Oedipus Rex Analysis Essay

Even though characters believe that they can avoid their fate, they truly cannot. Jocasta gave birth to a child when she was married to King Laius, and one day an oracle came to Laius and predicted his future. Jocasta was speaking to Oedipus about the prophecy that an oracle had told King Laius, "An oracle came to Laius one fine day… and it declared that doom would strike him down at the hands of a son, our son, to be born of our flesh and blood. But Laius...was killed by strangers, thieves, at a place where three roads meet...my son-he wasn't three days old and the boy's father fastened his ankles, had a henchman fling him away on a barren, trackless mountain… My baby no more murdered his father..."(Sophocles 201). Jocasta and King Laius had a free will which was to pin their child's ankles and hand him over to a shepherd to finish him. However the shepherd was unable to fulfill the task, he explains, "I pitied the little baby, master, hoped he'd [God] take him off to his own country, far away, but he saved him for this, this fate. If you are the man he says you are, believe me, you were born for pain."(Sophocles 232). The attempt made by Jocasta and King Laius failed and eventually the prophecy self- fulfilled itself. The free will of the characters has made them contribute to the result of the prophecy. Jocasta and

Oedipus tells Creon that he is a traitor, because he thinks Creon told him to send the prophet, Tiresias, to find out who killed King Laius. Oedipus thinks that both Creon and Tiresias were plotting against him, by saying Oedipus was the person that killed the late king. Oedipus’s pride takes over and blames Creon for doing this in order to become the next king. Also Oedipus demonstrated his power by attacking Teiresias, “Monster! thy silence would incense a flint. Will nothing loose thy tongue? Can nothing melt thee, Or shake thy dogged taciturnity?”(Oedipus Lines 339-341). He refuses to listen to his advice and warnings due to him being blinded by excessive power and

In his essay, “Introduction to Oedipus the King”, Bernard Knox supports free will by stating that Oedipus’ downfall was not caused by fate. According to Knox there is not a doubt that, “Oedipus is the free agent who, by his own self-willed action, discovers that his own predicted destiny has already been fulfilled” (86). He clearly states that Oedipus is responsible for his free actions during the play. He insists that Oedipus’s made the decisions to discover the truth about himself.

As an advisor, Creon remained calm even in times of tension. When Oedipus accuses Creon of treason and attempting to usurp the throne, Creon remains surprisingly unflustered. When Oedipus states, “I have found you contrary / And dangerous to me,” Creon remains composed and offers the simple question “How is it that you say I injured you?” (Sophocles 20). The quarrel continues and the entire time Oedipus insults and accuses Creon while Creon just absorbs the dialogue and remains collected. Also, at the end of the play, after Oedipus realizes the truth, Creon arrives to comfort Oedipus. Creon reminds Oedipus to have faith and “trust what the God answers” (51).

It is a common human flaw to only see things that are pleasing and choose to ignore distasteful situations. Falling into this trap, Oedipus, the King of Thebes in Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex, finds his doom by choosing to turn a blind eye to reality. The king falls from his throne by choosing to live in an illusion and failing to recognize the power of fate.

The audience feels pity for Oedipus because of his final requests before he is exiled. Aristotle uses another key component in Oedipus Rex, he uses pity, especially from the audience. When Oedipus asks the new king Creon before he is exiled he asks four requests from him. Oedipus begs Creon to bury “the woman inside, bury her as you see fit” (Fagles.1584-5.246). The audience feels pity for Oedipus when he has to beg Creon to bury his wife/mother. Oedipus says “I command you-I beg you” to Creon, when Oedipus starts to talk to Creon here as if he is still king (Fagles.1583.246). Oedipus’s second request to king Creon is take care of his daughters. The audience feels pity for Oedipus because Creon has to permit Oedipus to see his daughters. Oedipus

Jocasta tells Oedipus about the prophecy that Laius will be killed by his son. Oedipus began to panic and believe that he was Laius’ murderer. Feeling guilty of incest and parricide, he is willing to accept his punishment, but he has yet to fully understand the

“No human being possesses mantic skill./ I’ve brief but cogent evidence of that./  An oracle once came to Laius from ( let’s say) Apollo’s servants, not the god, declaring that whatever child was born to him and me would cause Laius’s death; but he was killed by strangers… Laius didn’t die the way he feared”. Lines 709- 722. This quote stated how Laius was prophesized to be murdered by his own blood, but at this moment Jocasta believed the prophecy was untrue.  She thought the prophecy was false because the only son Laius had with her had been left to die as a infant. Unfortunately,  Laius was so afraid of the prophecy that he had sent for a messenger to leave his son on a mountain to die rather than taking control and raising his son as his own.  If Lauis had raised Oedipus, the prophecy would have not come true because the messenger would never have given the child to the shepherd. This

The two go back and forth for a while which ultimately ends in Oedipus sentencing Creon to death for essentially treason. At this point in the play, it is clear that Oedipus is making some rash decisions in order to clear his consciousness. It appears he still wants to do the right thing, but nothing goes his way. As the play progresses, a messenger is sent to tell Jocasta of Polybus’, Oedipus’ believed father, death. Oedipus is told of this and is relieved, as this is a sure sign that the prophesy will not be true. The messenger then tells Oedipus that his father really was not his father, and Oedipus questions the messenger on how he knows this. The messenger explains that Oedipus was “A gift he took you from these hands of mine” (Sophocles 1553). The messenger saved Oedipus by bringing him to Polybus instead of leaving him to die. Oedipus tells Jocasta of this new information and how he plans to find out more, and Jocasta pleads with him to leave it alone. Finally, the herdsman is brought in to answer Oedipus’ questions. The herdsman is hesitant at first, but eventually tells Oedipus the truth. He was the one who gave a baby to the messenger, the baby who was left to die by Laius and Jocasta. It is now clear to Oedipus that this horrid oracle is true, and it is his life. Oedipus sets off to kill Jocasta, but is shocked to find that she has committed suicide. All of this information plus his mother’s suicide has caused Oedipus so much mental distress

rule of thebes: "What is it that walks on 4 feet and 2 feet and 3 feet

The Ancient Greeks had a precise definition of what they believe makes a perfect ruler. According to the Greeks, the ideal Athenian ruler has five main characteristics. The ruler should takes care of his/her people like a parent cares for a child. The ruler respects the elderly. The ruler suffers or fights along with his people in a time of crisis.

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.

The tale of Oedipus and his prophecy has intrigued not only the citizens of Greece in the ancient times, but also people all over the world for several generations. Most notable about the play was its peculiar structure, causing the audience to think analytically about the outcomes of Oedipus’ actions and how it compares with Aristotle’s beliefs. Another way that the people have examined the drama is by looking at the paradoxes (such as the confrontation of Tiresias and Oedipus), symbols (such as the Sphinx), and morals that has affected their perceptions by the end of the play. Nonetheless, the most important aspect is how relevant the story is and how it has influenced modern ideas like that of Freud and other people of today.

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 believed Teiresias was making the accusation because he was bribed by Creon. Jocasta attempts to calm Oedipus as well, citing that oracles are nonsense. She tells of an example where an oracle prophesied to her that her first born son would one day murder his father and sleep with her, Jocasta. Believing that prophecy ridiculous, Oedipus decides not to heed