The Past In Sophocles 'Oedipus The King'

Oedipus’ past comes back to haunt him in many occasions throughout the play Oedipus the King by Sophocles. The events that occur after his birth do not seem important until Oedipus becomes the King of Thebes. The events of Oedipus’ birth become significant and create a disparaging reality Oedipus has to live with. As Oedipus discovers his relationship with his past, an important theme of the play is revealed. That theme is that it is very difficult to run away from the bitter truths in life because these truths will soon be revealed and all of this is true for every other character such as Jocasta and the chorus. In Oedipus the King, Sophocles uses the sense of excitement, suspense, and climax to his advantage in using external action to project
what the characters are discovering or thinking internally.
Oedipus’ realization that he killed his father and married his mother causes him to go insane and gouge his eyes out. This bitter truth also makes him wish that he would have been left to die like his parents wanted the messenger to do. Oedipus says, “What kind of eyes…whom I should be hanged?” Since Oedipus is so humiliated and disgusted by his actions, he chooses to harm himself in order to feel some sort of relief. Nobody would purposely blind themselves unless they were a little crazy. Also, this type of discovery would cause anyone to question their sanity. Oedipus also says, “Yes, rot that man’s…I love and mine so sadly shattered.” Oedipus believes that this revelation has destroyed his life and that he cannot reside in Thebes anymore because of the truth that he now knows. He is now so devastated with his life that he desires to be dead like he was intended to be. When Jocasta finds out that she married her son and gave birth to their children, she believes that she needs to kill herself to run away from the pain and horror that she feels. She tries to save Oedipus from the truth, she urges him to stop attempting to figure out the truth of his family and his background. She says, “In the name of
heaven…tortured long enough.” Despite the abhorrence she feels towards her son Oedipus and their marriage, Jocasta still loves him and wants the best for his future. Since she knows that the truth of his descent will ruin his life, she tries to shield him from discovering that she is his mother. The palace official says, “And there we saw…from a halter.” Jocasta commits suicide in order to escape from the embarrassing truth of her humiliating marriage. She cannot handle the exposure of the horror and she becomes mentally unsteady. The citizens of Thebes feel a strong loyalty to their royal family and feel sorry for both Oedipus and Jocasta in their discovery. The public also cannot help but feel appalled in Oedipus and Jocasta’s actions which cause them to have a totally new perspective on their king and queen. In addition, they wish that Oedipus had never come to Thebes, because this horrendous incident would never had happened if he had not arrived. The chorus says, “Oh, the pity…look for shuddering.” Despite their loyalty to Oedipus and Jocasta, the public cannot help but be repulsed by the situation that the two are in. Although the play is set in ancient times, incest is still very disturbing and frowned upon in society, especially when it happened between a king and queen. The chorus also says, “A man, alas, whose anguish…never known you.” Although the kingdom respected and looked up to Oedipus, he had only brought terror into their lives when he came to the Thebes. If he had not traveled to Thebes, the plague and devastation would never had occurred in Thebes.
In Oedipus the King, Sophocles uses the sense of excitement, suspense, and climax to his advantage in using external action to project what the characters are discovering or thinking internally. Attempting to run away from the bitter truths in life is completely ridiculous, according to Sophocles, because through Oedipus he shows that the realities that seem to be forgotten in the past will eventually come back to haunt that person later on in their life. Because of the disgusting revelation, the characters’ lives are changed forever in a negative way, along with their perspective on life and the future.