What Was Oedipus The King Justice
Question 3
Justice… Justice is to do the right thing, or when wronged, to get more-or-less even with that person. That is normally what is meant by “bring to justice.” However, just is a rather complex word, a word that you can look at from different angles and get a different answer every time. In the story of Oedipus, however, the definition of justice has a more cruel undertone.
In the literary work of Oedipus Rex, Oedipus is a prideful man who refuses to accept fate. By refusing to listen Tiresias, the one who foretells his fate, he angers the gods. In this situation, by refusing to acknowledge the words of the blind man whom the gods entrust their wisdom onto, Oedipus has wronged the gods. He has disobeyed; denied them, even. The gods …show more content…
are the higher order in this literary work, and in ancient Greek culture, plays were seen more of a way to worship instead of an art of form of entertainment as they are now. In this context, Oedipus has basically done the modern equivalent of committing a severe crime against the government or worse.
The way justice was done in this story was not by getting even, but rather the punishment was Oedipus awaking from the blissful ignorance he was living to realize that he has been played by the gods and has been following along his foretold destiny from the start.
His punishment is to learn that he has sinned greatly by unknowingly murdering his father, King Laius, marrying his mother, Queen Jocasta, and having children with her. By the end of the story, he is a much more humble person, finally bending to the will of the gods, but it has come at a great price. For he is blind and appears to be ashamed and miserable.
Furthermore, there is also the fact that the reason Oedipus’ family was cursed in the first place was because King Laius took advantage of a young prince, and the boy killed himself in shame. The prince’s father, King Pelops, cursed that Laius would have no son and if he did he would be killed by him. The oracle itself foretold him this as well, so Laius sought to get rid of his own son when he had …show more content…
him.
As foretold, Laius was killed by his son. Thus, Prince Chrysippus was avenged. Karma was served. This was another form of justice by the gods (or King Pelops himself) that sadly also affected Laius’ entire family, whom had no fault in his terrible actions.
But other than the gods’ serving their own justice, Oedipus has to search for his own justice as well. His “justice”, however, is to find the truth this time. When Oedipus first arrived on Thebes, he rids of its plague by solving a the Sphinx’ riddle , and thus becomes king. Subsequently, however, the plague is back in full force and this time to exterminate it the killer of King Laius must be driven out of Thebes.
Thus, Oedipus goes off to find the king’s murder, but once he comes close to determining the truth, he refuses to accept it.
When Tiresias confronts him about him being the murder, Oedipus retaliates by blaming the blind man instead. Even his wife/mother at some point is suspicious of it and tries to stop him from knowing of the abomination that he has been living. As his mother,she tries to protect him from the truth as it is a horrible sin.
Even with all this uncertainty, however, Oedipus still pushes on to find his own “justice”.
Once he does, Oedipus does what any reasonable person would do and decides he has seen too much of this cruel world and gouges his eyes out.
In the end, Oedipus’ search for the truth was successful in that it opened his eyes, in a figurative sense of course. It came at a great cost, and whether he deserved this kind of justice or not is debatable, but he was enlightened of his true past and is aware that he has been living in sin. Through this search, Oedipus grows as a character by becoming a more humble person. He also learns to accept his shortcomings as well as repent of the way he treated others, such as Creon, whom he appears to be ashamed of the way he accused him of plotting against him. Overall, justice is not all always just. Oedipus’ fate was determined for him, but at least he found the truth he
soughed.
Justice… Justice is to do the right thing, or when wronged, to get more-or-less even with that person. That is normally what is meant by “bring to justice.” However, just is a rather complex word, a word that you can look at from different angles and get a different answer every time. In the story of Oedipus, however, the definition of justice has a more cruel undertone.
In the literary work of Oedipus Rex, Oedipus is a prideful man who refuses to accept fate. By refusing to listen Tiresias, the one who foretells his fate, he angers the gods. In this situation, by refusing to acknowledge the words of the blind man whom the gods entrust their wisdom onto, Oedipus has wronged the gods. He has disobeyed; denied them, even. The gods …show more content…
are the higher order in this literary work, and in ancient Greek culture, plays were seen more of a way to worship instead of an art of form of entertainment as they are now. In this context, Oedipus has basically done the modern equivalent of committing a severe crime against the government or worse.
The way justice was done in this story was not by getting even, but rather the punishment was Oedipus awaking from the blissful ignorance he was living to realize that he has been played by the gods and has been following along his foretold destiny from the start.
His punishment is to learn that he has sinned greatly by unknowingly murdering his father, King Laius, marrying his mother, Queen Jocasta, and having children with her. By the end of the story, he is a much more humble person, finally bending to the will of the gods, but it has come at a great price. For he is blind and appears to be ashamed and miserable.
Furthermore, there is also the fact that the reason Oedipus’ family was cursed in the first place was because King Laius took advantage of a young prince, and the boy killed himself in shame. The prince’s father, King Pelops, cursed that Laius would have no son and if he did he would be killed by him. The oracle itself foretold him this as well, so Laius sought to get rid of his own son when he had …show more content…
him.
As foretold, Laius was killed by his son. Thus, Prince Chrysippus was avenged. Karma was served. This was another form of justice by the gods (or King Pelops himself) that sadly also affected Laius’ entire family, whom had no fault in his terrible actions.
But other than the gods’ serving their own justice, Oedipus has to search for his own justice as well. His “justice”, however, is to find the truth this time. When Oedipus first arrived on Thebes, he rids of its plague by solving a the Sphinx’ riddle , and thus becomes king. Subsequently, however, the plague is back in full force and this time to exterminate it the killer of King Laius must be driven out of Thebes.
Thus, Oedipus goes off to find the king’s murder, but once he comes close to determining the truth, he refuses to accept it.
When Tiresias confronts him about him being the murder, Oedipus retaliates by blaming the blind man instead. Even his wife/mother at some point is suspicious of it and tries to stop him from knowing of the abomination that he has been living. As his mother,she tries to protect him from the truth as it is a horrible sin.
Even with all this uncertainty, however, Oedipus still pushes on to find his own “justice”.
Once he does, Oedipus does what any reasonable person would do and decides he has seen too much of this cruel world and gouges his eyes out.
In the end, Oedipus’ search for the truth was successful in that it opened his eyes, in a figurative sense of course. It came at a great cost, and whether he deserved this kind of justice or not is debatable, but he was enlightened of his true past and is aware that he has been living in sin. Through this search, Oedipus grows as a character by becoming a more humble person. He also learns to accept his shortcomings as well as repent of the way he treated others, such as Creon, whom he appears to be ashamed of the way he accused him of plotting against him. Overall, justice is not all always just. Oedipus’ fate was determined for him, but at least he found the truth he
soughed.