... (temporal happiness) is blind (unable to see hidden truths; heavenly) to the point of self-destruction, a quick look at the historical context may reveal the "truth" of this play's apparent metaphor. In a "grande" scheme, Oedipus was written just after the first Peloponnesian War (with Sparta) and soon after the plague that carried off 1/3 of all Athens' inhabitants and their beloved Pericles ... of this play were intimately aware of the Sparta's siege of Athens, the plague catastrophe, and Athens' fall as the greatest civilization of its time, Oedipus can be seen as a metaphor for Spar...

• Word Count: 653
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... of ruling. Oedipus is willing to bend and with his ever growing fear and confusion, Oedipus volleys for a confession to a set up by Creon and plans to judge death or exile upon him. Oedipus turns to Jocasta the Queen and his wife, who is his mother and Creon's sister, to set things straight. She, as widowed wife to King Laius, recalls ... marriage should be cared for and not be allowed to live poor and unmarried because of the shame attached to their parentage. Creon leads the wretched Oedipus away to his exile of blindness and torment. Oedipus goes from being a powerful and confident k...

• Word Count: 1933
• Approx Pages: 8
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... that he is to kill his father and marry his mother, he not wanting to "think to see fulfilled the scandals of ill prophecies of [him], [he] fled, an exile" (29). By leaving his parents, who, unbeknownst to him, are actually his adoptive parents, Oedipus believes that he has avoided fate and disproved the prophecy. However, because Polybus and ... who killed King Laius. Oedipus' third and last action that plays an important role in determining his fate is the promise that he makes to his people, to punish and exile the person who killed King Laius. After learning that it was he himself w...

• Word Count: 690
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... point out the murderer, he states that "[the murderer] that came seeing, bling shall he go; rich now, then a beggar; stick-in-hand, groping his way to a land of exile" (38). With such a heightened importance of fate throughout the play, Oedipus may be absolved from some of the blame for his actions. The notion that Oedipus was truly ignorant ... ...

• Word Count: 631
• Approx Pages: 3
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... eyes with pins because he had seen how ugly the world was and he wanted to get away from it. After blinding himself, Oedipus followed up on his promise to exile Laios' murderer and left the city of Thebes in order to lift the curse he had brought upon his fellow Thebans. Before leaving the city, Oedipus declared that Creon was ... ...

• Word Count: 1488
• Approx Pages: 6
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... or by his appearance. When the people of Athens (the chorus) first see Oedipus they pity him and his daughter Antigone, who has lead him throughout the country since his exile from Thebes. However, when they discover Oedipus" true identity they are scandalized and would never consider him as a guest in their city. The King of Athens, Theseus, is very kind ... ...

• Word Count: 2002
• Approx Pages: 8
• Grade Level: Undergraduate