Oedipus Essay -- English Literature Essays

OedipusThe play Oedipus The King begins with the major power and queen of Thebes, Laius and Jocasta. Laius was warned by an visionary that his own son would kill him and that he would marry his mother, Jocasta. Determined to opponent their fate, Laius pierced and bound his newborn sons feet and sent a servant apart with him with strict instructions to leave the child to die on the muckle of Cithaeron. However, the servant felt badly for the infant and gave him to a shepherd who thusly gave the child to Polybus, king of Corinth, a neighboring realm. Polybus then named the child Oedipus (swollen foot) and raise him as his own son. Oedipus was never told that he was adopted, and when an oracle told him that he would cut up his father and marry his mother he fled the city believing that the king and queen of Corinth were his parents. In the course of his travels, he met and killed Laius, thinking that the king and his servants were a band of robbers, and thus unwittingly fulfille d the prophecy. Oedipus then continued his traveling, and arrived at the kingdom of Thebes, which was plagued by a horrible beast, they called the Sphinx. The frightful creature frequented the roads to the city, asking travelers her fan out then eating them when they could not get along correctly. Oedipus answered the riddle the Sphinx presented him with correctly, saving the city and becoming a hero. Believing that robbers had killed Laius, and grateful to Oedipus for ridding them of the awing Sphinx, the Thebans rewarded Oedipus by making him their king and graciously giving Queen Jocasta as his new wife. The kingdom of Thebes was exultant, and the kingdom prospered under their new ruler, but once again a grievous plague fell upon the city. The oracle was consulted to give an answer on how to rid themselves of the plague. The oracle proclaimed that Laiuss murderer mustiness be punished in order to rid the city of the painful plague. Teiresias, a blind prophet was summoned t o help the kingdom with their terrible calamity. He revealed that Oedipus was the murderer and that he was sleeping with his own mother. Oedipus did not believe Teiresias at first but slowly began to realize that it was true. In grief and discouragement of their incestuous life, Jocasta killed herself, and Oedipus, after learning of her death then blinded himself and was banished from Thebes forever, leaving Creon, his brothe... ...en back inside, Oedipus reared his ugly head. Do not take them from me. In which Creon answers, give care not to govern all, for what you ruled willing not follow you throughout life (Sophocles, 120). Throughout the play Oedipus displayed conflicting feelings as to whether he was to a greater extent occupationed for his sight, who were handout through a terrible time, or concern for his own past and future. In the prologue, when Oedipus first entered the scene he find his lot were gathered around the alters and spoke to them with concern about what was going on. He acknowledged that the plague had taken its toll on his people and he assured them that he was taking action to remedy the situation. only then he turned it all around that he was air most of the burden, not his people, therefore asking for pity and being selfish. In my opinion, I do not believe that Oedipus was as concerned for his people in the end. He was too caught up in finding the right about himself and then denying what was told to him. I thou roughly enjoyed this selection. Sophocles was indeed a wonderful playwright. He was able to create a story that will touch everyone in the way that Greek tragedies were supposed to.