Prompt: COVID was a plague that affected the modern world. Think back to those days and compare/contrast the behaviors of the American population that you witnessed during this plague with the behaviors of the people of Thebes as seen in Oedipus the King. Refer to specific scenes from the play, but remember that this is a personal reflection. Please be sure to directly address the prompt. To submit your Week 7 post, follow the steps below. 1. Scroll up to the black strip at the top of the screen and click the black “plus” sign inside the white circle. It is located to the right of the course title. 2. In the box that reads “Add title,” type in a title that includes your first name, last name, and the words “Discussion 7” (example: John Hart Discussion 7). 3. Type your response in the text box. Remember that your first post must be at least 150 words in order to receive full credit. 4. Navigate to the right side of the screen and choose the Post Category “Week 7 Discussion” (or whichever week is current). Never choose anything in the box that reads “Category Sticky.” Click for screenshot. 5. To add media (optional), click the “add media“ button in between the title box and the text box. Do not add the image directly to the media library. To get the image to show in the tile preview, go to “featured image > add featured image, in the lower right-hand side.” Click for screenshot. 6. Publish the post by clicking the blue button on the right. 7. Please leave a thoughtful reply to the post of one other classmate. Remember that your comments to others should be at least 75 words in order to receive full credit.
Week 7 Discussion
In ‘Oedipus the King’, we see timeless human behaviors like pride and downfall. Oedipus’s big ego and thinking too highly of himself is something people have done for ages, often causing their own problems. “Oedipus the King” makes us think if our lives are controlled by fate or the choices we make. Oedipus’s strong desire to discover the truth teaches us that we all want to know even if it’s painful. His big mistake, ignorance of his past, reminds us that we all have weaknesses that can cause big trouble.
In the story “Oedipus the king”, Oedipus doesn’t think rationally and respond emotionally more often than not. We see often with many people that their decision making is limited when they are angered or in an emotional state. Oedipus was accused of killing the king by the blind prophet. This makes him wary and begins to throw the blame on to her. He also makes others suspicious of the people close to him, making it seems as though they may be the ones responsible instead. He begins to recognize throughout the story the consequences of his actions as his downfall was swift and much expected. his downfall. He through others under the bus in order to try and absolve blame for his actions and continue to remain in a position of power. He acts purely of his own emotions, which in turn affects all of the core decisions that he makes in the story.
In the story “Oedipus the king”, the king creates more problems for himself by putting his emotions before logic. In the real world pride works hand in hand with anger. When anger consumes you, the truth is harder to see, as show in the story when he is first accused of murdering King Laius. Oedipus who had unknowingly killed his father did not want to believe the prophet, but it is later revealed that Oedipus had completed a prophecy of killing his father and marrying his mother. This revelation was the reason why Oedipus was so impulsive and his decision-making was poor. When Oedipus reveals the truth, his self image is shattered and as well as the loss of self identity. Oedipus who had been warned before about fate did not listen when reminded of the god’s wills and therefore, his pride was the cause of his downfall. When initially accused by the blind prophet Oedipus immediately accuses him back because Teiresias had questioned him out of his authority which causes Oedipus to act out of anger without listening which is the result of his ignorance.
In the story “oedipus the king” by sophocles we can see that how people are selfish for them they can do anything for ther happy life. Oedipus kill is father and married to his mother after sometime he cannot belibe that he did it that. So he was running from the faith and started lying and started doubting to his close one. Despite this all he was telling to all the city that how he saved the city from plague. After that all running from the faith he started making rude and harsh decision for the city . He was not accepting the truth what he has done he got blind when he has done that to become king that is not right to because he was surronded by royal family so he know what king and queen do for there city.
Timeless human experiences or behaviors I found in my reading of Oedipus the King is that Oedipus makes choices based on his personal thoughts and feelings, which he utilizes to generate new and unusual behaviors because of several influences, such as seeing his parents run their kingdom and feeling good about himself. Oedipus developed his personality through harming others, and as a result, he evolved into who he is now. Oedipus’ parents, for instance, were King and Queen. He has spent his whole childhood surrounded by the royal family, so by watching his father, he learns what a king is supposed to be like. He could be portraying the powerful behavior of his own father. The main motivation beneath Oedipus’ actions is pride, he acts in ways that make him feel emotionally rewarded. With the position of power that comes with becoming king, he turns rude and harsh. Our decisions are influenced by our emotions, which play an important part in decision-making.
There are a number of universal human emotions and actions portrayed in Sophocles’ “Oedipus the King” that cut across all historical periods. Oedipus’ constant search for the truth and information, which is represented by his will to discover his true identity and the cause of the plague in Thebes, is a reflection of humanity’s ongoing yearning for knowledge and resolution. As Oedipus struggles with his tragic destiny predicted by prophets, the idea of fate vs free will is essential, touching on the age-old human conflict between predetermined fate and personal action. Oedipus’s pride, or arrogance, which led to his demise, acts as the spark for a timeless lesson about the consequences of uncontrolled arrogance, a trait of human nature that goes beyond historical boundaries.
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.
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.
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.
The play Oedipus explores themes of truth, human blindness, and the possibilities and impossibilities of free will and fate. The public’s shame for Oedipus is born when they become aware of his actions, which are not necessarily repugnant to contemporary readers. Instead, Sophocles condemns Oedipus for his greatest sin of hubris, which he performed with a clear and intentional conscience. However, Oedipus was making decisions with limited information and did not choose to commit patricide. The role of the audience is not to make moral judgments but to understand the complexity of Oedipus’s situation. The play asked its original viewers to consider intentionality and purpose, freeing them from the burden of deciding Oedipus’s guilt. In today’s world, Oedipus’s actions would be condemned differently, but the overriding moral thread of the text remains. While murdering his father was not a crime per se, Oedipus did something shameful in the cultural context of his time. For Oedipus, the shame was a function of his tempted fate and killing his father, making his actions relevant to the modern world.
