Oedipus: A Victim of Himself
Oedipus Rex is a religious parable of the dangers of pride. It is also a tale of the friction that occurs along the boundary of politics and religion. Ultimately, it a tragic fable that delivers a clear message, those who possess fatal flaws are fated to suffer dearly from them. In this play, the primary conflict is between Oedipus and his half-brother/uncle, Creon. In their interaction does the play unfold and, in doing so, we are given to understand that the relationship between these two men is not dissimilar to those of emotion to logic and of passion to contemplation. The chorus plays a primary role in Oedipus Rex as the voice of the people who do not know everything that goes on, but ...
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the context of reality is called into question. For Oedipus, reality is that which he can grab and accumulate. His is a life of conquest in which he believes that, through his power and prowess, he can defy fate. Yet, the point is made quite clearly, that even a man such as Oedipus the King, cannot defeat the forces of fate. Oedipus cannot detect what is because he is fully engaged in his sense of what seems to be. The fall of Oedipus is brought about by his uncontrollable passions, his fatal flaws. At every given step, he as a human possessing of free will, is actively making the choices that lead him to his tragic fall. Iocaste actually indirectly tells him of his fate when she yells, "You are fatally wrong! May you never learn who you are!" (Sophocles, 55).
The dyadic relationship in this play is between Oedipus and Creon. Each possesses qualities that the other lacks. Oedipus is passionate, explosive, and full of pride where Creon is contemplative, calculating, and manages ...
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religion and faith do not see political power, only the actions of men.
The play ends with an admonishment by the chorus that unless we take the consequences of our actions into consideration, we are doomed to an ill fate. Perhaps, many of us continue to believe in this idea. Though now many might call it karma, the idea that what you have done will revisit you has certainly not left us. However, the idea that we must always look toward our death and whether or not we will die a success or a failure is not part of general modern thought. Our society does not encourage looking at our individual lives as having the inevitability of death. Rather, we seek to live 'for the moment'. The ...
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"Oedipus: A Victim of Himself." Essayworld.com. October 9, 2015. Accessed April 25, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Oedipus-A-Victim-of-Himself/105061.
"Oedipus: A Victim of Himself." Essayworld.com. October 9, 2015. Accessed April 25, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Oedipus-A-Victim-of-Himself/105061.
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