Discussing The Circumstances Of Oedipus English Literature Essay
During the class of this essay, I am traveling to discourse how circumstance and Oedipus ‘ ain best and worst qualities lead finally to his devastation.
In the drama Oedipus the King by Sophocles, Oedipus is caught in a series of tragic fortunes. When merely a few yearss old, he is left on a versant to decease because of an prophet stating him that he will turn up to be the liquidator of his male parent. However, he is found and taken to the nearby metropolis of Corinth, where he is adopted as the boy of the King and Queen. He is ne’er told about his true yesteryear. After turning up and holding returned to Thebes, Oedipus becomes a victim of destiny due to the unusual fortunes and his inability to get away the prophet. The prophet, put upon Oedipus ‘ life since his birth, condemns him from the start. First, the fright that Laius and Jocasta have of his prognostication causes them to hold their boy ‘s pess nailed together and go forth him to decease on a mountain. The 2nd clip the prophet is told, Oedipus is a immature adult male and hears it for himself. Assuming that it applies to his adoptive parents, he flees Corinth. Oedipus says “ As this I fled off, seting the stars between me and Corinth, ne’er to see place once more, that no such horror should of all time come to go through. ” ( 795-797 )
Last, alternatively of merely populating out his life and fate, Oedipus tries to run from it. This causes him to believe he has overcome the prophet. However, by running, he merely makes it worse as he ends up coming nearer to his existent job. Oedipus can non get away the relentless destiny that pursues him. Inevitably, the prophet ‘s prognostications are fulfilled. By being kept in the dark about his true yesteryear, Oedipus is populating a prevarication. Not cognizing the true individuality of his biological parents causes him to slay his male parent. Oedipus says “ Quick as lightning, the staff in the right manus did its work ; he tumbled headlong out of the passenger car, and every adult male of them there I killed. ” ( 813-814 )
Soon after that, Oedipus reaches Thebes and by replying the Sphinx ‘s conundrum, he becomes King and unwittingly marries his female parent, the Queen. For old ages Oedipus lives this wickedness and prevarication and regulations Thebes in wealth and prosperity. Himself and his female parent later conceive four kids together. In visible radiation of all of these tragic fortunes, I can non assist but experience that the universe seems to be pin downing Oedipus into a fatal web.
The pestilence in Thebes and Oedipus ‘ hunt for truth eventually brings an terminal to his reign as King. To free the metropolis of the cryptic pestilence, the liquidator of Laius needs to be discovered. As Oedipus continues seeking for this truth, it brings him closer and closer to self exposure and finally his devastation. As the last piece of the mystifier is put in topographic point, Oedipus the detective becomes Oedipus the felon. Upon happening out that he is Laius ‘ liquidator, his reign ends. After the physical ego devastation of blinding himself, Oedipus requests to be banished. He says “ Cast me off this instant out of this land, out of the sight of adult male. ” ( 1468-1469 ) Oedipus ‘ hunt for truth has led him to the find that he is non a kid of fortune, but a adult male of bad luck.
As a character, Oedipus possesses many qualities that animate his spirit of illustriousness yet feed his ego devastation. First, when Oedipus learns of the prognostication that he is to turn up to kill his male parent and get married his female parent, he leaves his place and household in an attempt to forestall the prognostication from attesting itself true. No uncertainty he is saddened by the fact of go forthing his fatherland, but he does so to protect his parents. This proves he is altruistic. Some of his bad picks could dwell of engaging the conflict between himself and Laius over something every bit fiddling as transition rights on a state route. This shows his heedlessness. Surely, given that he had already known of the prognostication that foretold his destiny, he could hold exercised more cautiousness in this case. I think it is hubris, or pride, that motivated him here. Another case where we see Oedipus ‘ hubris is when he proclaims that he himself will stop the plague that plagues Thebes. In non anticipating that doing such a announcement could ensue in doomed catastrophe, we see his hubris in full position. Although leading leading and illustriousness is demonstrated in this announcement, both of these cases demonstrate that his bad picks were made out of foolish pride. Yet, it can be every bit argued that one of Oedipus ‘ great qualities was his pride. It is this sense of pride that causes him to flinch in horror and go forth Corinth after larning his destiny. Oedipus demonstrates wisdom when he answers the conundrum of the Sphinx, deriving him entree to being the swayer of Thebes. The next-to-last illustration of Oedipus ‘ gallantry is when he learns at the terminal that he has fulfilled the destiny foretold by the prophet. In respect to salvaging the land and admiting his ain folly, he blinds himself, turn outing his worthiness as a King and a hero.
I read a literary unfavorable judgment of Oedipus the King by F.L Lucas in the book Greek Drama for Everyman. In his unfavorable judgment, Lucas says that Oedipus the King was a ghastly, horrifically plotted narrative with an incredible secret plan from two thousand old ages ago. Yet, he notes that it still fascinates readers today. He ponders why. Lucas says that the common reader wants to cognize what a respectable, honorable adult male would make in a state of affairs. This shows that the common reader has great regard for Oedipus, a adult male who could non get away the relentless destiny which pursued and finally destroyed him, due to tragic fortunes and his ain best and worst qualities.
