Week 7 Discussion

In the reading Oedipus the king, Timeless human experience, or behaviors we can find is from oedipus the king he who is brave, We know this because he ruled and serve at Thebes until his last days, he showed bravery. In the article we can read it said, you that live in my ancestral Thebes, behold this, Oedipus, him who knew the famous riddle and was a man most masterful: 1725 not a citizen who did not look with envy on his lot- see him now and see the breakers misfortune swallow him! looked upon the last days always,  Count no mortal happy till he has passed the final limit of his life secure from pain. This is refer to him telling us he will ruled till his last days, as a brave ruler not scare of his last days. This is a timeless human behavior because everyone is brave many different ways but we are brave.

The reading “Oedipus the King” discusses some timeless human experiences and behavior. For example, in the play, the citizens constantly pray to god, begging for Thebes because they are experiencing a horrific plague, faithfully believing that the king can save them. Similarly, in contemporary society, we can see how religion is still dominant; countries such as Iran and Yemen have an example of theocratic governments. Religious beliefs have been passed from generation to generation. Another example is pride, a negative human trait that can affect your self-growth. The consequence of having a superior and antisocial personality can result in a tragedic outcome. In the play, the oracle reveals to king Oedipus his inevitable fate, and he immediately protects himself using excessive pride as a shield. Despite his internal and external fights, he fulfills the prophecy of killing his father and marrying his wife. Those two characteristics are general aspects of life.

What timeless human experiences or behaviors do you find in your reading of Oedipus the King? The story “Oedipus the King”, is relevant to this world crisis and in the past time as its been happening through the centuries where the kings are getting executed by their own family members to get into power. Just like that what happens in this plot when he would murder his father and sleep with his mother. Oedipus is ignorant of the deep dishonor he has done. Had Oedipus taken a moment to consider that there was any possibility that the man he was arguing with was his father, maybe he wouldn’t have killed him. Immediately following the murder, Oedipus could have felt shame for killing someone, but he could not have felt shame for killing his own father,  however, was viewed as an act of significant dishonor and, therefore, if Oedipus had known immediately after the fact that he had killed Laius, he would have taken on the burden of shame. Speaking to the Chorus, Oedipus asserts, “I account myself a child of Fortune, beneficent Fortune, and I shall not be dishonored.” Oedipus, believing that he has gone his whole life thus far outsmarting the gods, regards himself as being a man of great fortune and honor. Because Oedipus thinks he has not dishonored his family by killing his father and wedding his mother.

Oedipus the King is a play written over a thousand years ago. However, the characters’ experiences and behaviors are still relatable to people from all eras, including us living in the modern era. One of these things is how we tend to think about the worst case scenarios as Oedipus did when be believed that Creon was after his throne. In the play it states “I have come because I heard deadly words spread about me, that the king accuses me.” Oedipus is so paranoid of Creon taking the throne that even Creon knows about this rumor without Oedipus directly informing Creon. Another thing that humans have experienced for all eternity is pride. Oedipus the King is completely based on the hubris of Oedipus and how it was his downfall. We see this happen over and over throughout history. One example is Hitler, he thought his ideas were the truth and decided to subject them to most of Europe but failed as he was too prideful and never thought that he would lose the war.

“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.

I agree with Aristotle when he explains that “poetry is a higher form than history.” This is because in poetry so much is able to be explained with such little words. We are able to see how people were able to feel using the figurative languages. The audience is also able to understand different points of views. History is much more biased and may only focus on one side instead of all of them, just like today.   Oedipus, wants to find the truth so he sees anything in his power to do so. He is very curious and knows that he takes control and gets the best of him. I understand why he wants to find the truth out because when I look at it from his point of view I am able to see how important it is and why he is so determined to do so. Even thought he had many obstacles he still wanted to do whats best for him, because he did not want to keep it hidden from him.

In Oedipus the King, there are many timeless human experiences or behaviors. Aristotle also writes that poetry is a higher form than history, he uses poetry to show all of these timeless human experiences. One of them is death and, everyone knows what death is and that we cannot escape it when it is our time also almost everyone has heard on the news about a tragic murder. In the play, Oedipus had to go through the consequences when he found out that he had killed King Laius. Death has always affected humans, centuries ago and even in the play. Another timeless human experience or behavior is religion, most families have their own beliefs and gods they believe in. The play frequently brings up the “gods” or praying to Zeus to protect a king. They really believed in Zeus so much that the citizens would pray about anyone who wants to cause harm to “important” people, like kings, for example, should be harmed. This is an example of timeless human experiences because many people now still pray to their God, not exactly like in the play, but they pray for good things.

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.

This play of Oedipus the King was an interesting play to read. It showed the King’s character development in many ways. The King was soaring high. The timeless experience that stood out to me of how he was this loved King who had it all. The citizen’s admiration, a family. He found out that he killed his father and married to his mother. His whole behavior changed, and everything came crumbling down. Tragically, this ripple effect caused his mother to hang herself. It is tough when you’re in a situation like that and sometimes you feel like you’re not able to get yourself out of this hole you’ve dug yourself in.  The mother couldn’t face the fact that this has come to light, and she found this as her only way out. I think that it showed that no matter how high you are, there is no such thing as perfection.

There are many Timeless human experiences or behaviors you would find In the second half of Odepius The King Sophocles, one of those being facing the death of a loved one everyone have experienced this for centuries and is bound to at some point in their lives and will react differently to it depending on the person. Oedipus reaction was strucking his eyes when he saw his wife/mother after she committed suicide by hanging herself after that he then wanted to isolate himself in the mountains until he dies. Another Timeless human experience is parents mistakes befalling onto their children like how oedipus killed both of his parents and now his children have to live with being inbred and the children of a murderer “1685 your father killed his father and sowed the seed where he had sprung himself and begot you out of the womb that held him these insults you will hear. Then who will marry you? No one, my children; clearly you are doomed 1690 to waste away in barrenness unmarried.” 

What timeless human experiences or behaviors do you find in your reading of Oedipus the King? We all agree that Oedipus’ most admirable traits are his determination, commitment to truth and justice, and his desire to be a good king to Thebes’ people. When he hears that the devastating plague Thebes is a result of Laius’ murder being unpunished, Oedipus stops at nothing to discover the truth about Laius’ murder.  He seeks to enforce justice for the murder of Laius. Despite being warned by the blind prophet Tiresias that Oedipus will be upset by the true identity of Laius’ murderer, Oedipus still stays committed to his search for the truth. We can definitely say that  Oedipus’ determined search for the truth on behalf of his people ultimately leads to his downfall and tragic end.  Even when Oedipus discovers the horrifying truth that he is, in fact, the perpetrator of the crime, he does not deny it or attempt to hide the truth. Instead, he acts as a great and loyal king to the people of Thebes because he sacrifices himself for the higher cause of his people’s wellbeing. he is strong and determined in his search for the truth at any cost, he bravely faces and accepts his guilt.

While reading Oedipus the King there are mentions of timeless human experiences and behaviors. One of those would be the societal fear of killing their father and marrying their mom. Most people in society would think that it would be one of their greatest fears for that to happen. In all cultures, there’s an incest taboo that this story would relate to in the real world. Another behavior that is mentioned in the passage is that we would not have control of our own lives rather a more significant and greater force is making these things happen. The fear that we do not control our own lives is something that most people would be afraid of. I myself think that if I didn’t have control over my own life what’s the point in doing anything if it’s all predetermined and you wouldn’t be able to choose for yourself. There are other behaviors that are exhibited in the passage but these are the ones that I have seen.

While reading about Oedipus Rex whose importance is capital for Western civilization. In addition to being a masterpiece from the theatrical point of view, I understood that Jocasta also influences as a protagonist of this reading since she is his mother. His experience or his timeless human behavior gave me a lot of intrigue as I read because he talks about where we come from and that makes me think of a family tree; although his wife asked him not to continue with the same investigation. Reading about the couple that the mother commits suicide when the marriage comes to light and suicide is generally associated with an individual act, with a very clear purpose despite the fact that there are ways to prevent it, it is usually difficult because perhaps not everyone has support powerful enough to prevent it. Oedipus orders an investigation and urges the people to hand over the culprit.

In the play Oedipus showed many emotions but the one that stood out to me was his curiosity and strong will to find out the truth about his birth even if he knew it might end up badly. In the play his wife Jocasta tries to stop him from going any further to seek the truth after he learns that he was adopted by Polybus. She says things like, “O be persuaded by me, I entreat you; do not do this” at this point she probably already knew the truth and didn’t want Oedipus to find out since it was such a bad thing. Oedipus however was too curious and fixated on the truth of the matter that he disregarded Jocasta’s care and in the end she was resigned to telling him that he was, “…unhappy Oedipus…”. He wasn’t satisfied with what he already had/knew and ended up destroying his family for it.

When the play opens, Oedipus and the Priest are speaking about the sickness that is plaguing the city “The town is heavy with a mingled burden of sounds and smells, of groans and hymns and incense…” (Lines 3,4 spoken by Oedipus), a Blight is on the fruitful plants of the earth, a blight is on the cattle in the fields, a blight is on our women that no children are born to them; a God that carries fire, a deadly pestilence, is on our town (lines 26-30 spoken by the priest). Sickness is a timeless human experience to varying degrees from individual influenza to the l typhoid fever outbreak of NYC in 1906 lest we forget our own recent pandemic outbreak of 2020 from the year of 541 to present day humans have always experienced some sort of plague/epidemic or mass sickness. Another experience is death and murder. Murder is the oldest crime in history, and we’ve all been exposed to it either via firsthand experience or secondary through media such as news. Death takes many forms including suicide (which has a yearly average of 800,000 deaths documented globally). Death is the only constant in life. In the play Oedipus Rex kills King Laius, Oedipus’s Wife/Mother dies by her own hand after she learns of the incestuous relationship she had with her son.  

After reading the rest of the story I got a better insight and understanding of the king’s personality. He as an individual was just a human being made out of flesh and mortal and with many flaws of his own. While he might not be the wisest king, but one of his biggest flaws is that he was so conceited. His arrogance was ironically blinding for him and I think it’s one of the timeless problems for the humanity. Both his and queen’s reactions that followed after they learned the truth illustrated how emotionally undeveloped they are. Additionally their decisions also highlight a universal issue of being selfish, because no matter of how hard the situation or the circumstances sometimes might be, one should be capable of caring of how their actions going to affect others. Jocasta takes her own life without giving a thought about her children and not taking the responsibility to stay and help them cope with the aftermath of their mistakes.

Oedipus the king has many emotions and behaviors, one that stood out to me was when Creon was worried that the King accused him of a serious scandal that tarnished his character. He goes on to say that he can’t live with the burden which sounds like a guilty conscience in the moment. Creon goes on demanding evidence for what he is being accused of.  The reaction by Creon made me feel connected to the drama that unfolded. It is normal human behavior to feel offended and request for evidence for such serious claims. I admired that there was so much wisdom and emotional intelligence when Creon asked the King to Reflect on the situation. Creon’s character radiates strength which I admire a lot. The self-awareness that he acquires within shows his maturity and discipline as a person with great integrity.

Greek tragedies were plays that had themes around human nature as a way to make the audience feel connected and involved in the performances. While there are many examples of timeless human experiences in Oedipus the King by Sophocles, the experience I choose to speak on is curiosity. Even more specifically curiosity about finding out who your biological parents are. Adoption is very common in todays world but I’m sure was not common and probably even frowned upon in 429 BC. Since adoption is so common today, a lot of children are left wondering who their blood parents could be. Sometimes biological parents might not want to be found, but the child could be dying to know so they could get their closure about the situation. In todays world it’s become easier to find people with technology and social media, Oedipus would have probably had a much easier time finding out the truth in 2022. Curiosity is what makes us human and keeps us evolving, you never know until you try or find out!

In the second half of Odepius The King Sophocles there are many timeless human experiences and behaviors. a couple that stood out to me was when the mother hung herself when the marriage came to light. Suicide is sometimes a human behavior when someone becomes severely depressed due to pressure from society, a lot of people tend to think about suicide. a great deal don’t attempt and try to find a way to figure out their problems but sadly for her she successfully committed suicide. The kids felt like a disgrace and felt like no one would want to marry them being as they are Odepius kids, and everyone viewed him as a monster. I understand why they would feel that way. Anyone that would want to marry them may be treated badly due to Odepius incestuous history with his mother and no one wants to be judged which is definitely a timeless human experience.

Oedipus the king has a wide range of emotions and human experiences and behaviors one that stood out to me was the citizens praying to Zeus to protect their king and to make anyone that would bring harm to him to be struck down. This is still somewhat common in terms of people believing and religion and praying to help a family member or someone they know to be protected during surgery or for them to be healthy religion and a higher power has been a thing for thousands of years in human history and will continue to be so. Another experience that I noticed is Oediupus’s curiosity and wanting to find the truth on who killed Jocasta only to find out that Jocasta hung herself after finding this out Oedipus becomes quite emotional and ends up doing what happens in the rest of the story this is also a timeless human experience because he acted out of emotion after losing someone they cared about which still happens today because humans are emotional and care about the ones they love deeply so when something happens especially the loss of someone humans do crazy things out of emotion and from the pain of the loss.

Literature is the story of what is universal in the human experience. Reading Oedipus the King I could identify several timeless human behaviors. Human beings are emotional creators; it is clear to see that in this story since it is very dramatic. The characters in this story are very impulsive, and moved by passion. The most outstanding behaviors are Oedipus’s and Jocasta’s when the truth comes to light. Jocasta hanged herself and put an end to her life while Oedipus blinded himself claiming that there is nothing for him to see. They both were frightened by the terrible discovery and that lead them to their deeds. I find these behaviors as timeless human behaviors because at the end of the day they are both human beings who reacted by their emotions. I feel like this type of story comes as a mirror for human behavior in an exaggerated way in order to make us wonder about how our mind works. How will people act when they’re suffering, where is the limit?

While reading the second half of the assignment, my view of Oedipus shifted. The timeless human behavior/experience that stood out for me was his curiosity in seeking the truth.. Especially the truth that tells where we comes from, our lineage, our family history.  His wife had begged him multiple times not to follow through in his search.  Ignorance is bliss but, it seemed that as a king, he needed to know the truth not only for himself but to be worthy of his position and the admiration and love of his people.  I gathered that point of view towards the end of the play based off his extreme expression of disappointment and the actions he took out of the shame he felt.  Knowing the truth  creates an irresistible urge to do so no matter the costs. Scientists trying to make new discoveries, detectives solving a murder, etc.  In Oedipus’ case, he knew the possibility of the rumors being true would lead to his possible downfall, yet he could not stop until he knew for sure.  He left his home out of fear that the prophecy would come to pass, he took actions to avoid what he feared the most.  He could have easily stopped the search and continued to rule Thebes. However knowing the truth was stronger than his desire to keep his title.

Jocasta is a very important character because she is Oedipus mother and wife. Jocasta didn’t believe in the prophecy that was told by the Oracle she said 815 “do not concern yourself about this matter listen to me and learn that human beings have no part in the craft of prophecy”. when the messenger came by to bring to Oedipus that his father Polybus was dead he was relief because the prophecy didn’t come through, Polybus was his father after all and him dyeing of old age was a good thing. Oedipus fear mislead him Why should man fear since chance is all in all  for him, and he can clearly foreknow nothing?1101 Best to live lightly, as one can, unthinkingly. As to your mother’s marriage bed, —don’t fear it.  Before this, in dreams too, as well as oracles,  many a man has lain with his own mother. But he to whom such things are nothing bears his life most easily.1105