Is Ignorance Bliss?

Is it true that ignorance is bliss? The only way to find out is to, well, stay ignorant. In Oedipus's case though, he wasn't given the option to stay ignorant. His know-it-all nature naturally prompted him to "solve the famous riddle with his brilliance (1433. 1679)", which lead him to discover he was indeed what Tiresias prophesied him to be. Many people tried to prevent the prevalent truth from shining through, including Oedipus's own wife (or was it his mother?) and the Shepard who originally knew about the whole love triangle-rectangle-pentagon from the very start. 

Indeed a father-killer and a mother-lover, Oedipus tries to cope with this realization, but proves quite unsuccessful. He wittingly lets out a few exclamations coinciding with his newly found familial relationships as he tries to wrap his head all that has been unveiled within the short period of time. He was truly "cursed in his birth (1420. 1310)" as well as "cursed in marriage (1420. 1310)" as he killed his own father and married and made love to his own mother. If Oedipus would have never been so eager to please and never so insecure to blindly believe a blind prophet, then he possibly could have lived his life as a brilliant ruler. Here lies his hamartia, the need to always be right and always prove he is the best. It launched him into a frenzy to find the truth to the prophecy, but in the end of solving the great riddle all the king was rewarded with was a deep set grief, a dead wife, and no sight.

(http://www.jantoo.com/cartoons/keywords/ignorance-is-bliss)

Blog Post #4 (Question #4)

     After Jocasta killed herself and Oedipus stabbed his eyes, it was declared that Oedipus will be exiled from Thebes. His actions after this decision was made show his true character and leadership abilities. Instead of being worried with who will be taking his role and leading Thebes, he is concerned with whether Creon will take care or his daughters or not, saying "But my two daughters, my poor helpless girls,/... Take care of them,/ I beg you." (1602,1605-1606). This shows that it is not possible to hold responsibilities to family (oikos) and responsibilities to the state (polis.) at the same time. In a time of crisis, where the stability of Thebes on Oedipus' family are at stake, we see that Oedipus cares more for oikos than polis.

     The image below is a quote from the 14th Dalai Lama, a monk who promotes physical and mental peace. This quote can be related to the impact that the Gods have on Greek tragedies. The characters in most of these plays believe that the Gods control the world and everyone's fate. That is why these characters so often find themselves in terrible positions. Instead of making decisions based on their own observations and what they believe is right, they follow the apparent beliefs of Gods and the messages the prophecies relay to them.

post #4

At the end of the story Oedipus has fulfilled the prophecy that was foretold to him, despite his best efforts to attempt to avoid them. even though all his actions led him to fulfill the prophecy like leaving his kingdom to attempt to avoid his true parents but he than finds himself in his birth city where he runs into his parents, killing his father and marrying his mother. once he realized what he has done than he blinds himself in attempt to avoid the physical pain that is to be seen. overall in doing so he almost in a way transforms himself into the bind prophet that told him his prophecy in the beginning of the play.

Blog Post #3 Oedipus' Downfall

             Towards the end of the story Oedipus’ wrongdoings are revealed to everyone. The results lead to chaos and heartbreak. Jocasta kills herself because of the shame and Oedipus gouges his eyes out because of the pain. Oedipus goes insane with guilt and shame and lets the Chorus see this. He says “Curse him, kill him! If I’d died then, I’d never have dragged myself, my loved ones through such hell (1487-1489).” He wails of all the things he has done wrong and all of his regrets. He wishes he was killed when he was born so his family didn’t have to go through this pain.

             The end of the play is Oedipus’ downfall. He goes insane and is replaced as king by Creon. Oedipus is exiled from the kingdom and sees his kids for the last time. In the beginning, Oedipus thinks he knows everything when he doesn’t know anything. He doesn’t know that he is the murderer of Laius and the son of Jocasta. He thinks he is right even when Creon tells him he is the culprit and refuses to believe anyone. This makes the end much more ironic as he hits rock bottom. He finds out everything in the end and realizes he was wrong all along and is pushed into a tragic state of shame. The whole play is a paradox also as there is a huge contrast between the beginning and the end. Oedipus is totally confident and in the end he is an insane and wrecked man ready to face exile. His hubris may have heightened his despair as his love for his mother is magnified and all of his wrong assumptions are pointed on him. 

The Fall of Oedipus

All Greek tragedies were written with the idea that all humans were meant to suffer and no matter how powerful they are they are still below the gods. This common theme throughout many tragedies was very present in this play.

In the beginning of this play Oedipus was introduced as Thebes' savior. Life could not have been going better for him. He had just defeated the Sphinx and become King of Thebes, but now there is a plague and it is his fault. Things to start turn very fast for Oedipus as he learns that he "came from the house... of Laius" (1282-1283), has killed Laius and married is mother. When Jocasta realizes what she has done she flees the palace "ripping her hair out with both hands" (1371) and hangs herself "high in a woven noose" (1396). Oedipus now seeing "his wife, no wife, his mother" (1387-1388) hanging gouges his own eyes out proclaiming "You, you'll see no more the pain i suffered, all the pain i have caused" (1405-1406).

Oedipus not only is dealing with his own pain but the pain he has caused to the people around him. He has lost Creon's trust, drove his mother/wife to kill herself, and now all of this is reflected upon his children which he stresses at the end of the play. After all action is ceased, the chorus comes on and states "count no man happy till he dies, free of pain at last" (1684). This is the message which this play is conveying to the audience. Joy is not permanent and the Gods will always control all aspects of life.

Lesson Learned, Avoid Hurbis

             Immediately after Tiresias warns Oedipus about his fate, Oedipus’s first reaction is denial. In his mind, there is no possible way that he could have possibly killed his father, and married his own mother. Jocasta, his wife/mother, enters the room during his breakdown and attempts to calm him down, telling him that all prophecies are invalid.  Oedipus continues on about how he is need of more proof, so he sends out a search for the only man who had survived the battle at the crossroads. The man who had survived gives Oedipus the news that a man did kill King Laius during the battle, and Oedipus instantly begins to convince himself he is the murderer. He refuses to believe this, so he demands for more information. Jocasta begs Oedipus to stop investigating, but at that moment, she realizes Oedipus is her son, and she has committed the sin of incest. This eventually leads to Jocasta hanging herself, and Oedipus blinding himself with his mother’s gold pins.

Hubris was the cause of these tragic events during the remainder of the play. Oedipus refuses to accept the truth because, in his mind, he is a god – a man who contains no flaws. “Do not seek to be master in everything, for the things you mastered did not follow you throughout your life.” (1721-1723). He has too much pride in himself to accept his wrongdoings and the fact that he has caused the plague that reigns over Thebes. Many Greek plays pertain to the audience, teaching them a lesson that no mortal can outsmart the gods. The chorus makes it clear to “count no mortal happy till he has passed the final limit of his life secure from pain” (1727-1728). In the end, hubris, once again, has consumed another victim.

“There's a disease that young writers are susceptible to, which is, I will do this because I can - hubris, I suppose - without stopping to work out why.”

-          David Mitchell

The man in the cartoon is so "full of himself", believing that he has no flaws. This man symbolizes Oedipus, for Oedipus has too much pride in himself. The quote also correlates with the overall idea of hubris.

2. Reflection

Reflecting on the past is a pass time people often practice – especially in Greek drama. In Socrates’ play, Oedipus, the protagonist dives into his past occurrences with the aid of a few other servants and friends, and discovers he is the pollution harming Thebes. Oedipus experiences anagnorisis towards the conclusion of the tragedy; he begins to realize he is possibly the killer of King Laius rather than another unfaithful man. “O God, I think I have called curses upon myself in ignorance” (862-863). Jocasta, the messengers, and herdsman all contribute tidbits of information from King Laius’s killing and Oedipus’s prophecy. Hearing all the information forces Oedipus to reflect on his past and brings forth familiar images and occurrences. The crossroads in which King Laius was killed proves to be the same crossroads Oedipus defends himself on. “I thought I heard you say that Laius was killed at a crossroads” (842-843). All of this familiar information leads Oedipus into realizing there is no doubt he is not the killer of Laius, who is also his father according to prophecy.

Oedipus’s past actions ultimately lead him to banishment and suffering. Creon takes charge and states, “let go the children, then, and come” (1719). In attempts to avoid the prophecy of killing his father and sleeping with his mother, Oedipus leaves the land of Corinth along with his “parents”. Oedipus arrives in the land of Thebes which his true home. “And as I journeyed I came to the place where, as you say, this king met with his death” (931-932). Defending himself against armed strangers Oedipus “killed them all” (946-947). Oedipus reflecting on his past is very significant in that he reaches anagnorisis and the audience learns a lesson on what not to do throughout life. Ultimately, prophecy and the Gods are unavoidable.