias’s words. As the tragedy unfolded, it showed further evidence that he had fulfilled the prophecy. Oedipus’s pride, which was once seen as favorable to him, destroyed him in the end.