Oedipus is reevaluating his past actions. “What, Oedipus?
What haunts you so?” (814). Jocasta questions Oedipus about what he is thinking
about. At that point in time, Oedipus was flashing back his memory to the day
he murdered men and how that day fit the description of Jocasta’s version of
the murder of Laius so well. “Oh, but if there is any blood-tie between Laius
and this stranger… what man alive more miserable than I?” (901). Oedipus
believes he may have been the one to have murdered Laius. He is pondering his
past doings and the oracle he once received from Delphi. The oracle read, “You
are fated to couple with your mother… you will kill your father, the one who
gave you life” (873-875). He is now placing hypothetical situations in his head
that if he were indeed the murderer, was the prophecy given true?
This
past action factors into his present time events by possibly placing him to be
the suspect of a cold blooded murder of a king. The city of Thebes is suffering
badly from a plague and the only way to end the illness from spreading,
according to the oracle, is to kill the murderer of King Laius. Oedipus recalling
past memories, it may place him to be the murder of the King (the audience
knows he is indeed the son and murder of Laius). He may be murdered and be put
to shame if the public finds out he was the one who murdered the king.
This
past action factors into his present time events by possibly placing him to be
the suspect of a cold blooded murder of a king. The city of Thebes is suffering
badly from a plague and the only way to end the illness from spreading,
according to the oracle, is to kill the murderer of King Laius. Oedipus recalling
past memories, it may place him to be the murder of the King (the audience
knows he is indeed the son and murder of Laius). He may be murdered and be put
to shame if the public finds out he was the one who murdered the king.
As you most likely finished, yes it was true and yes he was punished. But not by death. Him gouging out his eyes and living in exile may not be death, but plays an even more brutal punishment for himself. As the lone perpetrator and victim, he must lives out his days in suffering
ReplyDeleteI really liked your political cartoon. The character feels as if he is being followed by his own shadow, as Oedipus feels haunted by his own actions. This connection could also indicate his past, since the shadow falls behind the character in the cartoon.
ReplyDelete