“Oedipus the King” is interpreted by many people in different ways. My personal view on Oedipus is that his actions had consequences. I think poetry is a very philosophical art form. It’s created to tell stories but also creates thought-provoking life lessons. Life doesn’t just happen to you, though things can happen out of your control, overall, the actions you choose affect the trajectory of your life. Oedipus is shown to have immense pride described as hubris. His pride got in the way of his clarity even when it was laid out in front of him. The oracle told him his fate and even then he chose not to listen because he thought he was above that. He was ignorant of the fate shown to him to keep power over Thebes and keep a good image. Blindness and eyes are also used as symbolism for the ignorance shown by Oedipus in comparison to a character like Teiresias, physically blind but not ignorant. The psychological aspect of Oedipus is very interesting considering there are different psychoanalysis relating to “Oedipus the King”. The Oedipus complex, hubris, toxic pride, and psychological egoism are some of the few studied theories seen in literature and the real world. Whether people believe in them or not, it shows that it is timeless and can still be used to look at real-world problems.
Daily Archives: October 8, 2022
Oedipus the King is a story about a Greek king who ends up killing his father and marrying his mother, even though he does everything he can to avoid doing that very thing. Even though it is set in Ancient Greece, there are timeless human experiences that people from today still can relate to. For instance, Oedipus ignores everything that points him to the truth about his life. He is so blinded to it. People around him are telling him things he doesn’t want to hear, so he simply doesn’t listen and remains ignorant. This is something that people can relate to. People constantly try to deny things that might be true because accepting the truth is too hard for them. Another relatable moment in the play is the fear that the chorus experiences. They represent the average citizen who has to live in the city but doesn’t have any real control over what is going on. They can only watch and hear about what is happening. People, especially recently, can relate to this. With scary events going on around the world, and with politicians not seeming to do a lot to change it, I know that people feel like the only thing they can do is sit and watch.
One of the defining human conditions that is prevalent throughout the play is the attempt to escape one’s fate and the burden of truth. I understand that in his position the idea that he would murder his own father and to then sleep with his mother deeply disturbed him so much that he perhaps thought he could do something to escape that destiny by using his free will. However, not realizing that his actions end up fulfilling the very prophecy he’s terrified of. Along with the idea of escaping fate and free will, another theme I’ve picked up is sight and blindness. The contrast between a blind prophet who can “see” the world for what it really is and Oedipus who is able to see with his own eyes yet to chooses not to see things for what they are. Sometimes we choose to see what we want to see because it’s easier to live in ignorance than to be burdened with the weight of the truth.
“Oedipus the King” is considered timeless because it shows us a sense of control we feel we have of our lives but can cause us problems. In this story, Oedipus couldn’t escape his destiny even having the best intentions. Oedipus lesson can apply to us also with our curiosities, if we figure out the questions we have it doesn’t mean it can change our viewpoint. We can decide how to act and go on with the consequences. Oedipus seeks out knowledge finds the truth out and bears the consequences with dignity and personal responsibility. Oedipus suffers the consequences but it’s what comes with knowing ourselves. This story also tells us we can’t always control our destiny but we can steer it in the right path. We as humans are blind to the truth because we are afraid of facing and dealing with reality. Sometimes the truth can have a positive or negative impact on our lives.
Throughout history there are people out there who experience things only they will forever for the rest of time. While everyone else in history may experience things others will never they also experience things everyone will. In “Oedipus the King” one experience or behavior that everyone experiences is the will to keep a secret to your grave. The Herdsman knows the truth of Oedipus but he doesn’t want to tell the secret as it is terrible and he knows that Oedipus will not take it well. Another experience or behavior is when Oedipus learns the truth and he then gets stuck in grief and despair. He begins to hate himself and wishes that he had died instead of being saved. Both of these are something everyone no matter the time period experiences as we all have things we wish to keep to ourselves or hate ourselves for something we did intentionally or not.
