Well-known Greek philosopher Sophocles, in his play, Oedipus the King, emphasizes the relationship between the humans and the gods. Sophocles’ purpose was to put into words something most humans go throughout their lives not paying attention to. Sophocles writes in a manner that shows the humans in the gods interacting in a limited fashion in a mainly underlying role, to provoke thought in the reader.
The first element of the coexistence between the humans and the gods is how the gods communicate with the humans. In the very beginning of the story, Oedipus prides himself on how he “sent Creon, my wife’s own brother, to Delphi - Apollo the Prophet’s oracle – to learn what I might do or say to save our city”(line 81-83) at a time that Thebes was “like a great army dying”(line 194). Whenever humans needed insight to solve a problem, whether in ancient Greece or in the present day, they’ve turned …show more content…
The humans and gods interact in a limited fashion. The gods communicate with the humans indirectly, through mediums like the oracle, or with dire events, like the blight. The humans take the god’s messages seriously, and they try to appease them as best as they can. This is one of the main premises of Oedipus the King. The humans, especially Oedipus, start on this quest to rid their land of the blight. They want a new beginning for their land. Ironically enough, this brings the end for Oedipus. Try as they might, sometimes the humans can’t catch a break with the gods. The gods end up taking their wrath out on Oedipus, and he ends up a victim of the god’s cruel judgment. The gods frowned upon him and his pride. The humans are still ultimately dependent on the gods. To put it in a roundabout fashion, the gods communicate with the humans, the humans act on the god’s words, and depending how the gods react to the god’s words, the humans will be
The first element of the coexistence between the humans and the gods is how the gods communicate with the humans. In the very beginning of the story, Oedipus prides himself on how he “sent Creon, my wife’s own brother, to Delphi - Apollo the Prophet’s oracle – to learn what I might do or say to save our city”(line 81-83) at a time that Thebes was “like a great army dying”(line 194). Whenever humans needed insight to solve a problem, whether in ancient Greece or in the present day, they’ve turned …show more content…
The humans and gods interact in a limited fashion. The gods communicate with the humans indirectly, through mediums like the oracle, or with dire events, like the blight. The humans take the god’s messages seriously, and they try to appease them as best as they can. This is one of the main premises of Oedipus the King. The humans, especially Oedipus, start on this quest to rid their land of the blight. They want a new beginning for their land. Ironically enough, this brings the end for Oedipus. Try as they might, sometimes the humans can’t catch a break with the gods. The gods end up taking their wrath out on Oedipus, and he ends up a victim of the god’s cruel judgment. The gods frowned upon him and his pride. The humans are still ultimately dependent on the gods. To put it in a roundabout fashion, the gods communicate with the humans, the humans act on the god’s words, and depending how the gods react to the god’s words, the humans will be