In reading, “Oedipus The King,” there are many common themes that resonate both in modern day arenas as well as the time it was written. First, the people looking to those in power- Oedipus- to cure the existing plight of the plague is certainly familiar when thinking about how our country looked to our government to combat COVID. In the story, this leads Oedipus to seek out the murderer, never expecting the criminal to ultimately be himself. In his quest, he first becomes paranoid that Creon is maneuvering to unseat him and become king. It is a timeless behavior for those not in power to seek to takeover those in power. “For only with the people at your back or money can the hunt end in the capture of the crown.” This statement by Oedipus also rings true in contemporary society, as the people at your back would represent today’s voters, and money would represent today’s campaign funds, etc. Be careful what you wish for, is a phrase that also comes to mind when reading this piece, as Oedipus goes to great lengths to discover the truth, even as the people around him try to discourage him from doing so. Not heeding one’s inner circle’s advice is a behavior that can certainly prove to be a detriment, as we see as the story unfolds. I believe that this is deemed a timeless, classic story because it speaks to the reader’s life no matter the time in history it is read.
Daily Archives: March 10, 2022
Oedipus the King goes through a plethora of universal human experiences. One of the most common is the tragedy that occurs amongst family members as a result of secrets. Another timeless experience is the copulation of mother and son, for whom their names, Jocasta and Oedipus, are still remembered as the Jocasta and Oedipus complexes. The Jocasta experience is when a mother has an incestuous sexual desire for her son, whereas the Oedipus complex is when the boy has an unconscious sexual yearning for the mother. Another everlasting experience is people’s blatant dread and paranoia, and the lengths to which they will go to avoid feeling them, as in Laius’ attempt to murder Oedipus. As fate would have it, Oedipus eventually fulfilled the prophecy. Oedipus would almost certainly have fulfilled his destiny regardless of whether Laius did what he did or did not hear the prophesy due to fate, which is a timeless human experience in and of itself. Even if you attempt to control the ending, as was the case with Oedipus and murdering his father, as well as all that led up to it, including Jocasta’s death and Oedipus blinding himself and leaving himself to wander.
While reading Oedipus the King, I was able to find timeless human experiences. Jocasta, Oedipus’s mother, had killed herself when finding out who the murderer was. She felt distraught about it being Oedipus, who is her husband, that made her commit suicide. She even said that the prophets were lying because she did not want to believe it. These are human experiences because when finding out something very surprising as this, the first thing you want to do is shut it down and not believe it. In this case, it ended up being true which cause a dark ending to her life. The same had happened to Oedipus the King when he realizes that he had killed his father and married his own mother. He blinded himself because he did not want to see what he caused.
My understanding about this quotation is that Aristotle discusses thought and diction and then moves on to address epic poetry. Whereas tragedy consists of actions presented in a dramatic form, epic poetry consists of verse presented in a narrative form. Tragedy and epic poetry have many common qualities, most notably the unity of plot and similar subject matter. In addition, Oedipus’s attitude is presented on multiple occasions’ combining tragic irony with verbal irony, where Oedipus speaks to both his crimes in the same breath. engenders the predicament of whether these crimes are justifiable or not. Those who are procrustean regarding Oedipus’ crimes may insularly claim that they cannot be rationalized. However, further acknowledgment of this quandary brings forth the idea that Oedipus’ crimes of patricide and incest are justified by how his lack of phronesis is inherited, his unawareness influences his actions, and his fate is ultimately under the gods’ control. One may venture that since Oedipus’ hauteur and lack of phronesis are traits passed down in the House of Labdacus, they justify Oedipus’ crimes. This assertion is derived from the argument that Oedipus’ crimes are the result of his lack of phronesis, which is, in essence, an amalgamation of the skills, character, and experience necessary for moral and sound decision-making.
What is the story of Oedipus the King? Oedipus the King is a tragedy about Prince Oedipus, who rose from a higher position to a lower position owing to Fate, Destiny, and free will. He was told by an Oracle that he would kill his father and marry his mother, and when he heard that Oracle, he fled from his homeland to Corinth, where he was raised by his foster parents. In your reading of Oedipus, the King, what timeless human experiences or actions can you find? Oedipus was a nice guy who, in his attempts to do the right thing, had spectacularly tragic outcomes. He attempted not to murder his father and marry his mother, but it backfired. It also addresses the Adlerian* dread of not being in control of our own life, of being influenced by powers beyond our comprehension. Finally, it addresses a more common concern that we all have that in acting for all the right reasons, we can end up doing exactly the wrong thing.
In the reading of “Oedipus the King”, the timeless human experiences or behaviors I found was that Oedipus didn’t know his mother and ended up marrying her. (or just incest) Or to put it in similar words, the relationship between Jocasta and Oedipus. Also, another timeless human experience is running from fate. His father Laius abandon Oedipus after hearing about a prophecy of his son killing him and marrying his wife, Jocasta. Oedipus ends up surviving and being adopted by a king and queen. Oedipus finds out about the prophecy and his arrogance takes over and the prophecy comes true. Fear took over Oedipus’ life once he heard about the prophecy, he was accusing Creon of Laius’s death and started to feel uncomfortable when things started to sound familiar to him. He was scared of not having control over his life. He pretty much spent his whole life running from his fears and that prophecy, maybe he got too cocky that it wouldn’t happen when he ran away from his adoptive parents: Polybus and Merope
One timeless human experience I found is that we as humans can bravely challenge our miserable fate and try to convert it to a consequence that we desire. Although I and everyone can’t accept the fact that Oedipus married his mother Jocasta and had children with her, I admire him for spending his life trying to get away from the prophecy said by God. When he heard he would finally murder his father and marry his mother, he didn’t surrender to this so-called destiny and wait for the prediction happen. Instead he escapes his birthplace and starts a new life in a country where he becomes a king of it. That’s what made us as human beings unique in the world. Unlike the poultry whose destiny is being killed and eaten, the reason that we stand at the top of the food chain is that we have a stronger power to question our fate. We are competent to have a battle with the predicted future. However, for Oedipus, “its prophecies, ever living, flutter around his head”. In other words, our power is so small that we are not able to win over the big destiny. But I still believe that our failure in life can never use our destiny as an excuse. There are still many things we can control and change. For me, the behavior of Oedipus’s fighting against his fate prolongs the distance to reaching the tragic outcomes. Otherwise, this would have become an unremarkable story about a person who is conquered by a tragic fate.
