Kondor Interpretation
Rich DelGrosso
Professor Franklin
EN 102, Section 73
1 March 2012
Kondor Passage:
Interpretation of Kondor and Response
My understanding of the Kondor passage is that truth is being seen as something that is meaningless, something that isn’t even worth believing in. This He that Kondor is referring to, treats the truth as if something that you’re better off not even knowing. “[W]hat interested him most was each person’s fate”. In other words, it’s what you don’t know, the things you can’t control that makes the road of life more interesting. It’s not the person that is interesting but their actual fate. The last stop of fate is inevitably death, and what’s interesting is the road leading up to dying.
The road of fate was unavoidable and only possible by Oedipus not knowing the truth. We see how Oedipus had no control over the road of life. In a sense it was chosen for him at birth because he had no sense of what the truth was. “I pitied the little baby, master, hoped he’d take him off to his own country, far away, but he saved him for this, this fate. If you are the man he says you are, believe me, you were born for pain” (ll 1301-1305). This shows how Oedipus was doomed from his birth and followed the road of fate, leading to misery.
In the Ruskeyser reading, we see how after everything is all said and done with Oedipus, he is still left desiring the truth from the Sphinx. But at this point what will the truth do for Oedipus? By receiving an explanation from the Sphinx, Oedipus will be filled with guilt and regret for the rest of his life until the day he dies. So is it worth it to even know the truth after you can’t go back and prevent it? Oedipus had no idea of the truth and followed the road of fate. The road of fate ultimately led to the downfall of Oedipus, and in his mind death. By knowing the truth Oedipus could have prevented his fate, but that wouldn’t have been as interesting would it?
In the Jarrell reading, Oedipus admits to have known
Professor Franklin
EN 102, Section 73
1 March 2012
Kondor Passage:
Interpretation of Kondor and Response
My understanding of the Kondor passage is that truth is being seen as something that is meaningless, something that isn’t even worth believing in. This He that Kondor is referring to, treats the truth as if something that you’re better off not even knowing. “[W]hat interested him most was each person’s fate”. In other words, it’s what you don’t know, the things you can’t control that makes the road of life more interesting. It’s not the person that is interesting but their actual fate. The last stop of fate is inevitably death, and what’s interesting is the road leading up to dying.
The road of fate was unavoidable and only possible by Oedipus not knowing the truth. We see how Oedipus had no control over the road of life. In a sense it was chosen for him at birth because he had no sense of what the truth was. “I pitied the little baby, master, hoped he’d take him off to his own country, far away, but he saved him for this, this fate. If you are the man he says you are, believe me, you were born for pain” (ll 1301-1305). This shows how Oedipus was doomed from his birth and followed the road of fate, leading to misery.
In the Ruskeyser reading, we see how after everything is all said and done with Oedipus, he is still left desiring the truth from the Sphinx. But at this point what will the truth do for Oedipus? By receiving an explanation from the Sphinx, Oedipus will be filled with guilt and regret for the rest of his life until the day he dies. So is it worth it to even know the truth after you can’t go back and prevent it? Oedipus had no idea of the truth and followed the road of fate. The road of fate ultimately led to the downfall of Oedipus, and in his mind death. By knowing the truth Oedipus could have prevented his fate, but that wouldn’t have been as interesting would it?
In the Jarrell reading, Oedipus admits to have known
Cited: 1. Sophocles “ll 1301-1305” Clarke, M.B. and A.G. Clarke “Retellings”, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Copyright 2004 2. Sophocles “ll 1305-1310” Clarke, M.B. and A.G. Clarke “Retellings”, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Copyright 2004 3. Sophocles “ll 876-880” Clarke, M.B. and A.G. Clarke “Retellings”, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Copyright 2004 4. Sophocles “ll 1543-1546” Clarke, M.B. and A.G. Clarke “Retellings”, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Copyright 2004