The Character Change Of Oedipus Essay Research
The Character Change Of Oedipus Essay, Research Paper
The Character Change of Oedipus
The character Oedipus in Sophocles? play Oedipus the King goes through an unfortunate but necessary character alteration. From a prideful, heroic male monarch at the beginning of the drama, to a autocrat in denial towards the center, and eventually to a fearful, condemned adult male, humbled by his tragic destiny, Oedipus? alteration personifies that which makes an unforgettable play.
When Oedipus is foremost introduced, he appears to be a confident, valorous hero and moderately so. Taking into head the background of the play, we learn that this alien to Thebes arrives at the metropolis bounds, braves decease, solves the Sphinx? s conundrum and releases the metropolis from the atrocious panic. Merely a adult male like Oedipus, a adult male possessing enormous intelligence and assurance could hold such bravery. Although at times Oedipus inquiries the Gods? truth and authorization, the people wear? T head because of the great title he had done.
When Oedipus succeeds, he becomes immediately celebrated and loved by all because of his bravery and intelligence. The citizens of Thebes see Oedipus? actions are particular gifts from the Gods used to profit the metropolis as a whole.
Because the former male monarch of Thebes had perished, Oedipus married the queen, Jocasta and resecured the throne for his people. Making this shows non merely his love for the queen, but besides his willingness to accept a place of prominence and leading among his darling people, which is a really baronial act.
When the duologue of the play begins, a really concerned Oedipus inquiries a priest why the citizens are keening and praying. I find it unbelievable that Oedipus ne’er distanced himself from his people. Often when person becomes celebrated, they tend to bury their roots and presume a position higher than everyone else. He shows that his character is extremely estimable and that he realizes all that he has is due to the support of his people.
Oedipus shows genuine concern for his people when he is told that the public is praying to the Gods to let go of the awful pestilence that wasted the metropolis & # 8217 ; s harvests and grazing lands and rendered all Theban adult females sterile. Oedipus? response of experiencing the metropolis? s hurting is non merely a statement, but an action besides. Amazingly, Oedipus seems to presume the function of the Gods with his response, ? You pray to the Gods? Let me allow your prayers. ? I think it is notable how Oedipus did non merely rely on the possibility that the Gods would halt the pestilence, but took a really active function.
Oedipus? proclamation that he had sent his brother-in-law Creon to the Pythian Oracle of Apollo shows that he is non merely a adult male of his word, but besides a adult male of action. Comparing this to the elections that are coming in a short month and a half, I find Oedipus a great contrast to the presidential aspirant. Modern politicians make promises to maintain the public content and derive support merely for the intent of being elected ; Oedipus merely speaks truth and keeps to his word.
Upon Creon? s reaching, Oedipus learns of the good intelligence that to raise the pestilence, the slaying of the old male monarch, Laius, must be found. Hearing that there was merely one informant to the slaying and that the liquidator presently resided in his metropolis, Oedipus becomes disquieted that the affair was ne’er to the full investigated. In another fluctuation of his character, Oedipus assumes the function of an research worker.
However, I find that at this point, Oedipus? character begins to alter. He swears to work out this enigma, non simply for Laius & # 8217 ; s interest, but for his ain since Laius & # 8217 ; s killer might assail him following. It seems that the male monarch who cared so in a heartfelt way for his people becomes a small selfish and thinks of himself. Although non written in the play, it is my sentiment that from here on Oedipus is merely concerned with forestalling his possible death at the custodies of Laius? liquidator and that his concern for his citizens is simply a pretense.
Oedipus calls the people together to ask if anyone has information that would be good. Ignoring the fact that he is warned that what he may detect could harm him, he presses frontward, inquiring if the slayer is among the public nowadays. Finally, he seems to go enraged with the negative response he received and threatens ostracism to anyone who withholds the truth. However, more significantly, Oedipus announces that he himself is non exempt from the penalty he had merely declared. With this scene, Oedipus seems to take the function of an overbearing swayer excessively concerned with the yesteryear, non concentrating on the undertaking at manus of happening the liquidator.
Taking the advice of the Creon, Oedipus summons the adult male closest to Apollo: Teiresias the blind prophesier. Oedipus begs for aid in happening the liquidator, merely to hold Tieresias announce that he should hold ne’er come and wants to go. Oedipus seems to go slightly oppressive when he accuses Tieresias of being an enemy for non reacting. After one more supplication for a response, Oedipus becomes overwrought and angrily claims that Tieresias? silence is grounds that he is the liquidator.
It is my sentiment that at this point, Oedipus is at the point of no return. In a society dominated by the Gods, the mere idea of handling a courier with such discourtesy and intolerance is shocking. I think Tieresias gave Oedipus more than adequate opportunities to research other possibilities in seeking for the truth. Appropriately, Tieresias takes the violative.
At this Teiresias, fed up, Tells Oedipus what he knows: & # 8220 ; You are
the curst defiler of this land. ? Oedipus can non believe what has merely been said and tells him to reiterate it. Tieresias farther clarifies his statement: “The slayer you are seeking is yourself.”
Oedipus now takes the function of a paranoid autocrat. Filled with rage, Oedipus calls Teiresias a & # 8220 ; shameless and brainless, sightless, senseless drunkard & # 8221 ; and accuses him of cabaling with his ain brother-in-law, Creon. charges him with fraud, utilizing the Sphinx & # 8217 ; s riddle as cogent evidence. If Teiresias is a visionary, so he should hold been able to work out the conundrum. But alternatively, Oedipus was the lone 1 who was smart plenty to make so. Clearly Oedipus is non intelligent, but instead moving on fury. If I were Teiresias, I would be concerned for my ain life. Stating what he did to a adult male of power like Oedipus is clearly a unsafe affair. However, Teiresias remained unagitated through the ordeal and departed when Oedipus demanded that he make so. Oedipus retreats back into his castle. Thebes? beloved male monarch, one time their greatest approval, now has become their greatest expletive.
Creon returns merely to hold Oedipus once more accuse him of being a treasonist. The two have a heated statement, which concludes with Creon bear downing Oedipus of governing unjustly. Jocasta does her best to quiet the two and attempts to set up a trust between them. Upon Creon? s going, Jocasta herself inquiries the truth of the prognostications utilizing the illustration of the prognostication that Laius? would be killed by his ain boy. She explains how their boy was taken to a mountain with his mortise joints pinned to forestall any such event from happening. However, one statement troubled Oedipus? the reference of a meeting of three roads? because he one time killed a adult male while in a tantrum of fury at such an country.
Jocasta reveals that the informant fled into the state after the slaying. Oedipus orders that this adult male be brought to the metropolis. Oedipus? character now compulsively seeks information on the truth. Unfortunately for Oedipus, he ne’er expects the truth to impact him in the manner it does.
Jocasta enters from the house on her manner to see the sanctum temples and pray. A courier from Corinth enters with the intelligence that Oedipus & # 8217 ; s father Polybus is dead. The Corinthians would wish to do Oedipus male monarch of both Corinth and Thebes. Overjoyed, Jocasta sends for Oedipus. When he hears the intelligence, he rejoices in the falsity of prognostication.
I realize that Oedipus should be slightly happy with the fact that he thinks he avoided the inevitable. However, he doesn? T seem to be concerned with the statement itself? his male parent had died. He had become so excessively concerned with the prognostications that they had dulled his senses to the point that the decease of his male parent meant about nil whatsoever.
Oedipus is still afraid of the other half of the prognostication? that he will get married Merope. But the courier assures him that he needn & # 8217 ; t worry about get marrieding her, because Polybus and Merope are non truly his parents.
Oedipus inquiries the individuality of the adult male who gave the babe to the courier and the courier tells him that the alien was one of Laius & # 8217 ; s retainers. The courier replies that Jocasta should cognize who he is. Oedipus turns to Jocasta, who is white with fright. At this minute Jocasta has discovered the truth? it was so Oedipus who killed Laius. I can non understand how Oedipus didn? t guess at this minute the truth. The intelligent adult male who solved the conundrum of the Sphinx now can non recognize that his destiny has caught up to him.
Upon the courier? s reaching, he tells Oedipus that he is that same babe. The shepherd reacts with fright and implore the courier to keep his lingua. Oedipus threatens him with physical force, and eventually, the adult male confesses that the babe was a kid of Laius & # 8217 ; s house.
This scene is a farther illustration of Oedipus? alteration in character. From the adult male who listened patiently and spoke quietly about the pestilence, Oedipus has taken to menaces of force. He no longer hopes that persons will assist him with the affair? he expects and demands that they do.
This event can be considered the concluding piece in the mystifier. From hereon, Oedipus becomes a adult male humbled with the hurting and dejection of cognizing the truth as the overpowering grounds forces him to acknowledge his tragic fate. He condemns himself saying he was cursed in birth, matrimony and in slaying.
Yet the transmutation of Oedipus character is most clearly demonstrated when he chooses to force out out his ain eyes. Knowing his atrocious destiny, he makes himself physically blind like Tieresias, the unsighted adult male who saw the truth. He farther defends his determination stating that nil that he could see would convey him joy.
Consequently, Oedipus can no longer be called a autocrat, yet entirely a male monarch, after being humiliated in this manner. He can no longer even see or walk without aid. His attitude towards Creon is besides dramatically altered in the manner he humbles himself before Creon and the remainder of Thebes. This completes his alteration in demeanour for the 3rd clip in the drama.
It is my sentiment that Sophocles proved that he was a maestro playwright with this drama. No portion of the alteration of Oedipus? character could hold been omitted for it would hold badly affected the significance of the drama. From a prideful, heroic male monarch at the beginning of the drama, to a autocrat in denial towards the center, and eventually to a fearful, condemned adult male, humbled by his tragic destiny, Oedipus? alteration personifies that which makes an unforgettable play.
Bibliography
Oedipus Rex
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