Sarah Lamb
Burns
IB English
22 February 2015 Oedipus Rex
In the duration of the play Oedipus Rex, written by Sophocles and interpreted by Robert Fagles, Oedipus, the protagonist, was established to have a multifaceted personality –character traits such as nurturing, pride, impulsiveness, persistence, honesty, and moral ambiguity. These various aspects of Oedipus’s character can be identified by means of his interactions with numerous characters; each of which influence various aspects of the play.
During the opening scene in the play, Oedipus, for all of his subsequent shortcomings, is portrayed as a respectable king due to a subtle nurturing character trait that develops through his interactions. The opening scene of Oedipus Rex demonstrates Oedipus’s subtle “supporting” actions …show more content…
This characteristic of Oedipus’s is defined in his actions and reactions to various interactions in the play. In the wake of Tiresias’s confrontation, Oedipus remains indignant, convinced that it was not him that had killed Laius, “you never will convict me of the murder” (Lines 642-643), and proceeded to verbally attack Creon, claiming to, “want [him] dead” (Lines 697). This interaction illustrates a feature of Oedipus’s characteristic that is both hypocritical and malevolent, showing that his morals are engrained in the circumstances that Oedipus is confronted with. The most significant instance that displays his flexible morals is conveyed when Oedipus admits to Jocasta, “kill[ing]…every mother’s son” (Lines 898) at the triple crossroad. However, he displays no genuine guilt until he discovers the man he murdered has a probability of being Laius, which he then bewails, “what man alive more miserable than I?” (Line 903). His double standard is, besides the prophecy, the foundation of Oedipus’s predicament –as if he had not murdered a stranger, he would not have accidentally murdered the previous king.
Burns
IB English
22 February 2015 Oedipus Rex
In the duration of the play Oedipus Rex, written by Sophocles and interpreted by Robert Fagles, Oedipus, the protagonist, was established to have a multifaceted personality –character traits such as nurturing, pride, impulsiveness, persistence, honesty, and moral ambiguity. These various aspects of Oedipus’s character can be identified by means of his interactions with numerous characters; each of which influence various aspects of the play.
During the opening scene in the play, Oedipus, for all of his subsequent shortcomings, is portrayed as a respectable king due to a subtle nurturing character trait that develops through his interactions. The opening scene of Oedipus Rex demonstrates Oedipus’s subtle “supporting” actions …show more content…
This characteristic of Oedipus’s is defined in his actions and reactions to various interactions in the play. In the wake of Tiresias’s confrontation, Oedipus remains indignant, convinced that it was not him that had killed Laius, “you never will convict me of the murder” (Lines 642-643), and proceeded to verbally attack Creon, claiming to, “want [him] dead” (Lines 697). This interaction illustrates a feature of Oedipus’s characteristic that is both hypocritical and malevolent, showing that his morals are engrained in the circumstances that Oedipus is confronted with. The most significant instance that displays his flexible morals is conveyed when Oedipus admits to Jocasta, “kill[ing]…every mother’s son” (Lines 898) at the triple crossroad. However, he displays no genuine guilt until he discovers the man he murdered has a probability of being Laius, which he then bewails, “what man alive more miserable than I?” (Line 903). His double standard is, besides the prophecy, the foundation of Oedipus’s predicament –as if he had not murdered a stranger, he would not have accidentally murdered the previous king.