Recent orders
Oedipus the King
Topic:
Name of Student:
Name of Institution:
Oedipus the King
Introduction
Oedipus the King is an Athenian tragedy that is also referred to as Oedipus Rex. The play was written by Sophocles and was first premiered in c. 429 BC. Oedipus the king is an ingenious fable of ancient mythology that exhibits in a practical simple manner, human overweening and its awaiting punishment from the gods. The intrigue in Oedipus’ character is the complications of his destinies. While he and his parents make efforts to escape prophesied horrors, they seem to follow them. It is intriguing to note that Oedipus, who solved the human life riddle by the Sphinx, lived a life that was in itself a riddle which was only cleared up too late, when all was lost. It is against this background information that this paper seeks to outline the characterization of Oedipus’ traits in the tragedy, Oedipus the King.
Plot- Oedipus the King
Johnstone, in his book Oedipus the King by Sophocles presents this tragedy in a systematic well outlined manner. A very serious plague strikes Thebes and the citizens gather outside the palace of King Oedipus and plead with him to take action. Oedipus affirms to them that he has already sent Creon his brother in law, to the oracle at Delphi to seek help. Creon comes back with a message from the oracle, that if the plague is to end, the murderer of a former king of Thebes Laius must be caught and expelled. He continues that the murderer is still in the city. Oedipus promises to solve Laius’ death mystery (Johnstone, 42).
A blind prophet Tiresias is sent by Oedipus to get more information about the murder. Tiresias laments on his ability to see the truth, a truth that brings nothing but pain. Initially, he refuses to reveal the truth to King Oedipus. Oedipus in his anger curses and insults Tiresias and even accuses him as the murderer. Tiresias is at this point provoked to reveal that Oedipus indeed is the murderer. Oedipus refuses to believe this and even accuses Creon and Tiresias of conspiring to destroy him. He charges Tiresias with insanity as he argues on grounds that Tiresias did nothing when Thebes suffered under a previous plague.
It is at this point that a Sphinx holds the city captive and refuses to leave until someone answers her riddle. Oedipus is very proud to proclaim that he is the only one with the ability to solve the riddle. Tiresias on the other hand defends himself as a prophet and Oedipus parents find him trustworthy. Oedipus who grew up in the distant city of Corinth wonders how Tiresias knew his parents. Tiresias answers enigmatically. Tiresias puts forth a riddle before he leaves the stage that Laius’ murderer will turn out to be both father and brother to his own children and the son of his own wife.
After Tiresias leaves, Creon is threatened with death by the king for conspiring with the prophet. Jocasta is the widow of King Laius and currently the wife of Oedipus. She enters and asks for an explanation as to why the two men are shouting at one another. Oedipus’ explanation is that Tiresias the prophet accused him of Laius’ murder. Jocasta replies that this is false prophecy. She notes that Delphic oracle once told Laius he would be murdered by his son while in actual fact the son had been cast out of Thebes as a baby. She further explains that he (Laius was murdered by a band of thieves. The description of Laius’ murder is sounds familiar to Oedipus who enquires for more information. Jocasta replies that Laius was murdered at a three way crossroads just before Oedipus arrived in Thebes. Oedipus who is shocked tells his wife Jocasta that he may be Laius’ murderer.
He explains to her that long ago, when he was the prince of Corinth, he overheard someone say the he was not really the son of the king and queen. He travelled to the Delphic oracle to get help on this matter but the oracle did not answer him. The oracle stated, “Polybus and Merope are not your parents. You will one day kill a man who will turn out to be your real father. The woman you will eventually marry is your real mother”. His answer was that he would “Mate with [his] own mother and shed/with [his] own hands the blood of [his] own sire”. (Johnstone, 65) On hearing this, Oedipus fled from Corinth and vowed never to return. It would this journey that would finally take him to Thebes. On his journey to Thebes, Oedipus was confronted, harassed and attacked by a group of travelers and in self defense, he killed one of them. The attack and murder he explains occurred at the three way crossroads where Laius was killed.
Oedipus sends for a shepherd who survived the attack hoping that he will not be identified as the murderer. A messenger approaches Jocasta outside the palace and explains to her that he has come to inform king Oedipus that his father Polybus is dead. He further explains that it is the wish of Corinth that Oedipus goes to rule in Polybus’ place. The news that Polybus died from natural causes is good news to Jocasta as she believes that this has disapproved the prophecy that Oedipus would kill his own father. Jocasta summons Oedipus to come and hear the good news and he rejoices with her. He is now at a position to incline with the wife’s decision of deeming worthless prophecies confusing perspective of chance being the principle that governs the world. While Oedipus finds great comfort in the fact that part of the prophecy has been disapproved, he still fears the other part that claimed that he would sleep with his mother.
The messenger further asserts that Oedipus has no reason to worry since Polybus and Merope his wife are not his biological parents. The messenger, who is also a shepherd, is aware of the fact that Oedipus came to Corinth as an orphan. One day long ago, as he was tending his sheep, another shepherd came to him with a baby in his arms, its ankles pinned together. The messenger took the baby to the royal family of Corinth who raised him as their own. Oedipus was the baby. Oedipus asks about the other shepherd and the messenger replies that he was Laius’ servant.
Oedipus asks that this servant of Laius be brought to testify but Jocasta disapproves as she finally starts to suspect the truth. She begs her husband not to seek any more information on the matter and runs back to the palace. When the shepherd refuses to disclose any more information, he is threatened with torture by Oedipus. He finally reveals that the baby came from the house of Laius. He further continues to state that Laius was the baby’s father and that Jocasta gave it to him and ordered him to kill it reason being that it had been prophesied that this baby would kill its parents. The Shepherd who was Laius, servant pitied the baby and named him Oedipus, which means swollen feet. Although he intended to keep the baby himself, he possessed no means to do so. He made a decision to pass the boy to the shepherd in Corinth in belief that the prophecy could be avoided if the baby were to grow in a foreign country, never to return to Thebes. The shepherd took the baby to the childless royal family.
On realization of truly who he is and who his real parents are, Oedipus screams that he sees the truth and runs to the palace. At this juncture, the shepherd and the messenger exit the stage slowly. A second messenger enters with a description of scenes of suffering. Jocasta has hanged herself and Oedipus has stabbed out his own eyes with the pins from Jocasta’s robe when he finds her dead. Oedipus emerges from the palace bleeding. He begs to be exiled. Further, he asks Creon to send him away from Thebes and to look after his daughters, Antigone and Ismene. Creon, who has always coveted royal power, obliges.
Oedipus the Character
Oedipus is the protagonist of the tragedy, Oedipus the King. He becomes the king of Thebes before the beginning of Oedipus the King action. His intelligence and ability to solve riddles cannot be underestimated in the case where he saved the city of Thebes and therefore made king by solving the riddle of the Sphinx. Sphinx is described as a supernatural being who had been held captive by Oedipus. However, in as much as he is intelligent, he is stubbornly blind to the truth about himself. The literal meaning of his name Swollen feet gives a clue about his identity; he was taken from his father’s house as a baby and with his feet bound together, left in the mountains. On his way to Thebes, he unknowingly killed his biological father and proceeded to marry Jocasta his own mother.
Oedipus is swift in action and portrays a sense of great insight. The opening of the play portrays his qualities that are in action in making him an excellent ruler who always anticipates his subject’s needs. A good instance to demonstrate this is when Thebes encounters a plague and the citizens ask him to do something about it. The fact that he has already sent Creon to the Delphic oracle means that he is a step ahead of his citizens. However, the dangerous side of his swift actions is seen later when he narrates the story of the attack on the travelers who harassed him at the three way crossroads (Johnstone, 112). He ends up killing one of them, who turns out to be Laius, his biological father. He behaves in a rash, irrational manner.
Oedipus is portrayed as very confident at the beginning for a good reason. He has saved Thebes from the curse of Sphinx and overnight becomes the king. He proclaims his own name proudly, “Here I am myself – you all know me, – the world knows my fame: I am Oedipus”. Contrastingly at the end of the tragedy, his name becomes a curse that destroys his parents.
The king’s character combination of swiftness and confidence is seen throughout the tragedy. He interrogates Creon, summons for Tiresias, threatens to punish Tiresias and Creon, calls for the servant at Laius’ attack and finally demands that he be exiled. He constantly tries to keep at pace with fate even when it is beyond his reach.
Conclusion
Oedipus the King is an Athenian tragedy that is also referred to as Oedipus Rex. Oedipus the king is an ingenious fable of ancient mythology that exhibits in a practical simple manner, human overweening and its awaiting punishment from the gods (Knox, 138). Oedipus is the protagonist of the tragedy, Oedipus the King. He becomes the king of Thebes before the beginning of Oedipus the King action.
The intrigue in Oedipus’ character is the complications of his destinies. While he and his parents make efforts to escape prophesied horrors, they seem to follow them. It is intriguing to note that Oedipus, who solved the human life riddle by the Sphinx, lived a life that was in itself a riddle which was only cleared up too late, when all was lost.
References
Johnstone, C. Ian, Oedipus the King by Sophocles Virginia: Richer Resources, 2007
Brunner, M. King Oedipus Retried London: Rosenberger & Krausz, 2000
Foster, C. Thomas. How to Read Literature like a Professor New York: HarperCollins, 2003
HYPERLINK “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernard_Knox” o “Bernard Knox” Knox, Bernard. “The Date of the Oedipus the King of Sophocles,” The American Journal of Philology, Vol. 77, No. 2 (1956), 133-147.
Strube 2002
Zieschang 2002). In order to evaluate possible risks related with electronic payment procedures
Oedipus the Noble King
Oedipus the Noble King
(Author’s name)
(Institutional Affiliation)
Oedipus the Noble King
The play Oedipus the King was written by Sophocles and it is a famous Athenian tragedy. The first performance of the play took place in 429 B.C. and it was part of a trilogy by Sophocles. The play’s main character is known as Oedipus and he ruled Thebes, but unfortunately married his mother and he even killed his father. This tragedy shows that even noble kings can at some point suffer from a tragic downfall. Human beings will always make mistakes, but they should not be judged by the bad acts they have committed. They should be judged by the wise decisions that they make for the benefit of others. This paper seeks to give a critical analysis of why Oedipus was a noble king based upon his many desirable qualities.
Oedipus is seen as a man who had an extremely great insight and possessed the power of swift action. During the opening scenes of Oedipus the King, there were many exceptional qualities that were present in the life of Oedipus. He was an excellent ruler who constantly kept on anticipating the needs of his subjects. For example, when the citizens of the city of Thebes begged him so that he could do something concerning the plague, his true nature revealed itself. In fact, Oedipus was a step ahead of his people as he already knew about the plague and had even come up for a solution to end it. He had already made plans and sent Creon to an oracle that was situated at Delphi, in order to obtain advice concerning dealing with the plague. Later on, it is evident that a looming danger existed because Oedipus had a habit of acting swiftly and this had dangerous effects (Plumptre, 2005).
Strength and Determination are some two unique qualities that Oedipus displayed most times. The play written by Sophocles has attempted to portray the king of Thebes (Oedipus) as being an extremely dignified and powerful man. Throughout the course of the play, Oedipus’ classic tale is brought to life and audiences are marveled. There are many times that life became quite unbearable especially in the life of Oedipus, but he was able to handle it well. He was able to maintain his trustworthiness and nobility during the difficult times in his life. Sophocles was able to let the readers as well as audience from the start know that the fate of Oedipus had already been pre-determined. In the future, he would marry his own mother and end up killing is father (Plumptre, 2005). Despite the fact that Oedipus was not aware of this fact, one starts to view Oedipus as being a person as well as a king. Also, throughout the entire play the audience clearly sees the dignity, strength and power of Oedipus. There are times that the nature and character of Oedipus changes, he is still a trust-worthy and noble human being.
There are not many individuals who would claim or even prove that they love others more than themselves. It is no wonder that Oedipus acted out of love because he dearly loved his city as well as his family. This shows that Oedipus was a man who demanded a lot of respect because of the manner, which his actions seek to show his character. He did not act out of wrath or pride, and the reason why he his quick temper can be explained. Oedipus wanted to find the quickest solution that would assist him stop the tragic flaw in the city of Thebes from affecting his people. He is an individual who displayed his intellectual honesty and this enabled him to make quick judgments that had a beneficial impact (Plumptre, 2005).
The identity held by Oedipus is similar to that of other heroes that existed before him. His identity was present in his name and the reason why Sophocles kept on echoing his name throughout the play. This shows that even Sophocles had a deep respect for the character known as Oedipus. There is good and sufficient reason as to why Oedipus was extremely confident in everything that he did. He was able to save the city of Thebes from the curse brought about by the Sphinx. In a matter of time, Oedipus was able to gain power and thus become the king of Thebes. It even reached a point whereby, Oedipus could constantly proclaimed his own name in a profound manner. He believed that his name was powerful to the point whereby it had healing powers. He often proclaimed that “Here I am myself-/ you all know me, the world knows my fame: / I am Oedipus” (Plumptre, 2005).
The confidence and swiftness of Oedipus is still seen even as Oedipus the King comes to an end. It is easy to see that while interrogating Creon, he calls for Tiresias and even makes threats to banish Creon and Tiresias. He had earlier on demanded that he be exiled after he had already called a shepherd that took him to Corinth. Also, before being exiled he has ensured that a servant that had escaped from Laius would be called. He is quite confident to the point whereby even when he is in constant motion he always kept in mind about what awaited him. There are times that his fate could not be controlled, but he was able to contain it because of his noble nature. Oedipus knew that in order to succeed in life he had to find peace. It was because of his noble nature that he was able to forge friendships easily. The friendships were responsible for influencing his success whenever he wanted to solve issues affecting people he cared about (Plumptre, 2005).
Determination is another unique attribute that Oedipus had and it enabled him to accomplish many things. It he was not determined, he would never have known the true identity of the real killer of Laius. Also, he would never have known the real truth regarding his life, and in my opinion this is not in any way a flaw. Instead, this shows that he was an admirable and prized human being, and this was brought out by his determination. In order to save his people from eminent disaster Oedipus had to solve the mystery (Plumptre, 2005). He believed in the information he received from the Delphi oracle concerning banishing the killer. If he had not heeded to the oracle’s warning, Thebes would have been destroyed. This shows that Oedipus acted in the same manner as any good and noble leader would as he was acting in the best interest of his citizens. In conclusion, all the evidence proves that Oedipus was a noble king but he had to face his tragic fate.
Reference
Plumptre, E. (2005). Oedipus Rex by Sophocles. Retrieved from Digireads.com