Knowledge In Oedipus The Tyrant

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Although Oedipus may be assumed to be a horrible person because he killed his father and married his mother, his ability to persevere the truth, even when it became evident that it would only cause him pain, is noble. One should always strive, to seek the truth in any situation because although knowledge can be a burden at times, it always helps one grow. Is it better to have knowledge or to live a happy life? Knowledge is more of a burden in Oedipus the Tyrant. Knowledge gives Oedipus power; it is the reason he became the king of Thebes, and yet knowledge, eventually, brings his ruin. Does knowledge make it impossible for someone to be happy? But if the “hateful Plague”(28) was truly because the land was tainted by Laius's killer then …show more content…
Oedipus loves and respects his wife and yet he will not even hear her out when she begs him to stop looking into things. She is a noble lady and she loves and respects her husband. She wants to protect him even after she already knows. Whereas many people would want someone to suffer along with them, Jocasta wants to prevent Oedipus from realizing the truth for as long as she can. Why does Oedipus dismiss her for only being “ashamed of [his] low birth” (1079). He is too concerned with himself to realize that this knowledge will affect more than just him. As a ruler and it his duty to take all these things into consideration. In Jocasta last moments on stage, she is thinking of herself: she is planning her suicide (1072). With such a terrible truth being revealed, it is understandable that emotions are high and, therefore, she will most likely act irrational since it is only human nature. One has to have incredible self-control and reason to not act rashly in pivotal moments in one's life. No matter how noble anyone is, they are still human and part of being human is having fear. Although Oedipus is an honorable man, he still fears facing reality when it is not in his favor. He sends for the one survivor of King Laius`s party, hoping he will be proven innocence. Although, he must have been willing to face the punishment, …show more content…
Even after they both reveal their strangely coinciding prophecies, which they both must of dismissed as mere coincidence, it still does not dawn on either of them. If Oedipus is so obsessed with finding the truth, then why does he not figure it out before? Is he only obsessed with finding the truth so he will be exonerated? Oedipus wants everything spoken “out before all” (93), does he only want to be seen as a good ruler? Oedipus seems to be very fixated on how he appears to others. For example, he wants everything spoken “out before all” (93), of course he says this before everyone; he wants to show them his devotion. It is understandable that he wants to be liked, but there comes a point that he has to put the good of the kingdom before anyone else's. Perhaps that is why he told the public the truth because it's better to be a truthful tyrant than a lying king (because technically, he is the rightful
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