If they had just let Oedipus grow up as their son and informed him of the curse, it may have been avoided. However, their original plan may have worked had they made sure that the baby was actually dead. .
Another example of Oedipus's irrationality and impulsiveness is when he explains the story of his life. He explains that he was a prince in Corinth, son of Polybus and Merope. He then tells Jocasta that he was told a story similar to that which Laius was told by the oracle. He explains that he wanted to know if Polybus and Merope were his real parents. To do so, he traveled to Delphi, the dwelling place of the god Apollo. Once there, he was told of the curse which had been set for him. He then ran away to avoid killing Polybus, whome he believed was his father, and also to avoid marrying Merope, his supposed mother. .
Oedipus believes he has evaded fate, but ironically he has fulfilled everything the oracle had explained to him. In attempting to avoid fate, prophecy has been made true. If Oedipus did not act so impulsively, he could have investigated the situation in Corinth further to find that he was adopted by Polybus and Merope. Knowing that, Oedipus could have just stayed in Corinth his whole life without fearing that he would kill Polybus and marry Merope. It seems that Oedipus has inherited his father's personality, for he tried to challenge fate as well.
Oedipus divulges the story of how he killed a group of men at a crossroads, in doing so, he realizes that he was responsible for Laius's murder. However, he retracts his confession when he is told that a witness to the incident at the crossroads claimed he saw a band of thieves kill the men. Oedipus states, .
"Why "murderers" you said, .
killed the King, according to this man's story.
If he maintains that still, if there were several,.
Clearly the guilt is not mine: I was alone." (Fitts, 44).
Oedipus then puts all of his stock in the witness, knowing that this is his final chance to be acquitted of the charges he has brought upon himself.
The Greek drama Oedipus Rex is clearly a tragedy. ... Oedipus Rex clearly meets the first of these five criteria. ... The tragic flaw, or mistake that a character makes, in Oedipus Rex does not actually take place during the story. ... In these five ways, the story Oedipus Rex classifies as a tragedy. However, in my opinion at least, you don't really need a standard checklist to see if Oedipus Rex is a tragedy or not. ...
"Oedipus Rex Essay Number 1- The stories Antigone and Oedipus Rex were written by a Greek philosopher named Sophocles. ... In Oedipus Rex there was a very interesting prophecy. Before the prophecy, Tiresias and Oedipus had an argument. ... In Oedipus Rex the prophecy Tiresias gave Oedipus was a foreshadow of what was to come. ... Oedipus had become blind. ...
Oedipus Rex is Greek tragedy written by Sophocles. The main character, Oedipus Rex, is a man who is trying to escape destiny. ... Oedipus is born the prince of Thebes. ... Oedipus Rex is a perfect example of the tragic hero. ... Oedipus Rex is a powerful play and will continue to influence generations for a long time to come. ...
The contrast between light and dark, and blindness and sight plays a large role throughout Oedipus Rex. ... Oedipus Rex is a play full of paradox. ... During the exchange between Tiresias and Oedipus near the beginning of the play, constant reference is made to Oedipus" sight and Tiresias" blindness. ... Oedipus Rex is an account of Oedipus" quest for truth. ... Yet it is only in his blindness that Oedipus finally truly sees. ...
The entire concept of Oedipus Rex is enough to leave a sour taste in a reader's mouth. ... Contrary to this, however, Oedipus Rex is one of the most highly regarded plays in literary history. ... The mix of pleasure and disquietude create the volatile emotions that make Oedipus Rex a legendary play. Before the play even begins, Oedipus murders his father. ... Overall, the tragic nature of Oedipus Rex incites more sympathy from the audience than the initial disgust. ...
All of the tragedies, including Oedipus Rex are considered outstanding for their powerful, intricate plots and dramatic style. ... Oedipus Rex is a tragedy written by Sophocles. ... Oedipus's tragedy extends to his entire family. ... Such an ironic reversal occurs in Oedipus Rex when the messenger's speech unsettles rather than reassures Oedipus about who he is and what he has done. ... The major conflict occurred when Tiersias tells Oedipus that Oedipus is responsible for the plague and Oedipus refuses to believe it. ...
In Sophocles's play "Oedipus Rex- Oedipus Even though "fate" seems to determine Oedipus' life, . he does infact have a free will. ... Oedipus does not believe (his choice). ... Oedipus Essay (Fate) Sophocles "Oedipus the King- is a tragic play which discusses the tragic discovery of Oedipus that he has killed his father and married his mother. ... Oedipus Rex - Bliss in Ignorance Oedipus Rex - Bliss in Ignorance One of the most memorable and meaningful Socratic quotes applies well when in context of Sophocles' Theban Trilogy. ... Yet in terms of Sophoclean drama, specifically Oe...
Iokaste the Downfall of Oedipus Rex From the beginning of Oedipus Rex there are prophecies that insist the ultimate fate of Oedipus. Although these prophecies are excruciating, they are prophecies that in the end all come, true and lead to the destruction of Oedipus Rex. ... Iokaste through love and concern for her son tries to prevent these awful prophecies from happening, but in the end she is the ultimate cause of Oedipus Rex's grief and downfall. ... The Iokaste says Oedipus! ... Iokaste although it is not obvious was really the cause of Oedipus Rex's downfall. ...
Oedipus Rex is a fascinating insight into the nature of a human being's need for control. From the opening lines of the play we see King Oedipus as the strong leader of his city. ... We know that Oedipus fled his home town to avoid a prophecy that foretold that he would kill his father. It is later revealed that he did in fact, albeit unknowingly to Oedipus himself at the time, kill his father. ... The story of Oedipus Rex teaches this moral brilliantly. ...
