Oedipus The King Women

Up until the last century, women have been oppressed by the prominence of men. "Oedipus the King," by Sophocles, displays the maltreatment of women throughout the story. Muriel Rukeyser is a poet who covers the issue of gender discrimination in her poem "Myth." In this poem, we are given that the female sphinx has come to meet Oedipus once again, seeming as if she is here to avenge. The final lines of her poem discuss how " 'When you say man,' said Oedipus, 'you include women too. Everyone knows that.' She said, 'That's what you think.' " ("Myth" 10-12) Although the character of Oedipus suggests that women are equal, the true role of women is brought up in the poem. "Myth" helps us better understand how women are truly presented in the play. (THESIS)
The major female role in the play is Oedipus' wife and mother, Jocasta. From the beginning of the story we can assume that she has little say on the events that occur in her life. As the queen of Thebes, she did not seem to have any power over the rulings of
In the scene where Oedipus is close to discovering the truth about his origin, Jocasta becomes anxious and begs Oedipus to stop his search. In his impatience and desire to find out the truth, he decides to ignore her pleas and instead insult her. In this scene, Oedipus says “Hurry, fetch me the herdsman, now! / Leaver her to glory in her royal birth.” (Sophocles 1173-74) This comment suggests that it is common for women to brag about materialistic things such as fame, glory, and wealth. Later on in the scene he says “Let it burst! Whatever will, whatever must! / I must know my birth, no matter how common / it may be—must see my origins face-to-face / She perhaps, she with her woman’s pride / may well be mortified by my birth.” (1183-87) This helps reinforce Oedipus’ claim that women are shallow beings who only desire origin, wealth, and family