A timeless experience and behavior, I saw in the reading “Oedipus the King” is becoming defensive and doubting in the form of attacking and making theories searching for the truth. An example is when Oedipus and Teiresias are talking, and Teiresias says that Oedipus killed the other King. Subsequently, Oedipus starts to become very defensive and starts making theories. One of Oedipus’s theories is that Teiresia the blind prophet killed the other king. And doubted the people close to him, we can see this when Oedipus starts speaking with his brother-in-law. Also, we can say Oedipus’s relentless quest in search of the truth reflects humanity seeking knowledge and confronting the bad things of reality. Another experience and behavior is the Irony of blindness because Teiresias, a blind prophet, has insight into the truth while Oedipus, who can see, doesn’t have any clue.
Daily Archives: October 13, 2023
Many timeless human experiences can be seen in Oedipus The King. In particular, I found the “Chorus” to show a very striking resemblance to human experience when they speak to Oedipus and Teiresias. “We look at this man’s words and yours, my king, and we find both have spoken them in anger. We need no angry words but only thought how we may best hit God’s meaning for us.” (Sophocles 7) In this statement, the chorus is attempting to redirect the attention of Oedipus and Teiresias back to the problem at hand. I think that it must be difficult for the people of Thebes to see authorities they hold in high regard squabbling, especially when going through such a horrible plague. The emotion of the chorus reminds me of the emotional state of many Puerto Ricans after Hurricane Maria devastated the Island in September of 2017. Many Puerto Ricans were left without water and electricity for months on end. FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) was unprepared for the hurricane and failed to provide adequate support to the Caribbean island. Many Puerto Ricans felt as though the President at the time, Donald Trump, was too worried about appearances and looking as if he had everything under control, instead of being honest to the public about the horrible state in which Puerto Rico was in. This can be compared to how Oedipus became quickly offended and angered when Teiresias implied he was somehow involved in the king’s murder, he became so consumed with preserving his self-image that he lost focus of the problem at hand.
In the play “Oedipus the King ” expands on many themes that come across today’s society. The themes that Oedipus shows are selfishness and blindness towards the people in the play and the way he acts to hide things from them through many situational times .He keeps on lying to everyone and Jocasta tries to expand his thoughts on it, “JOCASTA: Do not concern yourself about this matter; listen to me and learn that human beings815 have no part in the craft of prophecy” In other words as Oedpidus refuses to listen to him while Jocasta goes on by saying, that he is worth to know what’s going on as a right and have faith in his opinions.
In the reading ” oedipus is the king” it makes a reference to crime and how it’s impossible to escape one’s fate. This is because he killed his father and married his mother. Having the bravery to kill someone is unimaginable specially if its someone in your family. People have their own justification for their actions and there are rare cases where it’s actually “self defense or accidentally”. It also takes a lot of courage to accept it. unlike oedipus he was destined to make those actions. He then decided to run away from Corinth avoiding the fate he had. After killing his father the reflection on what he had done lead him to self harm himself by blinding himself to stop him from seeing the reality of what he had done. Fate may be a curse or a myth horn it can literally fit in any category, but I believe that certain things you are meant for can’t be stopped no matter how hard you go on yourself.
Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex deftly incorporates timeless and universal human experiences to illustrate themes of identity, self-discovery, and human psychology when faced with devastating truths, among others. doing. Oedipus’ pursuit of knowledge leads to a catastrophic fall, and Oedipus’ predicament also represents a modern-day dilemma over whether to unearth a potentially devastating truth. Oedipus’ futile attempts to escape fate, even if his efforts are futile, are strongly reminiscent of man’s constant efforts to manipulate fate and control his own destiny. This play’s human struggle against a seemingly predetermined path speaks to a universal dilemma. Finally, he shows how these deeply human experiences are timeless, showing why this play continues to resonate through the ages, reaching across diverse cultures and eras. Beyond, it evokes a sense of struggle and horror that still baffles, fascinates, and terrifies modern audiences. This reminds us of the reality that there are some things we cannot change no matter how hard we try.
While reading the story of “Oedipus the King” by Sophocles some of the timeless human experiences and behaviors that I’ve noticed are blindness and pride. Oedipus is blind to the truth, both literally and metaphorically. As he refuse (the second behavior being his pride) to see what was right in-front of him, the truth, the divine prophesy. Oedipus’s literal and metaphorical blindness shows how we as humans can sometimes be “blind” to the truth, even when it’s right in front of us. The second timeless human experiences or behaviors being pride. Just as one puts it “For pride is spiritual cancer: it eats up the very possibility of love, or contentment, or even common sense” (Lewis). Oedipus’s pride in his ability to control his own fate ultimately served to fulfill the prophecy leading to unintended consequences and a tragic ending. His excessive pride led to his inability to see the truth.
The story Oedipus the King show how power, guilt, ignorance and pride can have impacts over the King. In the story there are timeless human experiences that are shown. Oedipus embodies the classic characteristics of the tragic hero, and his downfall follows accordingly. Out of a genuine concern for the suffering of his people, he attempts to discover the cause of the plague in order to end it. His anger and the decisions he makes while trying to do the right thing, did not go the way he expected. However his downfall was not because of his attitude, but because his pride and self-confidence, and the hard truth that he had to face when he found out he killed his father and married his mother. In fact in the process, he behaves so arrogantly that he is blind to his own role in the plague, repeatedly referring to himself as “distinguished” and boasting about saving the city once already. Each decision he makes to avoid fate ultimately serves to fulfill the prophecy.
In my reading of “Oedipus the king” by Sophocles, there are several timeless human experiences and behaviors that are explored. Oedipus, despite his efforts to escape his predestined fate, unknowingly fulfills the prophecy that he will kill his father and marry his mother .this destiny raises questions about the extent to which individuals can control their own lives .Oedipus exhibits hubris ,or excessive pride ,which leads to his downfall. His relentless pursuit of the truth and his unwaving confidence in his own ability blind him to his own flaws and the truth about his past .Oedipus experiences remorse when he realized his extent of his unwitting crimes. The play shows the power of truth and the consequences of the discovery Opedipus’s pursuit lead to his own downfall and destruction of his family .He ensure its enduring relevance and make it a compelling piece of literature that continues to captivate audiences across different time periods and cultures. This reminds us of the importance of considering the consequences of our choices and the potential impact they can have on others.