Oedipus has thought himself nothing but a flawless, confident ruler throughout the opening of the play. He feels he can do no wrong, declares he will end the plague and find Laius' murderer, and goes as far as to deem himself "Apollo's champion." (155).
However, Oedipus' entire demeanor changes when he realizes he might, in fact, be the killer. This reversal creates a major turning point in the play. "Oh no no," cries Oedipus when he first makes the connection. "I think I've just called down a dreadful curse / upon myself--I simply didn't know!" (819-821). (Here, he refers to the curse he declared earlier: "Now my curse on the murderer. Whoever he is...let that man drag on his life in agony...if by any chance he proves to be an intimate of our house...may the curse I just called down on him strike me!" (280-287).)
It's Jocasta's recall of Laius' death which leads Oedipus to suspect his own involvement. She tells her side of the story and Oedipus shares his, insisting he "killed them all"(898) but did not know "they" were Laius' entourage. "If there is any blood tie between Laius and this stranger..." worries Oedipus (899-900), but we as the reader can infer: the stranger was absolutely Laius--and Oedipus has married his mother.
Oedipus' realization changes the entire track of the story line. Before, Oedipus was well on his way to seek out the killer and end the plague. However, the minute he begins to suspect himself, everything changes. This pivotal moment serves as a turning point in the play and leaves the reader to ponder what may happen next.
I felt Oedipus's confident air, but didn't catch on to the pompous nature of his words until you pointed them out. This clears a lot up because I was searching for the hubris that is in every Greek play. I also agree that the mood of the story changes once Oedipus puts the pieces of his own past together.
ReplyDeleteThis moment of anagnorisis furthers Oedipus' journey and the story itself. Oedipus goes through a whole change of character after he realizes he may have killed his father. How will Oedipus respond to this conflict? will it destroy him or make him a better leader. My guess is it will destroy him because this is a tragedy after afterall.
ReplyDeleteAs I'm at the same part, I definitely am wondering how this ends. However as I stated in my first blog, this is a tragedy, and I'm sure he, Jocasta, and possibly others will die upon finding out the truth. What I really want to know is will his death truly bring peace or make way for something worse.
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