“Oh, Ohhh - the agony! I am agony - where am I going where on earth?where does all this agony hurl me? where’s my voice? - winging, swept away on a dark tide - My destiny, my dark power, what a leap you made!”(line 1444-1449) these are the words spoken by a king now broken in his darkest hour. In the play Oedipus The King, written by Sophocles, Oedipus represents the tragic theme that making rash decisions without reason and overstepping one’s limits to defy those of superior status can cause suffering to not only oneself but those around them. Oedipus, through bringing a plague upon his people, condemning himself to a life of misery, and dooming his family to lives of shame and grisly deaths, acts as the great conductor of doom for the people of the city of Thebes. The beginning of the play is used to characterize Oedipus as the great savior of the Thebans. This leaves the reader in awe of his mighty feats, such as when the chorus declares to Oedipus:
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“You are my great example, you, your life, your destiny, Oedipus, man of misery-I count no man blest. You outranged all men! Bending your bow to the breaking-point.” (line 1319-1323). In this quote the chorus characterizes Oedipus as a man of misery who will bring suffering and pain wherever he goes. Having gone so far in his investigation of the murder Oedipus refuses to accept his limits and continues the search for answers even as Jocasta pleads with him saying, “Stop - in the name of god, if you love your own life, call off this search! my suffering is enough.” (line 1163-1165) Oedipus, however, is blind to her suffering and responds saying, “I must know it all, see the truth at last.”(line 1168-1169) Thus, by murdering King Laius, Oedipus brought Jocasta, his children, and himself unimaginable
“You are my great example, you, your life, your destiny, Oedipus, man of misery-I count no man blest. You outranged all men! Bending your bow to the breaking-point.” (line 1319-1323). In this quote the chorus characterizes Oedipus as a man of misery who will bring suffering and pain wherever he goes. Having gone so far in his investigation of the murder Oedipus refuses to accept his limits and continues the search for answers even as Jocasta pleads with him saying, “Stop - in the name of god, if you love your own life, call off this search! my suffering is enough.” (line 1163-1165) Oedipus, however, is blind to her suffering and responds saying, “I must know it all, see the truth at last.”(line 1168-1169) Thus, by murdering King Laius, Oedipus brought Jocasta, his children, and himself unimaginable