After I read the play “Oedipus the King”, I found that human beings will subconsciously run away from the wrong things they have done, for example, Oedipus finally knows that he is the murderer of his father. He gouged out his own eyes. It shows the typical Greek tragic conflict – the conflict between man and his fate. The author expresses his doubts about the justice of the gods, complains about the injustice and cruelty of fate, and praises the strong will and heroic behavior of the hero in his struggle with fate, in response to the doom suffered by such a hero who has done countless good deeds for the people and the country. Therefore, despite the tragic ending, the spirit of disobeying the “divine command”, knowing that it cannot be disobeyed, is an affirmation of the spirit of individual autonomy and a reflection of the advanced ideology of the Athenian slave-owning democrats.
Daily Archives: March 6, 2023
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this piece – it did change my view [somewhat] on the reading of plays. In reading Oedipus the King, I found so many experiences or behaviors that are universally relatable, not just within an isolated time period. To start, deception and shame is prevalent throughout the reading. The cause of the Oedipus’ fate was shame and deceit, with his ending being the same – shame caused by deceit. Another experience and behavior observed is acting out of fear. The last experience and behavior I would like to touch on is desperation in hope to figure out the “unknown”. Oedipus’ true parents, Jocasta and Laius, out of fear gave their child away to be killed from a prophesy. Fear of this child being prophesied as the cause of their demise, they gave him away to be killed, without second thought of consequences. In time, as it is apparent to Jocasta who Oedipus really is (which by the way, I feel she may have known the whole time who he really was), instead of being truthful, the hole was dug deeper and deeper with deceit. Shame and maybe even pride, caused her to hang herself instead of facing the consequences full on of her actions. Unfortunately, these behaviors are still very much a part of today’s society, this is not an isolated event during the times of Greek mythology. I mean – there wouldn’t be so many talk shows if this was not something that was all so common. Oedipus – in his shame of his actions, gouged his own eyes out, and stated if there was a way he could deafen himself too, he would’ve. I think perhaps there was both shame in his actions as well as disgust, but shame all the more. I also think […]
A scene and passage by the chorus that I liked was “This is a terrible sight for men to see! I never found a worse! Poor wretch, what madness came upon you! What evil spirit leaped upon your life to your ill-luck—a leap beyond man’s strength! Indeed I pity you, but I cannot look at you, though there’s much I want to ask and much to learn and much to see. I shudder at the sight of you” (1488-1497). I chose this passage because its language and expressions are deep and interesting, and the message behind it is easy to understand. The Chorus cries in agony that Oedipus let his anger take over him and is too terrible for eyes to see, that he has been punished in both body and soul and claimed it would’ve been better death than blindness.
