Literature Essay-Oedipus The King
Prompt: Who do you think is responsible for the tragedy of Oedipus? (Some candidates: the gods (Apollo), fate, Oedipus’ hubris, Tiresias, Jocasta and Laius, the sphinx.)
David Liu 27
Mr. de Groof
According to Collins English Dictionary, the definition of hubris is “an excess of ambition, pride”. Hubris is a person like Oedipus in this play who tricks himself. Throughout the story of Oedipus the king, Sophocles developed the story by building up the characteristic of each character from the start to made the story end as a tragedy. The protagonist, Oedipus, shows might and arrogance without acknowledging the truth. Oedipus’ hubris is responsible for the pollution that at the end leads to his …show more content…
In other words, Hubris are mentally blindness. They can’t see their own flaw and often make decisive errors in their judgment. Right before Oedipus becomes the king of Thebes, he was known as the son of Corinth, he went to Delphi to receive oracle from Apollo. Oedipus thought he fully comprehends the oracle and he decided to leave Corinth to prevent the oracle to happen. Under his freewill, he gradually led himself to his own fate. Tiresias the great seer, who is a character foil to Oedipus, though can’t see physically, but he knows Oedipus’ origin and the oracle even more than Oedipus himself. He once castigate Oedipus’ blindness “I say you see and still are blind—appallingly: Blind to your origins and to a union in your house. Yes, ask yourself where you are from? You’d never guess what hate is dormant in your home or buried with your dear one dead, or how a mother’s and father’s curse Will one day scourge you with its double thongs and whip you staggering from the land. It shall be night where now you boast the day.”(228) If Oedipus put himself more peaceful rather than full of rage when he talks to Tiresias, he might figure out that his origin is actually obscure and Tiresias might be right. He foolishly makes the same mistake again, thinking that both Creon and Tiresias try to play him fool and that he never makes mistakes. This hamartia again proves that he …show more content…
Derives from his hubris, he thinks that the truth would never harm him because he has already prevented the prophecy. Therefore, he is interested about his origin after the messenger has told him that his truth parents are people in Thebes. At this time, Jocasta already found out the distasteful reality and tries her best to persuade Oedipus not to ask more about his own origin. However Oedipus refused to do so and thinks that his wife is going wild. “Will someone go and fetch the herdsman here? We’ll leave the lady to her high descent. ”(249) Being oblivious about Jocasta’s words and action. He only cares about knowing his origin and scoffs at Jocasta’s
Prompt: Who do you think is responsible for the tragedy of Oedipus? (Some candidates: the gods (Apollo), fate, Oedipus’ hubris, Tiresias, Jocasta and Laius, the sphinx.)
David Liu 27
Mr. de Groof
According to Collins English Dictionary, the definition of hubris is “an excess of ambition, pride”. Hubris is a person like Oedipus in this play who tricks himself. Throughout the story of Oedipus the king, Sophocles developed the story by building up the characteristic of each character from the start to made the story end as a tragedy. The protagonist, Oedipus, shows might and arrogance without acknowledging the truth. Oedipus’ hubris is responsible for the pollution that at the end leads to his …show more content…
In other words, Hubris are mentally blindness. They can’t see their own flaw and often make decisive errors in their judgment. Right before Oedipus becomes the king of Thebes, he was known as the son of Corinth, he went to Delphi to receive oracle from Apollo. Oedipus thought he fully comprehends the oracle and he decided to leave Corinth to prevent the oracle to happen. Under his freewill, he gradually led himself to his own fate. Tiresias the great seer, who is a character foil to Oedipus, though can’t see physically, but he knows Oedipus’ origin and the oracle even more than Oedipus himself. He once castigate Oedipus’ blindness “I say you see and still are blind—appallingly: Blind to your origins and to a union in your house. Yes, ask yourself where you are from? You’d never guess what hate is dormant in your home or buried with your dear one dead, or how a mother’s and father’s curse Will one day scourge you with its double thongs and whip you staggering from the land. It shall be night where now you boast the day.”(228) If Oedipus put himself more peaceful rather than full of rage when he talks to Tiresias, he might figure out that his origin is actually obscure and Tiresias might be right. He foolishly makes the same mistake again, thinking that both Creon and Tiresias try to play him fool and that he never makes mistakes. This hamartia again proves that he …show more content…
Derives from his hubris, he thinks that the truth would never harm him because he has already prevented the prophecy. Therefore, he is interested about his origin after the messenger has told him that his truth parents are people in Thebes. At this time, Jocasta already found out the distasteful reality and tries her best to persuade Oedipus not to ask more about his own origin. However Oedipus refused to do so and thinks that his wife is going wild. “Will someone go and fetch the herdsman here? We’ll leave the lady to her high descent. ”(249) Being oblivious about Jocasta’s words and action. He only cares about knowing his origin and scoffs at Jocasta’s