Theban Plays Oedipus At Colonus

Submitted By johndoe1234567
Words: 1057
Pages: 5
Open Document
Sophocles In Sophocles’ Theban Plays Oedipus Rex, Oedipus at Colonus and Antigone, Oedipus is portrayed as an immoral character, more specifically in the first two plays Oedipus Rex and Oedipus at Colonus. After we find out that Oedipus killed his father and slept with his mother he becomes a distasteful character, but he is not to blame for his actions. The exposition that we are given about Oedipus makes him out to be a noble character. It all goes back to his father and his attempt to avoid a prophecy. For this reason we can’t put all the blame on Oedipus, he was actually trying to avoid the prophecy by leaving his adoptive parents, who he thought were his biological parents. “...what an oracle predicts is bound to happen. Oedipus does what he can to evade his destiny: he resolves never to see his supposed parents again”(Dodds) Oedipus’ concern for Thebes is what leads him to find out about his actions “...the spirit of Oedipus himself, who when faced with a puzzle could not resist following a fact to its logical conclusion”(Vellacott). Upon finding out what he had done Oedipus gauges out his eyes as punishment for what he had done. He could have just killed himself and avoided all the suffering that he ended up going through but due to his actions he ended up becoming more humane. It is Oedipus who declares himself guilty, the herdsman whom he questions doesn’t give a straight forward answer on whether or not he had killed Laius. Instead Oedipus takes the information that he is given and proclaims himself to be the guilty one, “Oedipus may have been right all along. His hope has gone unchallenged. Oedipus may not have killed Laius….Oedipus declares the truth he has learned. He declares himself guilty of parricide and incest…”(Goodhart). After Oedipus finds out about his past he insists that he be exiled to suffer, he had cursed himself when he was demanding information about Laius’ murderer. “Oedipus investigated the murder of Laius and discovered his own double guilt; whereupon locasta hanged herself and Oedipus blinded himself.”(Vellacott). These actions show that Oedipus had great remorse for his actions even though he had not committed the taboo on purpose. We see Oedipus wandering around blind, with his daughters caring for him. We must also take into consideration that these plays were performed for religious purposes. This brings to light the question, does Oedipus really have any say in what he does or is all just fated by the god’s. Looking at his punishment form this point of view we feel sympathy for his sufferings seeing how it is destined by the god’s “Oedipus Rex is 'a tragedy of destiny'. What the play 'proves', they said, is that man has no free will but is a puppet in the hands of the gods who pull the strings that make him dance”(Dodds). Looking at things from this end of the scope we assume that Oedipus is being punished by the god’s and therefore has no control over what is happening to him. When Oedipus asked to be exiled he was told to stay in Thebes until Creon consulted the Delphic Oracle. Creon feared acting in a way that would anger the god’s, we already have two examples as to what happens to those that go against the word of the god’s. For this reason Creon wished to be cautious, but the oracle took too long to arrive and Creon ended up banishing Oedipus because Thebes was tainted with his presence. When Creon does finally receive the prophecy he realizes that his actions have placed Thebes in danger of being cursed due to the fact that they did not let Oedipus stay. Creon then tries to trick Oedipus into returning to Thebes but Oedipus is wise and knows that Creon is merely trying to avoid a bad fate for Thebes. He curses Creon and Thebes for turning him away. Now we should consider what is moral? I believe that what he did was immoral but I am taking into consideration the fact that the original
Show More

Related Documents: Theban Plays Oedipus At Colonus

King Lear

long period of time have been subjected as materialistic objects are solely created for the purpose entertainment for men or to nurture a family. In King Lear this theory is further elaborated upon as he challenges his daughter to compete for the Kingdom. Lear tests the traditional perception of woman which ultimately leads to his downfall failure as a King. Romance is displeasing as it is just a manipulative method used by woman to lure men in. Throughout the play there is no contextual reference ever…

Words 664 - Pages 3

King Lear Essay

King Lear: The Tragedy King Lear’s Tragedy was and is still one of Shakespeare’s most famous playwrights of all time. Shakespeare used Aristotelians Theory which included Aristotle’s view of the structure and purpose of tragedy. This tragedy included a very old protagonist, In the first act King Lear of Britain has decided to split his throne between his three daughters. But before he can do that Goneril, Regan and Cordelia must meet together. His intentions are to split the kingdom between them…

Words 366 - Pages 2

Essay on King Lear

Is it possible to sympathise with either Goneril or Regan in Act 1? Explain your answer. One could argue that in King Lear, Goneril and Regan do not start out as villains and do not immediately come across as completely evil, suggesting that their initial aim was neither horrible nor nasty. Their father is formally dividing the kingdom among his three daughters, and though he asked each of them to declare their love for him, he had already made up his mind as to the divisions. Lear’s asking for…

Words 375 - Pages 2

Pride In King Lear

In The Tragedy of King Lear by William Shakespeare, the character of King Lear exhibited an enormous ego that is analogous to the vast pride both Gabriel and Raskolnikov possessed. Specifically, Lear is an individual who took particular relish in being in control of and above everyone. Therefore, he rewarded instances of flattery towards him rather than unshakeable loyalty. This is exemplified distinctively when Lear succumbed to the flattering statements of his eldest daughters, but became enraged…

Words 426 - Pages 2

Lear: King Lear and Loving Daughter Essay

allows us to see man's decent into chaos, King Lear. Lear is perceived as "a man more sinned against than sinning". The play begins with Lear, an old king ready for retirement, preparing to divide the kingdom among his three daughters. Lear has his daughters compete for their inheritance by judging who can proclaim their love for him in the grandest possible fashion. Cordelia finds that she is unable to show her love with mere words and for this King Lear banishes her. This is very quick tempered…

Words 376 - Pages 2

King Lear Paper

King Lear Paper John Shisler Bluefield College King Lear was written by William Shakespeare and first performed in 1606. The play is classified as a tragedy. A tragedy is defined by TheFreeDictionary.com as “a play in which the protagonist, usually a man of importance and outstanding personal qualities, falls to disaster through the combination of a personal failing and circumstances with which he cannot deal” or “a play in which the protagonist is overcome by a combination of social and psychological…

Words 3572 - Pages 15

King Lear Essay

In banishing both Cordelia and Kent, Lear is losing the two most loyal and loving characters to him. This irrational decision has left him with only the Fool to advise him, however what is said by the Fool is often seen as humor and nothing more. Therefore, Lear is now left with no one to guide, advise or help him throughout the rest of the play. Power is the ability to manipulate and control whatever one desires; to do what one pleases to do without answering to authority. The power that corrupts…

Words 364 - Pages 2

King Lear Essay

KING LEAR LOYALTY/BETRAYAL Presentation by: Alexandra Unger INTRODUCTION • King Lear was written by William Shakespear in 1605, between his plays Orthello and Macbeth. The setting is based upon the eighth century. • This play was based on a lawsuit that happened before King Lear was written. Three sisters tried to declare their father mentally insane so they all could take control of their fathers wealth. • One main juxtaposition throughout the play that is well seen is the loyalty and betrayal…

Words 359 - Pages 2

King Lear essay

and Wisdom Are Not Synonymous in King Lear Mr. McGuire Dorsa Alizdeh7/15/2014 In life, people usually interpret old age and wisdom as the same thing. Wisdom, by definition, is the knowledge of what is true or right. It is common belief that with old age there is experience and along with that comes wisdom. However this theory does not apply to every individual. One might experience numerous scenarios in life and not learn anything from them. The play King Lear by William Shakespeare is one example…

Words 1214 - Pages 5

Essay on King Lear

Reagan Stowell Practice Essay 1 – King Lear Ms LAWSON 22.03.2013 Page 1/2 Analyse how an idea is developed in a text (or texts) you have studied. In Shakespeare’s classic tragedy King Lear, blindness is a recurring theme. It is a dominant theme. The idea of blindness is the inability of the characters to see a person for whom they truly are, being unable to see things as they really are. In other words, blindness is the lack of insight. Shakespeare’s point is that the world cannot be…

Words 951 - Pages 4