Oedipus Reflection

In “Oedipus Rex” by Sophocles, being blind and seeing appear to be an important theme throughout this section of reading. On page 719 Teiresias says, “But I say that you, with both your eyes, are blind: You can not see the wretchedness of your life” (Sophocles 196-197). This quote shows how Teiresias is blind but is able to see the truth and Oedipus for who he actually is, while Oedipus is able to see but is blind to the truth and who he really is. I find it ironic how Oedipus is so determined to find the person who murdered Laius, yet in the end, he was the murderer. The way that the sentences are broken up between different lines was different than what I am used to reading. Overall, I have found this short story interesting and not

Oedipus is described as a hero with god-like qualities. They worship him. The people of Thebes for instance believe that Oedipus ascended to the throne through God’s guidance. Sophocles play Oedipus definitely exemplifies Aristotle definition of a tragic hero.  Oedipus is not only a king but a person born a noble. Oedipus takes his fate into his own hands and takes his decisions head on. He is his own cause of the things happening around him, to him and in his life. Sadly, his life falls apart, but by his own doing. He has to suffer the consequences of his actions in many ways. First, he forces Teiresias to reveal his destiny as well as his father’s name. Teiresias tries to avoid all these questions but in the end he has to head warning to Oedipus against forcing him to reveal those details. Oedipus is relentless and is determined to find the truth. He continues questioning Teiresias further. Teiresias finally

Like Creon, Antigone also never falters in standing up for what she believes in. Although Creon fights for stubborn pride, Antigone is trying to promote what is right and shows her higher reverence for God’s law rather than for Creon’s laws. In the eyes of the townspeople, Chorus, Choragos, and Haimon, Antigone is sacrificing herself to give her brother Polyneices the rightful honors due to the dead. Many side with this brave, honorable girl because she would rather suffer persecution and even death rather than give into Creon’s illogical demands. In the play, the chorus says about her, “You have made your choice, Your death is the doing of your conscious hand”. Antigone knew of the consequences before she acted and in doing so she chose her fate. At the time, she pleaded her sister Ismene to help her bury Polyneices but was rejected. Despite being alone in trying to rebel and perhaps she may have been afraid, Antigone goes out of her way and puts her life on the line to bring her brother respect.

Within this Narrative, Antigone frequently uses the emotional values of others to convince them of what she believes to be right.The first illustration of this phenomenon is when Antigone compares her willingness to face death as the result of giving her brother an honorable burial, to her sister Ismene's unwillingness in doing the same.The main character feels as though it is her personal and moral obligation to retrieve the afterlife that’s been taken from her brother.Therefore, she does not agree in abiding by Creon's man-made legislation and makes it her mission to concede to the laws of the gods. Asking for her sister's help, she hopes to obtain reliability, only to find her too intimidated by Creon, Their uncle, and king. Accordingly,

From a prideful, heroic king at the beginning of the play, to a tyrant in denial towards the middle, and finally to a fearful, condemned man, humbled by his tragic fate, Oedipus’ change personifies that which makes an unforgettable drama. When Oedipus is first introduced, he appears to be a confident, valiant hero and reasonably so. Taking into mind the background of the drama, we learn that this foreigner to Thebes arrives at the city limits, braves death, solves the Sphinx’s riddle and releases the city from the horrible terror. Only a man like Oedipus, a man possessing tremendous intelligence and self-confidence could have such courage. Although at times Oedipus questions the gods’ accuracy and authority, the people don’t mind because of the great deed he had done.

At the start of the book she is so fixated on burying her brother she doesn't even care about the repercussions. Antigone said, “Listen Ismene, Creon buried our brother Eteocles with military honors, gave him a soldier’s funeral and it was right that he should; but Polyneices, who fought as bravely and died as miserably—They say that Creon has sworn No one shall bury him, no one mourn for him… our good Creon is coming here to announce it publicly; and the penalty— Stoning to death in the public square! There it is And now you can prove what you are: A true sister, or a traitor to your family. ”(190)

From the very beginning of the play, Sophocles shows the importance of family over authority. Antigone opens up with two sisters in an argument, Ismene and Antigone. Antigone wants to bury Polyneices, their brother, but since King Creon sees him as a traitor he made it a law forbidding a proper burial. “Bury him! You have just said the new law forbids it.” (P. 30). Antigone is willing to go against the King and risk her own life in order to do right by her brother, “But I will bury him; and if I must die, I say that this crime is holy: I shall lie down with him in death, and I shall be as dear to him as he to me.” (P. 55).

To describe the world of Oedipus Rex I have selected the phrasing; “false sense of security”. Although it was not the concluding word on my tree, I realized that it was important to describe the play and its world as such. Having a “false sense of security” could be a feeling that the characters have but it could also be an underlying contribution to the play itself. Think of it as that feeling when the characters on stage assume they are overly secure but we, as audience members, start to realize that they are actually not. This describes the world in which the character, Oedipus, lives in. One filled with fate, denial, spirituality, dependence, fear, smugness, and blindness. All of these words which create a false atmosphere.

This act led her to be declared a heroine by the people. While Creon is the idea that a person’s country interest should take preeminence, Antigone values and beliefs were that family comes first and that blood is always thicker than water. This belief persuaded her to bury her brother even if the king had outlawed it, and she states that “the king has no right to keep me from my own” (Sophocles). Even though, she understood the consequences of her disobedience, she didn’t try to hide her treason act. She admits publicly before Creon that she would choose death but bury her brother than live knowing that her brother is rotting on the battlefield. In her disobedience speech, she eloquently tries to make her king understand how unjust the laws are rather than pleaded her case. There evident force and confidence in her words, which she punctuates well and offers examples together with accusations. Furthermore, her lines are emotional and full of sarcasm and contempt towards the king and his unjust laws, which gives her speech a bitter edge. In burying her brother, Antigone shows obedience to the gods rather than the king even if it was illegal to do so. To prove her allegiance, she states that, “Look at me, you noble sons of Thebes, -the last great line kings, I alone, see what I suffer now at the hands of breed of men- all reverence, my reverence for the gods" (Sophocles). Through this quote, Antigone shows that she feared the

A simple process formed the backbone of most Greek philosophy.  The ancients thought that by combining two equally valid but opposite ideas, the thesis and the antithesis, a new, higher truth could be achieved.  That truth is called the synthesis.  This tactic of integrating two seemingly opposite halves into a greater whole was a tremendous advance in human logic.  This practice is illustrated throughout Oedipus at Colonus in regard to Sophocles’ portrayal of vision, sight, and the eye.  In Colonus, there are many and varied descriptions of the aspects of the eye, whether the eye be human or divine.  To Sophocles, the eye must have been a synthesis, both physical and spiritual, yet

This quote indicates that Oedipus was exiled out of Thebes, which is part of the hero archetype. Regardless of the hero living up to our expectations or really being the hero we need or even deserve, heroes are important to our

Oedipus’ dedication about fighting the plague and controlling fate demonstrates that he is heroic. After the priest lets Oedipus know about the plague on the city of Thebes, Oedipus says, “ I sent Menoeceus’ son Creon, Jocasta’s brother, to Apollo, to his Pythian temple, that he might learn there by what act or word I could save this city” (Pg.13, L.69-73). Oedipus’ full attention is about finding information about the plague. Oedipus displays commitment in helping the citizens in his town by doing everything in his power to defeat the plague. Oedipus’ commitment is presented clearly and the citizens respect him for his actions and view him as a hero. Next, after Oedipus talks to an oracle and learns his fate about killing his father and marrying his mother, he says, “ when I heard this I fled” (Pg. 45, L. 794). Oedipus left Corinth to try to change his destiny, and entered the city of Thebes. As Oedipus entered Thebes, a Sphinx was eating the citizens and to win the hand of Jocasta, he answered the riddle. Soon after the Sphinx left, Oedipus was crowned king and was known as the hero of Thebes because he saved them from the vicious Sphinx. Lastly, after Oedipus finds out he is the cause of the plague, he says “ Take me away, and haste-to a place out of the way! Take me away, my friends, the greatly miserable, the most accursed, whom God too hates above all men on earth” (Pg.69, L. 1340-1343). Oedipus is asking Creon to exile him from the city. Oedipus feels really guilty and does not want to be seen by anyone so he wants to leave. Also Oedipus asks Creon to exile him so the plague will stop harming the city because he cares

Hans Rockwell 8/26/17 Question 1 Question 1.) One of the responses people usually have about Oedipus is if he really deserved the fate that he ended up with. It’s not his fault that Jocasta and Laius tried to outsmart fate and dispose of him.

Sophocles Oedipus the King is a tragic play which discusses the tragic discovery of Oedipus that he has killed his father and married his mother. The story of Oedipus was well-known to the Athenian's. Oedipus is the embodiment of the perfect Athenian. He is self-confident, intelligent, and strong willed. Ironically these are the very traits which bring about his tragic discovery. Oedipus gained the rule of Thebes by answering the riddle of Sphinx. Sophocles used the riddle of the sphinx as a metaphor for the 3 phases of Oedipus' life and to further characterized him as a tragic man. The Sphinx posed the following riddle to all who came to obtain the rule of Thebes: “What is it that walks on 4 feet and 2 feet and 3 feet and has only one voice, when it walks on most feet it is the weakest?” Oedipus correctly answered “Man” and became the king of Thebes. This riddle is a metaphor for the life of Oedipus. As a child man crawls on his hands and knees this is the four feet to which the Sphinx refers. Also, man is at his weakest as a small child. He depends solely on others for his nourishment and well-being. Oedipus was the child of Jocasta and King Laius who was taken to the mountain by a Shepard to be killed so the omen of the god Apollo that Laius' son would kill him and lay with Jocasta would not come true. Oedipus was the weakest of his life at this point.

"Oedipus the King" is a tragic play showing a shift from the belief of fate to freedom of choice. Therefore, Oedipus the king is a great example of those who run from fate ends up fulfilling their fate