Irony and Paradox

Iin the case of Oedipus, a sense of Irony befalls the entire tragedy. He, being the new ruler of the kingdom, declares he will find justice for whoever killed King Laius in order to save his people. However, we are taught that not only is this ironic, but it is a clear paradox. We learn of the prophecy of Oedipus and his wrong doings by ways of his wife Jocasta. She tells him that there was a prophecy stating her son would kill Laius and then sleep with his mother. Due to this prophecy, Jocasta and Laius had their son killed. However, Oedipus discovers more about himself, as he was an adopted baby. And just as Jocasta's son was prophecised, he was as well, being told that he would kill his father and marry his mother. Now you have to be pretty ignorant to not put two and two together. This entire circumstance is that of Irony, as a two people, once falling victim to a falsely ended prophecy, have now gotten together, only to then complete the prophecy. Both had hoped to take measures against this curse, and thus felt safe from it. But only when they felt the most secure did fate take it's course. Fate being another commonly used Greek play device, may play in the whole prophecy idea, but not as much as irony. Being the highlight of the plot, Oedipus' quest for revenge then is affected by this irony and thus finding revenge against himself thus creates the paradox.

Irony

Tiresias claim that Oedipus was the murderer of Laius sparked an angry dispute with Oedipus. Oedipus aggressively protests against Tiresias accusation and insults him by saying, “It does but not for you, old man. You’ve lost your power, stone-blind, stone deaf—senses, eyes blind as stone” (420-422). This shows the character development of Oedipus as he expresses his high temper and lack of maturity as a leader. After Tiresias says that he was trusted by Oedipus’s parents, Oedipus is intrigued and confused on what Tiresias was trying to say. “Parents—who? Wait… who is my father?” (498).

Dramatic irony is brought forth when Oedipus enters the palace and Tiresias states, “He sowed the loins his father sowed, he spilled his father’s blood!” (522-523). The audience now knows that Oedipus’s real father was Laius and his mother is Jocasta, who is disturbingly also his wife. However Oedipus is still clueless on whom his parents really are. Sowing the same loins as his father means that they both slept with the same women.

Revealing this truth adds to the plot by giving it a twist and more fuel for a dramatic downfall of Oedipus. When the truth is finally revealed, the results will be worse than before. The characters that will be affected most upon discovery on this news will obviously be Oedipus and Jocasta. The realization from Oedipus that not only had he killed his biological father, but he has had sex and kids with his biological mother and that can psychologically impact Oedipus. Jocasta will mostly likely feel shame and disgusted.

Prophecy

Prophecy is of uttermost importance to the Greeks. Gods are very important to Greeks and since prophecies are like the words of their gods, the Greeks take prophecies to the next level of importance and go to extreme measures to prevent bad or unwanted prophecies from happening. In example, in Oedipus you don’t find out until later that Oedipus’ mother was trying to prevent him from killing his father by ordering him to be killed, but he was never killed. Oedipus was so bewildered when the Shepherd told him that, he asked how and the Shepherd replied, “she was afraid--frightening prophecies”(l. 1296).

This impacts both Oedipus and Jocasta. After discovering the prophecy was fulfilling, Oedipus ran to find Jocasta, “the woman hanging by the neck, cradled high in a woven noose spinning, swinging back and forth”(l. 1395-1397). Oedipus then took the gold pins from Jocasta’s robe and dug them into his eye sockets, crying, “You, you’ll see no more pain I suffered, all the pain I caused”(l. 1405-1406). This completely fulfils the prophet. He has already killed his father, made love to his mother, and he was now blind. Just as the prophet said, “...your father’s curse will whip you from this land one day, their footfall treading you down in terror, darkness shrouding your eyes that now can see the light”(l. 476-479).

The quote that relates best to this part of the story is this one, by Johnny Depp. In the quote, Johnny Depp says that “you can close yours eyes to the things you don’t want to see,” which relates to how Jocasta was closing her eyes in the face of the facts that showed Oedipus was the killer. And the second part of the quote, “...but you can’t close your heart to the things you don’t want to feel” relates to how Oedipus could not deny that he was the killer and he would be willing to admit to it once he found out it truly was he who was the killer.

Turning Point

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.

Denial

Oedipus agrees to see the blind prophet, Tiresias, to ask him about the identity of King Laius’ murderer. While speaking with the prophet, Oedipus denies his identity as the murderer, calling Tiresias “blind in his craft” (442). The chorus chimes in shortly after with a promise from the people of Thebes that they would never convict Oedipus of murder.

            A similar and connected instance of denial can be seen later in the play when Jocasta reveals an encounter her late husband, King Laius, had with an oracle. When the oracle said that Laius would perish at the hands of his son, he abandoned him. Laius and Jocasta threw away their son in order to escape the fate that became a reality in the end. Jocasta denies that Oedipus could be her abandoned son or her husband’s murderer and questions the ability of the oracle to foresee the future, saying “nothing human can penetrate the future” (782).

            Oedipus questions Jocasta for detail about the murder of Laius and there is a turning point in his mind when he realizes there is a possibility he was the one who killed Laius where Oedipus says, “I have a terrible fear  the blind seer can see” (823). After, Oedipus recounts an instance where he encountered a warning from Apollo that he would kill his father and marry his mother, and he ran away from it.

Denial and efforts from neither Oedipus nor Jocasta can fully ignore or defy fate’s influence. Each time a person attempts to outrun and deny fate’s influence, the very act of running is what brings him to fulfill it. The efforts of Laius and Jocasta to elude fate come full circle with Oedipus’ denial of the validity of his own fate and the unknowing fulfillment of it.

Just as the characters in Oedipus attempt to deny the truth about the future, the man in the cartoon is blinded  by his own denial of a current issue--climate change. 

Revenge in Oedipus

     The gods take revenge on the murderer of King Laius by sending plague and famine to the streets of Thebes. The entire city is being punished for the actions of the murderer. "Thebes is dying, look, her children, stripped of pity... Generations strewn on the ground" (205-207). The only way to end the famine? Murder the murderer, a form of justice deemed righteous by the gods. This is seen as revenge in a more non-traditional sense, from an other-worldly power taking its toll on mortals in Thebes.
     The gods are able to exact revenge because, even though they are divine beings, their actions are not perfect, making revenge seem human-like. This form of justice is taken due to the fact that there would be a lack of people wanting to find the murderer if a plague was not cast on Thebes. Oedipus, the merciful King, does not truly want to "find" the murderer of the former king, he only seeks to end the plague that has been exacted on Thebes as a form of revenge by the gods.

Imagery in Oedipus

Sophocles effectively incorporates imagery into Oedipus, providing the story with descriptive text and sensory details that makes the plot rather enticing and intriguing.  Instead of simply stating situations as they happen, he adds spice to the format of his writing with the use of appropriate sensory details. To enlighten the scene where Oedipus hears through the prophecy that he is the killer of his father, Sophocles implements vivid writing. Oedipus says to Teiresias “you are blind in mind and ears as well as in your eyes” (429-30). He then goes to say “Great store of jealousy fill your treasury chests”, making reference to his belief that Creon and Teiresias are attempting to dethrone him (445). This serves as a prime example of where Sophocles includes sight imagery in Oedipus.

Not only is the sense of sight a vital piece to the story’s puzzle, but the senses of touch and sound also play significant roles. Using a blend of the senses of sight, sound, and touch, Sophocles creates a surreal feeling to make the situations much more interesting.  From the beginning of the story, it is apparent the text encompasses scenic wording.  In the beginning, Oedipus states “the town is heavy with a mingled burden of sounds and smells, of groans and hymns and incense…”, painting a picture that makes readers want to continue reading (2-4). The way Sophocles depicts the town places the audience in a precise figment of Thebes, forging a subliminal relationship between themselves and the setting of the story.

In the political cartoon below, President Obama receives a prophecy for his future and discovers his future is not bright. Thus, he portrays a long, disgusted facial appearance. Much like this cartoon, the news Oedipus hears from Teiresias does not please him, and he gets angry.

Blog Post 3

Oedipus's power causes him to act in a way that many others would not be able to. He wants to know what Teiresias knows so he insults and provokes Teiresias until he hints hints at what he does know. Oedipus accuses Teiresias of the murder and in return, Teiresias tell him he is in fact the killer of King Laius. Because of his power, he does not accept this and he berates Teiresias and exclaims that Creon and Teiresias are trying to overthrow him. His power blinds him from the truth and he thinks that people are out to get him. Accusing Creon he says, " I have found you dangerous, and my foe" (630). Creon asks Oedipus to be rational but fueled by his power and rage, Oedipus declares he wants Creon to be murdered.

Despite the fact that Oedipus is acting so irrational, one person is able to calm him down. Jocasta, his wife, begs him to spare Creon's life saying, "I beg you, Oedipus, trust him in this, spare him for the sake of this his oath to God, for my sake, and the sake of those who stand here." (755-757). He is still wary though. Jocasta is able to get Oedipus calm enough and she is able to get him to accept the real story behind Laius's murder. This illustrates the motif of a strong woman behind a successful (in this case powerful) man. Despite Oedipus's previous power fueled actions, Jocasta seems to have power over him. In the end her word meant more to him than anyone else's despite the fact that she is in essence "powerless".

Blog Post #3 (Question 7)

     Betrayal is an act often inflicted upon Greek characters, and is already a prominent theme in Oedipus the King. The audience is forced to feel some kind of sympathy for Oedipus, being as he has no clue that he killed his father and married his mother for a good portion of the play. Oedipus' birth parents were notified by an oracle that Oedipus' fate was to murder his father and sleep with his mother. Having this knowledge, they then pin his ankles together and leave him in the forest to die. Little do they know, their attempt to break free from their fate is what ultimately makes the fate become a reality. Oedipus would not have killed his father when he was traveling along a path if he was not a stranger to him, and would never had ended up marrying his mother if they hadn't betrayed him in the first place. Jocasta begins to realize this when Oedipus starts catching on to what may be happening and starts searching for the shepherd who had found him. She begs him to "Stop-in the name of god,/ if you love your own life, call off this search!" (1163-1164). This part of the play could be related to the modern saying, "What goes around, comes around."

     The political cartoon below is from an article that discusses whether the Thanksgiving should be a day of celebration or mourning, because Europeans had tricked and killed many Native Americans on their 'great journey' through the Americas. The Europeans at the time thought that they were exploring for the good of everyone involved, even the Natives that they had been exposing to diseases and killing in battles, although they were really committing a genocide. This relates to Oedipus the King because Oedipus' parents thought they were doing the right thing and 'saving' Oedipus from his fate, although they had done exactly the opposite.

http://www.floppingaces.net/2007/11/22/the-real-thanksgiving/

Betrayal (Question #7)

Betrayal is a major element in the plot of Oedipus. As the king of Thebes, Oedipus is trying to help the people and stop the plague that is devastating their state. When the blind prophet, Tiresias pays Thebes a visit, Oedipus desperately questions him, looking for the answer to the question of who killed Laius and how the plague can be stopped. Tiresias is clearly reluctant to give Oedipus any information, as he says “Just send me home. You bear your burdens, I’ll bear mine. It’s better that way, please believe me” (364-366). Oedipus becomes enraged that the prophet has information and that he refuses to tell him. “What? You know and you won’t tell? You’re bent on betraying us, destroying Thebes?” (376-377). When Oedipus finally pulls the information out of Tiresias, he is told that he is the one who is responsible for this horrible plague that is destroying Thebes, as he says “You are the curse, the corruption of the land!”(401). Oedipus is extremely offended that Tiresias could even suggest such a thing, and becomes enraged that he is being accused of being the cause of the plague on Thebes, when he is only trying to help them. This accusation from Tiresias shows the apparent betrayal that Oedipus has supposedly placed upon the people of Thebes, as he had promised to help save them from this devastating plague.

Oedipus Post #2

   Oedipus's mission to find King Laius's killer leads to an unexpected twist. Upon meeting with the blind prophet, Tiresias, Oedipus hears unpleasant news. Tiresias tells Oedipus that he is "the corruption of the land"(400).  When faced with this response, Oedipus becomes in denial and says "Aren't you appalled to start up such a story?" (403). Oedipus has a poor quality of becoming too defensive when faced with adversity. 

    After verbally attacking the prophet, Tiresias, Oedipus confides in his wife for advice while he debates killing Creon as he suspects him of being King Laius's true killer. Jocasta proves to be a carefree woman and doubts the power of the prophets. When she hears that a prophet accused Oedipus of the murderer, she says "Well then, free yourself of every charge." (779). This illustrates the fact that Jocasta genuinely had no clue of the incestuous acts she has committed with her son. It is unclear whether or not her initial response to Oedipus being accused as a killer is an act of genuine doubt toward the prophets or an unyielding loyalty to Oedipus. 

    Upon hearing of Polybus’s Death, Oedipus and Jocasta begin to rejoice as it seems to confirm the fact that Tiresias's prophecies were false. The joy does not last long as Oedipus is still afraid of committing incest with his mother as he states, "But my mother's bed, surely I must fear"(1068). This attribute connects to a previous post of mine. Oedipus's unrelenting drive and determination will not allow him to let anything slip his mind without being confirmed. Unless there is proof, Oedipus will never truly be comfortable in knowing he did not have incest with his mother. While determination may seem to be a good trait, it seems as if it will end up making Oedipus find out things he was better off not knowing.

 

Oedipus Foil

Creon acts as a foil to Oedipus. Following his rather heated conversation with Tiresias, Oedipus confronts Creon with his accusations of disloyalty. Instead of being paranoid and ill-tempered like Oedipus, Creon shows himself to be honest, forthright, and even tempered. To prove his loyalty, he offers a rational explanation as to why he has no reason to conspire against him. He, Oedipus, and the queen hold equal power, so “who in his right mind would rather rule in anxiety than sleep in peace” (654-655)? A position as king is stressful but holds the same power as the queen’s brother. So why would Creon want to take on such responsibility if he already obtains the same power? He questions Oedipus’ logic to prove his loyalty, because he “is not the man to yearn for kinship, not with the king’s power in [his] hands” (657-658). And in the event that Oedipus refuses to take Creon’s word for truth, Creon has proof. Oedipus could simply go to Delphi and examine the oracle himself, thus personally seeing an accurate account of Creon’s message. But being the brash and quick to anger person that he is, Oedipus cannot see rationally. He is so caught up in his own rationale that he can't see that he is the traitor that he accuses Creon of being. He cannot see that jumping to conclusions and falsely accusing Creon shows that he himself lacks loyalty. He is lacking so much, he is willing to kill his brother-in-law, who has proven himself trustworthy, merely on a hunch. 

Power's Blinding Spotlight

As any other king, Oedipus values his authority and reputation. There are multiple facets that contribute to a respected king; Oedipus however, lacks one of these qualities. Loyalty is valued by the Greeks, yet Oedipus favors his position much more. The blind prophet, Teiresias, informs Oedipus that he is the “land’s pollution” (400), he is the reason for the downfall of Thebes. Rather than accepting the truth behind the murder of Liaus, Oedipus immediately denies any accusations and he is the one blinded by the truth.

Loyalty to the family is a valued aspect for the Greeks. Creon, Oedipus’s brother in law, is a close, respected family member to Oedipus. However, Oedipus rejects traditional Greek values and accuses Creon of plotting against him – proving Oedipus’s disloyalty. This is a clear example of hamartia, a single flaw in which will lead to Oedipus’s downfall. To uphold his value, he must take the spotlight off himself and place it upon a plausible victim, Creon. “Yes, and it’s there you’ve proved yourself false friend.” (679) If Oedipus were to admit to his wrongdoing he would be sacrificing his kingship, but he would remain true to himself. However, Oedipus takes a complete opposite turn and rather than admitting to his false actions, he hides himself behind his power. This proves that he would much rather maintain his reputation than upholding an important value of the Greeks. 

Oedipus takes the opportunity to remain the king of Thebes rather than being loyal to a family member who has been an “honest friend” (713). The enticing power of kingship blinds him from the proper morals of the Greeks.

Blog Post #2 Hubris

           After Oedipus is told he is the murderer of Laius, he doesn’t believe it, but he soon starts to. Oedipus is angry at Creon for revealing all of this bad information. Oedipus has an element of hubris in this scene. Everyone accuses Oedipus of the murder and even lay down the facts. Oedipus is persistent in denying the murder. He has hubris and lets it get to him. He says when talking to Tiresias: “Mock me for that, go on, and you’ll reveal my greatness (502).” When Oedipus realizes he may have actually murdered Laius, he begins to defend himself as he says “…I saved the city (504)…“ Oedipus believes what the people don’t know can’t hurt them, but Creon and Tiresias are close to ratting him out. Oedipus knows neither of them will say anything. When the people find out though he will be destroyed. The chorus do not think Oedipus did it. They love him and think he is a great king. When they see Oedipus and Creon fighting they try to stop it because they don’t think either one of them could have possibly committed such a crime.                Oedipus is confident that no one will ever find out the truth and he has no doubt that Creon will not find any proof. He is not worried and now that he knows what he did he will try as hard as he can to protect the people from his truth, so he can continue to be a “successful” king. His hubris will be his destruction.

Oedipus acts like there is no way he can be convicted of this crime,
but his hubris has no chance against the wave of uncertainty coming his way.

Metaphorical Blindness

Throughout Oedipus the King, the idea of blindness persists as one of the prevailing themes in the story. Although readers encounter an actual blind man, Teiresias, the idea of another visually impaired character surfaces, too. Oedipus exemplifies the characteristics of a blind person through his refusal to accept a claim of Teiresias, even though he can actually see.

Oedipus expresses his metaphorical blindness through his actions. Unable to fathom the accusations of Teiresias, Oedipus points that he did not kill his father, despite hearing this from a highly-praised prophet. Teiresias states that Oedipus exchanges “blindness for sight and beggary for riches” (531-532). He feels that Oedipus’ denial of truth merely presents a blindness within him. Oedipus is, oftentimes, quick to remind Teiresias that he is not capable of suggesting Oedipus’ crime without the ability to see. In effort to account for Teiresias’ prophecy, Oedipus includes that “had [Teiresias] had eyes [he] would have said alone [Teiresias] murdered him” (395-396). He loses respect for Teiresias as a prophet and is determined to claim his innocence.

Attempting to support his innocence, Oedipus argues that Teiresias’ accusations cannot be valid because he is “blind in mind and ears as well as in [his] eyes” (428-430). Readers can suggest this description relates more to Oedipus for being resistant and difficult while listening to the prophecy of Teiresias. Oedipus refuses to open his mind enough to accept what Teiresias feels is true. This signifies the blindness of Oedipus that Teiresias fears will provoke a problem when giving his prophecy. Oedipus views Teiresias’ blindness as a reason to call his prophecy a fallacy. He believes that, since Teiresias cannot see, he is in no position to claim he is the murderer of Laius.

Good ol' Reputation

Throughout many historical plays, the reputation and pride of the protagonist are challenged heavily. In "Oedipus the King" the grasp of a spotless reputation is what brings pride into one's life.  Oedipus faces two major obstacles in this play that highlight this reoccurring matter. When the oracle, Tiresias, suggests that Oedipus, himself, killed the old king of Thebes, the whole city stands in disbelief. Oedipus, first irrational with rage, later becomes worried as he receives more details about the old king's death. He may be responsible for this wretched murder, and instead of having his reputation tainted, he would rather "slip from the world of men, vanish without a trace" (920-921). This shows the extent of shame that is felt by even one wrong-doing.
 An action isn't essential in order to see the fear of dwindling pride. Young Oedipus decided to run away from the kingdom he grew up in because a prophecy told that he is "fated to couple with [his] mother and...kill [his] father" (873-875). Since this was a possibility, Oedipus left the family he loved just to save his reputation and keep his pride as a man with morals. Does this obsession with preventing possibilities verses going with the flow of life help him protect his image, or does it blind him to what is really happening in the present? Oedipus is trying to put a puzzle together without knowing what the picture looks like, and he will only end up with random pieces surrounding him.

post #2

Later on in the story Oedipus continues to help the people. He recalls when he killed the travelers where the roads met, and remembered what Apollo had told him, that he would kill his father. After thinking about how he killed the travelers and the death of Laius he starts to wonder if he had killed his father and if what Apollo is said is true and coming to be, despite his best efforts to avoid them. Also Oedipus accuses Creon beforehand of killing Laius believing himself to still be innocent, it is only later that he may start to realize the truth of what has been happening.

Betrayal

    Oedipus interrogates Creon in attempts to discover who is plotting against him, and essentially uncover the true murderer of King Laius. “For God’s sake, tell me what you saw in me, what cowardice or what stupidity, that made you lay a plot like this against me?” (616-618). According to Oedipus, Creon commits an act of betrayal and should be killed or at minimum, be sent away from the land of Thebes. Creon is Oedipus’s brother-in-law, Jocasta’s brother, meaning he is close family making the “betrayal” a much larger offense in Oedipus’s eyes. In response to the accusation, Creon states, “Do not charge me on obscure opinion without some proof to back it” (709-710). Creon defends himself using the prophet’s words as support. Although, Oedipus is myopic and convinces himself that he is innocent while Creon is the culprit for the death of King Laius.   

    At this point in the play, dramatic irony is present since Oedipus is clueless, while other characters and the readers are aware of the truth – Oedipus is the true pollution. From the moment Teiresias informs Oedipus that he is the murderer, Oedipus’s mind narrows and alters the truth into lies. Oedipus refuses to accept others statements and accuses Creon of betrayal; he will not accept fault, so he throws someone who once was a close ally under the bus.   

    This political cartoon resembles betrayal in a combat situation between the United States and Afghanistan. America attempted to train Afghanistan people to increase their chance of winning the war and to remove more American troops. However, some Afghanistan troops used their training to support the enemy – an act of betrayal. This cartoon resembles Oedipus’s mindset; he is the American victim on the ground while the Afghanistan man, Creon, is the betrayer.  

 

 

Fate

A reoccurring theme in Greek tragedies is not being able to control your own fate. As an audience we know that Oedipus kills his father and married his mother like in the prophecy that was foretold by the oracle. His parents attempt to avoid this tragic prophecy by having their sons ankles "pinned together" (1133) and left in the woods to die. Unbeknownst to Jocasta, Oedipus her husband is actually her son and the murderer of Laius, her original husband. This is exactly what the prophecy states and what Laius and Jocasta try to avoid by leaving Oedipus in the "woody flanks of Mount Cithaeron" (1124) to die. When Oedipus grows older he is also told of the prophecy, but he does not know that Polybus and Merope are not his actual parents. Therefore, he runs away from Corinth in fear of the prophecy coming true. That is when he runs into Laius and kills him fulfilling a part of the prophecy without realizing it. He then solves the riddle and marries his mother, Jocasta, fulfilling the final part of the prophecy.

Laius, Jocasta, and Oedipus did everything in their power to stop the prophecy from becoming true. Even throwing their own son into the woods to die was not monumental enough to control Oedipus fate. Ones fate cannot be altered in a Greek Tragedy. The shepard says to Oedipus, "man of misery" (1318), "you were born for pain" (1304). Fate is unchangeable and we see this through the events in Oedipus' life.

Blog Post 3

 The rulers in Oedipus the King believe they can manipulate fate in order to avoid suffering.Unfortunately, however, destiny is not something a person can choose; there will always be some hardships that must be overcome — not simply just avoided. Laius and Jocasta tried to escape their prophecy by leaving their son to die. They were willing to put their own son at stake to protect themselves. Jocasta understood her son was a “poor defenseless thing” (946) who had no chance to survive on his own. He would have died a slow death in the mountains if he was not found. Usually parents are willing to do anything to help their child, but Laius and Jocasta heavily believed in the prophecy and believed that they were able to change it. They tried to kill their own son to escape their prophecy. 

Oedipus also attempts to escape his fate by running away from Corinth so he does not kill Dorian and Polybus (thinking they were his real parents). These efforts were futile; Oedipus still reaches his fate. Instead of knowing about the prophecies, ignorance would have been better for Laius, Jocasta and Oedipus. Jocasta even says “Better to live at random, best we can” (1072). She clearly did not take this advice when she was still with Laius though. If they did not know the future, then they would not have tried to alter it. Oedipus claims prophecies to be “nothing, worthless”(1063), but he is fixated on changing it — hence the reason why he left Corinth in the first place. Oedipus wants to defy the gods by changing his destiny and, as a result, “brought down these piling curses on himself" (906). Just like in most tragedies, Oedipus the King shows that a prophecy cannot be changed just to avoid predicaments. The power of fate and the gods cannot be overcome by anyone, including kings and queens.

  During American Imperialism, Americans believed they had to expand westward because it was God's special destiny to occupy the land and Christianize all of America. They reacted because they wanted to fulfill the destiny, unlike Oedipus who tried to abstain from his.

Who Runs the World?

            Girls run the world. Behind every great man, an even greater woman stands behind him. This has been echoed throughout history, with popular figures such as Jackie Kennedy and Michelle Obama. In “Oedipus”, Jocasta is the only one able to calm Oedipus out of his regressive tantrum and teenaged-like fight with Creon. She is able to reason with him in a way so he will listen, instead of blindly following his own belief drawn from speculations. She is not scared to call him out on his immature behavior, claiming “Have you no sense… aren’t you ashamed, with the land so sick, to stir up private quarrels (1393. 709-712)”.

            When Oedipus realizes in horror that he actually may have killed Liaus, Jocasta does not go mad and freak out; instead, she stays by her husband’s side and they devise a plan to get to the bottom of the murder, much like Celeste Boyle in Mystic River. Oedipus reacts much like Dave to his potential carried out homicide- disgusted, scared, and frantic. But both the women in these works are able to calm their men down and reassure them. While Celeste comforted Dave by reasoning that the man he thinks he hurt was probably fine because nothing about it was in the papers, Jocasta soothed Oedipus by saying that the prophet couldn’t be right because her oracle in the past hadn’t been true. Both women were able to anchor their husbands down in the crazy storms that rocked their worlds.

            While men are prized and treasured in the Greek society, women played a huge role in keeping the ball rolling smoothly. When John F. Kennedy was assassinated, Jackie stayed strong- sending a message to the country that should’ve been relevant throughout all of time. Women are powerful; women are strong (and they still keep it classy while doing it).

Innocent Until Proven Guilty

         After Tiresias and Oedipus’ argument, the Chorus preforms a stasimon commenting on the discussion. Similar to the audience they wonder, “Who is the man the voice of god denounces” (527)? The accusations made against Oedipus are confusing because the Chorus cannot understand how Oedipus could be the killer. This reveals Chorus a tone of confliction among the Chorus. They want to believe the prophet, however simultaneously the Chorus has faith in their king. “I can’t accept him, can’t deny him, don’t know what to say, I’m lost” (552-553). However the Chorus remains loyal to Oedipus even if they “know of nothing, not in the past and not now” (556).   

            The Chorus states there is no evidence or “no certain proof” (565) which reveal Oedipus as the killer, therefore they cannot believe the accusations. Their logic is similar to the modern day justice system. To convict someone the prosecutor needs concrete evidence that cannot be overlooked. Even though a prophet, Tiresias only has his words. There is no proof or eyewitness present to support his accusations. As the “jury”, the Chorus only knows of his brilliance and skills from when he defeated the Sphinx. Saving the city years ago, the Chorus can only conclude Oedipus is a great, confident, and smart man. They do not know of anything else because no one revealed it to them. The Chorus explains, “not till I see these charges proved will I side with his accusers” (567-568). This quote reflects another modern saying- everyone is innocent until proven guilty.  The picture below displays the modern saying. It is a judge contemplating on the justice system. Individuals often assume people are guilty, before looking at all the facts.

Blinded From The Truth

A moment of dramatic irony appears when Teiresias summons in front of Oedipus. Teiresias’s entrance signals as a turning point in the plot because he reveals the truth about Laius’s murderer and the curse that upholds Thebes with the plague. Despite being visionless, his blindness augments the dramatic irony that dominates the play.

Oedipus chooses not to believe in Teiresias's words despite
being a brilliant, courageous person who has eyes to see.
His stubbornness and hubris takes over him
and fail to believe in a blind Teiresias who speaks
the truth. 

While Teiresias does not have sight, he detects the truth for Oedipus who tells Teiresias, “You have no eyes but in your mind, you know with what a plague our city is afflicted” (330-331). Teiresias apprises Oedipus, “ you are the land’s pollution” (400) leads to Oedipus to falsely accuse Teiresias for making up the truth so he and Creon can overthrow him. Even though Oedipus can see, he does not believe in the truth and disrespects Teiresias by mocking, “it has no strength for you because you are blind in mind and ears as well as in your eyes” (428-430), confusing the physical sight, insight and knowledge. Teiresias retaliates by mocking Oedipus for his eyesight, “you have your eyes but see not where you are in sin, nor where you live, nor whom you live with” (482-483) and for the brilliance that allows him to solve the riddle of the Sphinx. Neither of the quality Oedipus possesses helps him to realize the truth.

The conversation between Oedipus and Teiresias contains references to sight and eyes to show the irony. Obviously, Sophocles’s audience is well aware of who actually murdered King Laius - Oedipus himself based on the prophecy. Since Teiresias exposes the truth to Oedipus, the plot thickens and escalates as Oedipus ventures to seek any proof by visiting “the only servant that escaped safe home” (878). His journey determines the fate for Oedipus and Thebes on whether Oedipus comprehends the truth before it is too late.

Prophecy

Prophecy was a concept highly valued and important to the Greeks. Prophecy is a given fate that is unavoidable and inevitable to occur. When Oedipus turns to Apollo for answers about his real parents, he is instead given a prophecy about his fate. The prophecy stated that Oedipus’ future would be filled with “pain, terror, and disease” (872). It foretold that he would be “fated to couple with [his] mother” (873) and “will kill [his] father” (875). This means that Oedipus cannot escape the fate of having to to sleep with his mother and kill his father. After hearing this, Oedipus fled from being prince in his home in Corinth. He was running away from his parents to prevent the prophecy from becoming reality, even though he was unsure who his real parents are. When Oedipus recalled the memory of him killing the travelers he encountered at the “place where three roads meet” (805), the same place where Laius was killed, he begins to fear that he already killed his father; therefore beginning to make the prophecy is come true.

The concept that a prophecy is inescapable impacts the plot because the characters will do anything they can to avoid a prophecy. This concept drove Oedipus to completely leave being a prince and his family in hopes that he can avoid his fate, but the story is beginning to reveal that he is unable to avoid the prophecy if a man he killed on that road where Laius died was his real father. The concept of a prophecy impacts the theme of the piece because it dictates the character’s actions. Ultimately, prophecy was important in Greek culture because once it was given it was inescapable. Oedipus fears that he brought his fate onto himself by trying to avoid it.