The passage “Oedipus the King Sophocles” by David Grene. From the chorus, I have selected to analyze Oedipus. In the third section, we regain at least some of our sympathy for Oedipus, which we had lost during his ranting in the second. After Jocasta intervenes in the fight between Oedipus and Creon, Oedipus settles and remembers that he, as the ruler of Thebes, has a responsibility to answer a mystery. As a result, his questions become more focused than they were during his talks with Tiresias and Creon. In his speech at lines (848–923), Oedipus shows that he truly believes he killed Laius and is willing to accept not only the responsibility but the punishment for the act. The speech is heartbreaking because Oedipus has arrived at only half the truth. As we can see that Jocasta is careless and maternal because she tells Oedipus that the prophecies do not come true, and she uses the fact that an oracle incorrectly prophesied that Laius would be killed by his own son as evidence. The ode of the Chorus at lines (954–997), serves as a warning that neither Oedipus, Jocasta, nor the supportive audience should be at relaxed, because oracles speak to a purpose and are inspired by the gods who determine men’s fate. The Chorus had been miserable throughout the performance, wishing for the plague to end and the city to return to normal.
Daily Archives: March 1, 2022
From the very beginning, what makes Oedipus ‘ actions in his quarrel with Teiresias and throughout the play so dramatically compelling, is the fact that the audience knows the outcome of the story. We know Oedipus ‘ fate even before he does, and there is no suspense about the outcome itself, instead, the audience anxiously awaits Oedipus to reveal his fate unto himself in his desperate quest to rid his city of the terrible plague, or maybe even more so, to simply discover his unfortunate tale. Oedipus is relentless in his pursuit of the truth, and his determination is commendable. There is nothing that compels him to act in this way, instead, he freely chooses, with much zeal, to initiate the chain of events that will ultimately lead to his downfall. The main dramatic irony in Oedipus the King contrasts Oedipus’s limited knowledge of his unfolding situation and how the audience is fully aware of it.
