Week 7 Discussion

The number of universal and personal experiences I discovered while reading Oedipus the King astounded me. First, there was karma. The drama explores the struggle between karma and morality, a perennial problem facing people today. Oedipus has the ability to make decisions that will ultimately lead to a catastrophe even though he is destined to kill his father and marry his mother.

The struggle between man and fate is an eternal human experience. In the ancient Greek period, people knew little about the universe and nature and firmly believed that there was an irresistible force controlling destiny. Therefore, the protagonists or heroes in ancient Greek tragedies often actively struggled against the unchangeable destiny, and most of them ended up with The failure ended, but the light emitted by the struggle between man and fate is great and dazzling, and it is inspiring. The tragedy “Oedipus the King” is a representative tragedy of the typical ancient Greek period, and it is also the highest interpretation of the tragedy of fate. After learning everything, he resolutely decided to goug his eyes, punish himself and exile instead of escaping with death. own guilt. Human beings need such a spirit that even in the face of failure, they will try their best to keep trying, and finally bear the consequences and make up for their mistakes with a responsible attitude. In tragedy, human dignity is as important as fate. The essence of tragedy lies in revealing the inner strength of human beings and showing that human beings are great.

The timeless and human experiences I have found while reading Oedipus the king is surprising. The first one I noticed was fate and free will. The play explores the idea of fate versus free will, a timeless human experience that still resonates with people today. Oedipus is fated to kill his father and marry his mother, but he still has the free will to make choices that ultimately lead to his downfall. Another experience I read was searching for truth. Oedipus is on a quest to uncover the truth about his past and the murder of King Laius. This search for truth is a timeless human experience that is often depicted in literature and is still relevant today. Last one I felt was guilt and shame. Oedipus experiences intense feelings of guilt and shame when he realizes the truth about his past. These emotions are timeless and relatable to many people.

Some tireless hum an experience i get from reading Oedipus the King are pride and fate. Oedipus is a very powerful leader and throughout the story you start to see that he wants to outrun his fate in hopes of it not happening. Soon we start to see that the pride becomes his downfall  He tries to stop his destiny but ends up meeting the requirements unknowingly. Pride is a really big behavior that I see all during the whole story as because of that it make Oedipus susceptible to his own fate add along with that his pride try to use his power to control everything ended up in disaster for him.

In Oedipus the King, the human experience I saw was facing reality. In the play, Oedipus was given a prophecy on how his life would turn out and he did everything to escape his fate. This relates to the human need for control over the outcomes of their lives. There are certain things that happen in our lives that are meant to happen, but humans are blinded by the fantasy of having perfect, mistake free lives. Eventually, Oedipus’s prophecy came true while he was searching for his identity and role in the murder of King Laius. This highlights Oedipus facing who he really is for example, in the ending of the play, Creon told Oedipus, “Do not seek to be master in everything/ for the things you mastered did not follow you/throughout your life” (Sophocles, 1722). This shows that Oedipus faces his reality and surrender to the reality that he was not meant to be a king. This is applicable to humans now because we often change who we are to escape who we were and who we can be. In the play, it demonstrates that, we cannot run from ourselves.

The story about Oedipus the King shows the importance of knowledge and truth. Throughout the story a powerful king Oedipus uses his power to try to change his destiny and fate and even run away from it. Oedipus try’s to use his power to control his own destiny and his country’s destiny as the king, Oedipus later learns that somethings are still out of his control. No matter what Oedipus did to try to control his life his fate and destiny kept coming back. Oedipus pride for himself as a king and for his people becomes his downfall when he is forced to look into his own past. The reading shows that Oedipus had to go after the truth even if it hurt him the reading also highlights the importance of gaining truth and knowledge even if it hurts the person seeking it. The reading shows the power of fate and destiny and also the consequences of suffering and trying to avoid the truth.

According to Aristotle, poetry surpasses history as it portrays the timeless elements of human experience. Sophocles’ tragedy, Oedipus the King, is a prime example of this notion. The play delves into the idea of fate and free will, as Oedipus tries to avoid his prophesized destiny but ultimately fulfills it unknowingly. The plot shows how a king kills his father by accident and gets married to his mother through a series of events. Within its narrative are themes such as destiny versus free will, conceit and hubris, yearning for truth, and queries regarding fate’s judgment on gods and men alike that also exist in everyday life today. This tale has survived through the ages due to its striking capacity to capture fundamental aspects of humanity that transcend time itself – reminding us all about unexpected destructive outcomes despite well-meaning intentions; It is a cautionary tale that emphasizes the importance of humility, self-reflection, and the acceptance of what we cannot control.

The struggle for knowledge and truth: Oedipus relentlessly pursues the truth about his past and the identity of the murderer of the former king, despite the warnings of those around him. This is a universal human experience as people often seek knowledge and truth, even if it may be painful or difficult to encounter. The power of fate and destiny: Oedipus is incapable to escape his fate, which is foretold by the oracle. Despite his soundest efforts to avoid it, he ultimately fulfills the prophecy and suffers the consequences. This highlights the human experience of feeling helpless in the face of destiny and the inability to control certain events in our lives. The complexity of human relationships: The play explores the intricate relationships between family members, particularly between parents and children, and the consequences of actions taken in the past. It illustrates the human experience of grappling with the effects of our actions and decisions on our loved ones. The dangers of pride and hubris: Oedipus’ downfall is ultimately caused by his excessive pride and belief in his abilities. This is a universal human experience as people often struggle with the harmony between confidence and arrogance. Overall, “Oedipus the King” highlights the timeless human experiences of the search for truth, the influence of fate and destiny, the complexity of human relationships, and the dangers of excessive pride.

While reading the play “Oedipus the King”, we come across a number of timeless human experiences. One of the human experiences/behaviors that I would like to talk about is the search for truth. As human beings, it is natural for to want to know more. We want to know why certain things happened, or why they happened the way that they did. Sometimes, we’ll find ourselves chasing that truth and we may or may not get an answer. In the play, Oedipus is trying to find the truth about himself and his life, but as the truth is getting closer to him, it’s as if he does not want to know. In situations like this, it’s like we know what the outcome will be, but because we already have a feeling of what it is, we simply choose not to hear it. Eventually, Oedipus found out the truth about what he was looking for, he loses everything.

Some of the timeless human experience and behaviors that I find in the reading of Oedipus the King, is the struggle for finding the truth about his identity and his past, but once Oedipus finds out the reality he just cannot believe it and is in a state of shock.Another  timeless human experience or behaviour that I found in the reading was his desire for keeping his power and protecting his people from the plague.Another timeless human experience or behaviour that I found in the reading was that Oedipus started taking taking responsibility for his actions and mistakes and realized that he would have to face all the problems that are associated with it. Another timeless human experience or behavior that i found in the reading was that Oedipus realized that he would have to marry his mother after killing his father, and there is no way to stop this from happening.

“Oedipus the King” is a reflection of the shared human experience of suffering throughout all of human history. Oedipus is responsible for his own misery, yet he is unable to free himself from the consequences of his actions. This is a reflection of misery and how one’s suffering can be brought on by our own actions, whether through ignorance or carelessness. The tragedy that came upon Oedipus serves as a demonstration of suffering and illustrates how, depending on the circumstances, this experience can be both inescapable and unavoidable. Another human experience that is revealed throughout the play is pride. Because of his pride, Oedipus was not able to come to his senses and try to accept his “fate”, as the Chorus was trying to get him to do. Him not being able to accept his fate leads to his own demise. This is a reflection of the human experience of pride and how it can lead us to make decisions that would end up bringing about our own pain.

Throughout reading the play, “Oedipus the King”, there are numerous timeless experiences that can be correlated to our own experiences in reality.  For instance, in part two of the play, Jocasta states, ” For Oedipus excites himself too much at every sort of trouble, not conjecturing like a man of sense”. Initially this quote explains to readers how Oedipus gets too “caught up” in every situation that comes his way but isn’t prepared to deal with the consequences. Instead, he goes unprepared and lacking important knowledge of the trouble in hand. This is something that is relatable to many people in reality/society as we are all human at the end of the day. When given specific situations to deal with, many factors can come into play and therefore we can make irrational decisions. Instead, as described in the quote, individuals should be of “sense” and work with their head and not their emotions. In another quote, the Chorus states, “If there is any ill worse than ill, that is the lot of Oedipus. I cannot say your remedy was good; you would be better dead than blind and living”. This quote can be related to society in various ways. The Chorus is illustrating to readers and to Oedipus how he is better dead, than to be alive and running from the truth that haunts him. Rather than living in shun and regret, it is better to be dead, according to the Chorus. Personally, I think this seems like a relatable experience as in a sense not to run away from the truth and be able to move on with any predicament. There is no point in living a life in which you’re too frightened to do anything for yourself or others. Therefore, I would have to agree with the Chorus […]

Oedipus the King is a timeless tragedy that explores universal themes and human experiences. The reading delves into the concept of fate and the idea that some things are beyond human control. Oedipus’s story is a reminder that no matter how much we try to control our lives, fate can still play a significant role in shaping our destinies. The human desire for power and control is another central theme in the story. Oedipus is a powerful king that believes that he can control his destiny and the destiny of his people, but he eventually learns that some things are beyond his control. Additionally, the reading examines the consequences of hubris and pride. Oedipus’s pride leads to his downfall as he is forced to confront the truth about his past. The reading shows the importance of seeking truth and knowledge, even if it means confronting uncomfortable realities. It highlights the impact of suffering in the human experience and how it can shape someone’s life.   

When comparing history and literature, Aristotle believes that literature like poetry is superior since you can relate to some of the experiences or behaviors no matter the time you’re reading it, these works transcend time. In “Oedipus the King” by Sophocles, there are many experiences and behaviors that still happen in reality today like lying to loved ones, murder within the family and public humiliation. To be specific, Jocasta lies to Oedipus bout the truth of his origins and his current situation in order to protect her son from a harsh reality. It may not be as extreme as the events in the story, it is very common for someone close to you to lie in order to protect your feelings, but just like in the story, that never ends well. Another example is when Oedipus finds out the truth and that the residents of his city have become aware. Oedipus is so ashamed and embarrassed that he basically exiles himself assuming that it’s what the people of Thebes would want anyways. It’s almost human nature to assume the worst when information that you would want secret gets out. Once again, not as extreme as blinding yourself, but that sense of embarrassment can still be exhibited today.

Several timeless experiences and behavior displayed in the play are relevant in society today. We tend to live off our fate and free will, which is essential to us. But, when we think about it, someone always influences our life daily. As the play showed how King Oedipus wanted to find closure to know the truth about the killing of Laius, little did he know that he was about to get shocked in his life to know that Laius was his father and his wife Jocasta was his mother. As a human, and I’m a victim of this, I must say that we always dig deep when we want to find things out and sometimes don’t agree with the outcome, which could cause pain and sorrow. That’s what the saying said, “what you don’t know won’t kill you. “Finding out how you were bought into society the way King Oedipus did would have drawn an everlasting burden, causing depression, questioning oneself, there are thoughts of suicide, just to be shamed and having that guilt will just want not to be a part of society. King Oedipus begged that he be hidden outside the country, killed, or thrown into the sea, just to be out of the sight of others. Could we imagine all the vulnerable young adults in our society that experience these traumas and don’t have the support or the correct tools for assistance? The shame and emotional reck just scared me for my life. Oedipus tried his best to be strong, but he had no control over what happened to him.

In the play “Oedipus the King,” one can observe numerous timeless human experiences and behaviors throughout the entire reading. The behavior I’m going to focus on is the search for truth. The search for truth is important to humans because it is a natural urge to understand the world and our place in it and it provides purpose to our lives as well as helping us make sense of everything that happens. However, people tend to make mistakes and make bad decisions chasing the truth. In the play, Oedipus had been metaphorically blind to the truth for his entire life trying to find out who his parents are. He ends up killing his father and marries his mother without knowing they were his parents. When he eventually learnt the truth, he blinded himself by poking out his eyes. This is an example of one of the many timeless human experiences one can discover in this play. 

The story of Oedipus and his tragic fate was written by Sophocles in Ancient Greek times, but it contains poetic language and themes such as family, death, community, violence/war, and surrender that are relevant to readers today. People are affected by these matters to a certain extent, whether experienced first hand or from a distance. These themes are also used for entertainment in excessively dramatic contemporary shows and movies, such as soap operas. They may not be as intense as the murder, incest, suicide, and eye gouging involved in the story of Oedipus, but still very theatrical. There are also so many emotions that people experience in devastating times that are expressed in “Oedipus the King” including hopelessness, desperation, anger, and distrust. Although shown in an exaggerated state due to the plot, it can still be relatable to be that passionate in a heated moment. “Oedipus the King” is an example of what would happen if people did not control their emotions. These qualities make this story an enduring one that will always be disturbingly fascinating.

The timeless or human behavior that I found in reading Oedipus is that the search for truth can destroy you. At some point in our lives we have all felt powerful and at the top. In this work the author places the character at a time in his life when he is at his peak. He is powerful, loved by all his subjects, by his wife, this could go on for a long time. But the search for the truth will lead to revelations that will cause his downfall. As the plot unfolds we can say that this work alone represents a philosophical reflection on happiness which is something very subjective, power and knowledge. During the time when Oedipus does not know, he is happy and exercises the power entrusted to him by his people. And paradoxically, the closer he gets to the truth, trying to find out who he is, the more he loses himself. He blindly searches for the truth but when it is within his reach he refuses to hear it. Once the truth is revealed, he loses his wife, his family and the power that had been entrusted to him. The search for the truth can do good but also cause the downfall of a person and I find that it is some universe in the experience of being human

“If a man walks with haughtiness (1010) of hand or word and gives no heed to Justice and the shrines of Gods despises—may an evil doom smite him for hiss ill-starred pride of heart! — if he reaps gains without justice (1015) and will not hold from impiety and his fingers itch for untouchable things.”  This quote by Jocasta is something we have all experienced, either personally or otherwise. There are so many instances where a person is too arrogant to see the error in their ways and is then allowed to continue with the same behavior without any consequences.   “O God, I think I have called curses upon myself in ignorance.” This quote by Oedipus’ is something we have all experienced at one point or another. Many people, including myself, have put themselves in a situation where anger has clouded our judgement. Anger and pride can blind a person from being able to see where they are wrong in any situation. I feel for Oedipus in this moment where we can see he is beginning to realize that he has been wrong the whole time, leading him to accuse a close and evidently loyal friend of such a heinous act based on emotion rather than solid proof. His pride can be seen as a flaw but is also something to be respected if wielded correctly in his role as a king. Beyond simply being angry, I believe Oedipus’ pride was driven by fear of not knowing and therefore not being able to control any outcome. Throughout humanity, I believe this is too common. I have definitely had to learn that you are unable to think clearly when you are angry, and it is only healthy to stress over the things you can control versus the things that you cannot; […]

Reading Oedipus the King, I was struck by the timeless human experiences and behaviors it depicted. The play is a tragedy that follows the life of Oedipus, a man who unknowingly kills his father and marries his mother. Through this story, Sophocles explores the themes of fate, free will, and hubris. The idea of fate is a major theme in Oedipus the King. Oedipus is fated to kill his father and marry his mother, and despite his best efforts to avoid this, he is unable to escape his destiny. This idea of fate is a timeless human experience, as many of us feel that our lives are predetermined and that we are powerless to change our fate.The idea of free will is also explored in the play. Oedipus is determined to find out the truth about his past, and he is willing to take risks and make difficult decisions in order to do so. This idea of free will is a timeless human experience, as many of us feel that we have the power to shape our own destiny and make our own choices.

The timeless or human behaviors I found within the reading Oedipus is the uncontrollable and unknowing of your fate. You can believe yourself to be a strong and grand person. As Oedipus is this personality he doesn’t believe he’d live the life of a societal fear and how broken a man can become as he learns the truth of his life. Learning that his wife has been his mother all along, learning that he in fact had killed his father, In knowing this, Oedipus is faced with the reality that we are not in control of our lives and our destinies. We can be manipulated by bigger forces than we understand. As Oedipus believes he is doing the right thing when he was not at all regarding something he did not know and while his efforts were in good intentions of his people, he failed them, another mundane and human behavior we can relate to.

In my opinion, the timeless human experiences and behaviors I discovered while reading Oedipus the King are the attitudes of the characters in the play, such as the behaviors of wife Jocasta and King Oedipus. In my perspective, the King is intelligent, but he also has a great sense of knowingness which can cause him to seem as if he has a big ego. I had the impression that the characters’ realistic characteristics are ingrained in their personality, as seen by their behavior throughout the play. Since he vows what he feels is right, the king displays indications of rage as well as arrogance. The play also depicts the humanistic experience of incest, as he murders his father and marries his mother. Jocasta’s discussions and conversations are another example of humanistic behaviors.  

In the play Oedipus the King, there are human experiences or behaviors that still occur to this day despite the story being from a very long time ago. Oedipus murdered his father in order to marry his wife. To this day, Incest has been an reoccurring human behavior and it is found in all cultures. Also, society may fear that a son in their family could possibly murder his father in order to marry his wife. Another timeless issue is that human beings tend to learn from their mistakes, however people act for the right reasons but they may fear that they are doing the wrong thing. This also relates to not having control over our lives in the real world. The fear of being manipulated by something or someone that is bigger and  we cannot explain, like Oedipus with the prophets or the gods. To this day, there are people that feel or actually get controlled by their families, and their obligations at jobs. Humans manipulate each other for their own benefit and it will never end.

Overconfidence, good intentions, led by emotions, and disastrous consequences. The human experience has no shortage of these. In Oedipus the King, our protagonist is an emotional and proud man. Throughout the story, he gets his way by threatening people for information concerning his past. When the prophet Teiresias eludes to knowing Oedipus’ fate, he keeps essentially forcing him to tell him. Once he does learn of his fate, he doesn’t want to accept it. Oedipus is led by his emotions, mainly anger and fear. In his anger is how he ended up killing his father. In his fear is how he ended up right back in the land his parents were from. Overconfident that he has avoided his fate, he ends up marrying his mother. This story is littered with classic human experiences. So many time we as humans make decisions based solely on our emotions, and the lead to terrible consequences. The consequences of Oedipus’ actions are that his fate comes true. He had every intention to avoid this at all cost’s, but to no avail he walks right into his doom. The people around his also took action to make sure this fate was avoided though they weren’t successful. We sometimes believe we have more control than we do in life. Human’s have an overconfidence in our abilities, and we soon learn how human we really are. Even though I would consider Oedipus a fool, I can identify with so many of his traits. I know I’ve made some of these mistakes, thankfully not as grave. Overconfidence, good intentions, led by emotions, and disastrous consequences.

In Oedipus the King, we can see several timeless human experiences and behaviors that are still relevant today. The idea of fate and free will is one of the most important. The drama examines the question of whether or not people have any influence over their future or are at the mercy of the gods. This concept is still pertinent today as we debate issues like determinism and personal agency. The human urge to seek the truth is another common experience covered in the play. Oedipus is a character who pursues the truth with zeal, even when it threatens to ruin him. This component of the play refers to our drive as humans to comprehend our surroundings, as well as the extent we will go to seek the truth, even if it is unpleasant. The play also addresses issues of power, pride, and the repercussions of arrogance. Oedipus, a great monarch, is eventually brought down by his hubris and conviction in his own supremacy. This portion of the play emphasizes the hazards of unbridled power as well as the need of humility and self-awareness. Lastly, Oedipus the King is a contemplation on the human condition, delving into our vulnerability and death as well as our capacity for love, sacrifice, and redemption. These are timeless themes that remain relevant to readers and audiences today, making Oedipus a strong and enduring piece of literature.

Years pass, and even millennia, many things change, but man and his essence remain almost unchanged. Ancient Greek tragedy, and Oedipus Rex in particular, touches on many timeless topics that are relevant now, and in any other period of time. I can define four general themes inherent in the human experience in the text: 1. Struggle against “fatum” and its inevitability  2. Rage as a sign of weakness 3. Family relations 4. Weakness of one person and the wisdom of the “demos” (democracy issues) In the ancient Greek worldview , two contradictory concepts coexisted – fate and struggle. On the one hand, the Greek faith in fate was unconditional – that which was destined to happen. Man is infinitely weak before the gods.Gods can cause suffering or help a person, but even they cannot change fate. Everything is predetermined! A tragic hero is born when a person, even knowing his terrible fate, decides to dare before fate, challenge the gods. The hero dies. And often fate finds him from the moment of the challenge, where the hero decides to change his fate. Both Oedipus and his father tried to fight and hide from fate, but in vain. Asking the reader, do we rule our own lives? Such a question haunts people and after two millennia:  “He suddenly jumps up and falls under a tram! You’re not going to tell me that he arranged to do that himself? Wouldn’t it be nearer the truth to say that someone quite different was directing his fate?” (Mikhail Bulgakov) asks the character of “Master and Margarita” in the 20th century.  In Oedipus’ behavior, we can see that, blinded by rage, he ceases to see and think. It makes a foolish boy out of a great king. And rage comes to him because of fear, […]

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.

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 […]