Oedipus Selfish Quotes
1) How does Oedipus treat those who are reluctant to obey him throughout the play? What does this tell you about his character?
From the very beginning of the play we see that Oedipus, like many in power, does not handle well people who are reluctant to follow his lead. He often threatens to harm those who are reluctant to obey in some way or he publicly insults them. He makes a general warning statement about those who are reluctant to obey him because he is the king. He says that he will wish a plaque upon their houses and their livestock. Yet, he is a very reluctant person himself. Where he is not reluctant to obey, he is reluctant to listen. He is given words and advice that he needs to wisely consider and he does not. Throughout the play …show more content…
At the beginning of the play Oedipus proclaims justice for the death of Laius. Oedipus claims that he will avenge Laius’ death with the bloodshed of his killer. Being willing to fight for what is right for your people, or in this case your wife, is a more than heroic quality. Not only is he willing to fight for just but he is adamant about it. Throughout the entire play he is in search of the Laius’ killer. A hero overcomes the obstacles and brings victory out of defeat by strength of might and wisdom. Yet most of the Greek heroes had an Achilles’ heel that doomed them. Oedipus is no different. He runs away to protect those he loves, only to find he destroys those he loves as well as himself. He kills his own father with strength of might and ignores the wise warnings of Tiresias. When did he begin to realize that he was sitting on the throne of his own father, whom he had murdered? Oedipus fits the profile of a tragic hero because though he spent the whole play fighting for justice and searching for the answer he is longing for, searching for the cold killer of Laius and promising vengeance by spilling the blood of the murderer. He crumbles and becomes the fool when he finds out that his blood is the answer. In the end his people win their battle over the chaos, but he loses the fight inside himself. Oedipus realizes the metaphorical blindness that has been hindering him throughout the play and decides that the only way to make it right is to physically blind himself with Jocasta’s
From the very beginning of the play we see that Oedipus, like many in power, does not handle well people who are reluctant to follow his lead. He often threatens to harm those who are reluctant to obey in some way or he publicly insults them. He makes a general warning statement about those who are reluctant to obey him because he is the king. He says that he will wish a plaque upon their houses and their livestock. Yet, he is a very reluctant person himself. Where he is not reluctant to obey, he is reluctant to listen. He is given words and advice that he needs to wisely consider and he does not. Throughout the play …show more content…
At the beginning of the play Oedipus proclaims justice for the death of Laius. Oedipus claims that he will avenge Laius’ death with the bloodshed of his killer. Being willing to fight for what is right for your people, or in this case your wife, is a more than heroic quality. Not only is he willing to fight for just but he is adamant about it. Throughout the entire play he is in search of the Laius’ killer. A hero overcomes the obstacles and brings victory out of defeat by strength of might and wisdom. Yet most of the Greek heroes had an Achilles’ heel that doomed them. Oedipus is no different. He runs away to protect those he loves, only to find he destroys those he loves as well as himself. He kills his own father with strength of might and ignores the wise warnings of Tiresias. When did he begin to realize that he was sitting on the throne of his own father, whom he had murdered? Oedipus fits the profile of a tragic hero because though he spent the whole play fighting for justice and searching for the answer he is longing for, searching for the cold killer of Laius and promising vengeance by spilling the blood of the murderer. He crumbles and becomes the fool when he finds out that his blood is the answer. In the end his people win their battle over the chaos, but he loses the fight inside himself. Oedipus realizes the metaphorical blindness that has been hindering him throughout the play and decides that the only way to make it right is to physically blind himself with Jocasta’s