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Oedipus, in Greek mythology, king of Thebes, is the son of Laius and Jocasta, king and queen of Thebes. Laius was warned by an oracle that he would be killed by his own son and his son would be brother and father to his children. Determined to avert his fate, Laius pierced and bound together the feet of his newborn child and left him to die on a lonely mountain. The infant was rescued by a shepherd, however, and given to Polybus, king of Corinth, who named the child Oedipus (swollen foot) and raised him as his own son. The boy did not know that he was adopted, and when an oracle proclaimed that he would kill his father and marry his mother, he left Corinth. In the course of his wanderings he met and killed Laius, not knowing at the time that Laius is the king and his father, because he believed that the group of travelers were a band of robbers. In doing this act he unwillingly fulfilled the prophecy of his own fate.
Oedipus, in Greek mythology, king of Thebes, is the son of Laius and Jocasta, king and queen of Thebes. Laius was warned by an oracle that he would be killed by his own son and his son would be brother and father to his children. Determined to avert his fate, Laius pierced and bound together the feet of his newborn child and left him to die on a lonely mountain. The infant was rescued by a shepherd, however, and given to Polybus, king of Corinth, who named the child Oedipus (swollen foot) and raised him as his own son. The boy did not know that he was adopted, and when an oracle proclaimed that he would kill his father and marry his mother, he left Corinth. In the course of his wanderings he met and killed Laius, not knowing at the time that Laius is the king and his father, because he believed that the group of travelers were a band of robbers. In doing this act he unwillingly fulfilled the prophecy of his own fate.
Lonely and homeless, Oedipus arrived at Thebes, which was beset by a dreadful monster called the Sphinx. The frightful creature frequented the roads to the city, killing and devouring all travelers who could not answer the riddle that she put to them: What walks on four legs in the morning, on two legs at noon, and on three legs in the evening? The answer was a human being, who in infancy crawls on all fours, in adulthood walks upright on two legs, and in old age uses a cane. When Oedipus solved her riddle, the Sphinx killed herself. Believing that King Laius had been slain by unknown robbers, and grateful to Oedipus for ridding them of the Sphinx, the Thebans rewarded Oedipus by making him their king and giving him Queen Jocasta as his wife. For many years the couple lived in happiness, not knowing that they were really mother and son.
 
Lonely and homeless, Oedipus arrives at Thebes, which was beset by a dreadful monster called the Sphinx. The frightful creature frequented the roads to the city, killing and devouring all travelers who could not answer the riddle that she put to them: What walks on four legs in the morning, on two legs at noon, and on three legs in the evening? The answer was a human being, who in infancy crawls on all fours, in adulthood walks upright on two legs, and in old age uses a cane. When Oedipus solved her riddle, the Sphinx killed herself. Believing that King Laius had been slain by unknown robbers, and grateful to Oedipus for ridding them of the Sphinx, the Thebans rewarded Oedipus by making him their king and giving him Queen Jocasta as his wife. For many years the couple lived in happiness, not knowing that they were really mother and son.
 
Then a terrible plague descended on the land, and an oracle proclaimed that Laius's murderer must be punished. Oedipus soon discovered that he had unknowingly killed his father. In grief and despair at her incestuous life, Jocasta killed herself, and when Oedipus realized that she was dead and that their children were accursed, he gouged out his eyes and relinquished the throne. He lived in Thebes for several years but was finally banished. Accompanied by his daughter Antigone, he wandered for many years. He finally arrived at Colonus, a shrine near Athens sacred to the powerful goddesses called the Eumenides. Oedipus died at this shrine, after the god Apollo had promised him that the place of his death would remain sacred and would bring great benefit to the city of Athens, which had given shelter to the wanderer.
Then a terrible plague descended on the land, and an oracle proclaimed that Laius's murderer must be punished. Oedipus soon discovered that he had unknowingly killed his father. In grief and despair at her incestuous life, Jocasta killed herself, and when Oedipus realized that she was dead and that their children were accursed, he gouged out his eyes and relinquished the throne. He lived in Thebes for several years but was finally banished. Accompanied by his daughter Antigone, he wandered for many years. He finally arrived at Colonus, a shrine near Athens sacred to the powerful goddesses called the Eumenides. Oedipus died at this shrine, after the god Apollo had promised him that the place of his death would remain sacred and would bring great benefit to the city of Athens, which had given shelter to the wanderer.


==Characters in the Book==
==Characters==
* [[Oedipus]]
* [[Jocasta]]
* [[Jocasta]]
* [[King Laius]]
* [[King Laius]]
* [[Sphinx]]
* [[Sphinx]]
* [[Creon]]
* [[Creon]]
== Character Traits ==
* Conscientious and patriotic ruler
* Quick to rage — anger — does not listen to anyone
* Confidence in human intelligence — self-confidence
* Man of action and decisiveness, even if imprudent
* Obdurate — Jocasta says “You’re so unbending” (l. 769).
* Courage in the face of despair
* Impiety — disdainful and supercilious
* Wants to know the truth at all costs
Much of the tension in ''Oedipus the King'' revolves around dramatic irony: the gap between the one meaning known by the audience and the other known to the players:
* Every step prompted by his intelligence is one step closer to tragedy
* His knowledge is ignorance
* His clear vision is blindness
Oedipus falls because of the man that he is, not through some random event in nature or fated outcome. His self-discovery comes at a huge cost: his own destruction. Although the oracle predicts what Oedipus will do, it does not determine the latter’s actions. Oedipus has erred in his faith in human intelligence; there are powers in the universe that are beyond our control and our understanding.
Aristotle mentions ''Oedipus'' eleven times in his ''Poetics''. Aristotle’s obvious favor of Sophocles’ play suggests that it is the measure of all [[tragedy]].


== Free Will versus Fate ==
== Free Will versus Fate ==
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“I count myself the son of Chance.” Oedipus, l. 1188
“I count myself the son of Chance.” Oedipus, l. 1188


'''
'''Oedipus is siad to have no free will and yet, it was his choice to leave Cornith, it was his choice to marry Jocasta, it was his choice to kill the man he didn't know was his father.....Oedipus may have had a destiny but he certianly had free will!!!!''''''


== Themes and Motifs ==
== Themes and Motifs ==


* Sight and blindness
===Sight and Blindness===
Oedipus’ life could be called a train wreck; that is, two trains were moving head-on toward each other—one oblivous to the truth and one with knowledge of the truth.  When these trains met, the wreck took the {emotional and/or physical} lives of everyone close to Oedipus.  Although he could physically see, he was blind to who he really was.  Oedipus had no idea that his wife was actually his mother, that the people who raised him were not his biological parents,  that his daughters were also his half-sisters, and that he had murdered his biological father.  First, he brought in the blind prophet, Tiresias, who revealed the future.  Second, he blindly denied these revealations.  And third, after he could see the revealations were true, Oedipus blinded himself physically.   
Oedipus’ life could be called a train wreck; that is, two trains were moving head-on toward each other—one oblivous to the truth and one with knowledge of the truth.  When these trains met, the wreck took the {emotional and/or physical} lives of everyone close to Oedipus.  Although he could physically see, he was blind to who he really was.  Oedipus had no idea that his wife was actually his mother, that the people who raised him were not his biological parents,  that his daughters were also his half-sisters, and that he had murdered his biological father.  First, he brought in the blind prophet, Tiresias, who revealed the future.  Second, he blindly denied these revealations.  And third, after he could see the revealations were true, Oedipus blinded himself physically.   


In the beginning of the play, Oedipus has perfect physical vision. However, he is blind and ignorant to the truth about himself and his past. He desperately wants to know, to see, but he cannot (Hibbison).  Ironically, Tiresias, the blind soothsayer, saw the future from the beginning.  Neither Oedipus nor his wife, Jocasta, knew how devastating their lives were.  When their true history was revealed by Tiresias, they  refused to believe him.  Tiresias meant two different things when he referred to sight.  First, he knew Oedipus was blessed with the gift of perception; he was the only man who could "see" the answer to the Sphinx's riddle (verse 501). Second, he could not see what was right before his eyes.  He was blind to the truth he sought (Little).
In the beginning of the play, Oedipus has perfect physical vision. However, he is blind and ignorant to the truth about himself and his past. He desperately wants to know, to see, but he cannot (Hibbison).  Ironically, Tiresias, the blind soothsayer, saw the future from the beginning.  Neither Oedipus nor his wife, Jocasta, knew how devastating their lives were.  When their true history was revealed by Tiresias, they  refused to believe him.  Tiresias meant two different things when he referred to sight.  First, he knew Oedipus was blessed with the gift of perception; he was the only man who could "see" the answer to the Sphinx's riddle (verse 501). Second, he could not see what was right before his eyes.  He was blind to the truth he sought (Little).


Oedipus, furious at the suggestion of his guilt, berated the prophet, who retorted by insisting that Oedipus was yet blind to the truth and would soon learn of his guilt (Awerty).  In verse 478, Tiresias told Oedipus that “…darkness shrouding your eyes that can see the light”.  Oedipus angrily dismissed the sightless old man, accused him of conspiring with Jocasta's brother, Creon, to overthrow him (Awerty).  Although blind to the truth, as the facts became clear, Oedipus was forced to open his eyes: Oedipus did, in fact, kill his father, Larius, and marry his mother.  Oedipus’ slaying of Laius at the crossroads was an intentional act, but also an unconscious one; therefore a “pure” one. Later, when Oedipus blinds himself, the audience is capable of exhibiting the correct emotional response: that of pity and fear. This act, after Oedipus’ recognition of his error, proves that he feels remorse for his actions and shows the audience that he would never have performed them had he known the facts (Lucas).  Oedipus was responsible for the bad times in Thebes.  The truth was then so obvious to him that he had to confront it.
Oedipus, furious at the suggestion of his guilt, berated the prophet, who retorted by insisting that Oedipus was yet blind to the truth and would soon learn of his guilt (Awerty).  In verse 478, Tiresias told Oedipus that “darkness shrouding your eyes that can see the light”.  Oedipus angrily dismissed the sightless old man, accused him of conspiring with Jocasta's brother, Creon, to overthrow him (Awerty).  Although blind to the truth, as the facts became clear, Oedipus was forced to open his eyes: Oedipus did, in fact, kill his father, Larius, and marry his mother.  Oedipus’ slaying of Laius at the crossroads was an intentional act, but also an unconscious one; therefore a “pure” one. Later, when Oedipus blinds himself, the audience is capable of exhibiting the correct emotional response: that of pity and fear. This act, after Oedipus’ recognition of his error, proves that he feels remorse for his actions and shows the audience that he would never have performed them had he known the facts (Lucas).  Oedipus was responsible for the bad times in Thebes.  The truth was then so obvious to him that he had to confront it.


Oedipus furthered [[Sophocles]]’ sight metaphor when he defended his decision to humble himself through blindness: “What good were eyes to me?  Nothing I could see could bring me joy” (verse 1473).  When Oedipus finally discovered the truth, ironically, he was so distressed that he ran pins into his eyes (verse 1405).  Oedipus’ self-inflicted blindness is, in effect, his “purification” of his pathos and makes him a proper recipient for the audience’s pity and fear (Lucas). He had been blinded to the truth too long.  Oedipus would forever walk in physical darkness, though the truth was now visible.  With nothing to look at, Oedipus was forced to think about his life and what had happened.  The darkness and the physical pain he had inflicted on himself was just as agonizing as his blindness to the truth.  
Oedipus furthered [[Sophocles]]’ sight metaphor when he defended his decision to humble himself through blindness: “What good were eyes to me?  Nothing I could see could bring me joy” (1473).  When Oedipus finally discovered the truth, ironically, he was so distressed that he ran pins into his eyes (verse 1405).  Oedipus’ self-inflicted blindness is, in effect, his “purification” of his pathos and makes him a proper recipient for the audience’s pity and fear (Lucas). He had been blinded to the truth too long.  Oedipus would forever walk in physical darkness, though the truth was now visible.  With nothing to look at, Oedipus was forced to think about his life and what had happened.  The darkness and the physical pain he had inflicted on himself was just as agonizing as his blindness to the truth.  


Figurative blindness can be harder to deal with then literal blindness. A person who is physically blind knows that it will probably be life-long will learn to accept the blindness. However, if a person is blind to the truth, there is nothing that person can do until they learn and acknowledge the truth.  The person may not even know that their situation is wrong. When that person does learn the truth, he tends to feel ignorant. That person wonders if things could have been avoided had the truth only been known sooner. When Oedipus learned the truth, his way of dealing with his figurative blindness was to physically blind himself.  In this play, blindness led to the truth, and the truth led to blindness.  Oedipus and Jocasta were blinded, yet found the truth.
Figurative blindness can be harder to deal with then literal blindness. A person who is physically blind knows that it will probably be life-long will learn to accept the blindness. However, if a person is blind to the truth, there is nothing that person can do until they learn and acknowledge the truth.  The person may not even know that their situation is wrong. When that person does learn the truth, he tends to feel ignorant. That person wonders if things could have been avoided had the truth only been known sooner. When Oedipus learned the truth, his way of dealing with his figurative blindness was to physically blind himself.  In this play, blindness led to the truth, and the truth led to blindness.  Oedipus and Jocasta were blinded, yet found the truth.


===Light and Darkness===
===Historia===
A free spirit of inquiry
===Knowledge comes only through suffering===
===The responsibility of humans for their own acts===
===The error of setting human reason above obedience to the gods===
===Consequences of excessive pride===
===Ship and navigation metaphors===
(e.g., ll. 1010-11; 1454)


* Light and darkness
==Chorus==
* Historia — a free spirit of inquiry
Present and objectively severe and conventional, gradually growing more troubled and anxious, and finally into utter despair.
* Knowledge comes only through suffering
* The responsibility of humans for their own acts
* The error of setting human reason above obedience to the gods
* Consequences of excessive pride
* Ship and navigation metaphors (e.g., ll. 1010-11; 1454)
 
Chorus — present and objectively severe and conventional, gradually growing more troubled and anxious, and finally into utter despair.


Archetype of drama? Hero’s quest for himself.
Archetype of drama? Hero’s quest for himself.


Works Cited:
==Works Cited==
Little, Jennifer.  “Oedipus Rex / Oedipus the King.” Gradesaver. July 19, 2000.  Retrieved March 31, 2005. <http://www.gradesaver.com/ClassicNotes/Titles/oedipus/summ2.html>.
Little, Jennifer.  “Oedipus Rex / Oedipus the King.” Gradesaver. July 19, 2000.  Retrieved March 31, 2005. <http://www.gradesaver.com/ClassicNotes/Titles/oedipus/summ2.html>.


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