9/01 Oedipus #1A

Greek Values

Sophocles’ Greek tragedy Oedipus the King exhibits many beliefs that the Greeks held about fate, the gods, and about pride. Fate, to the Greeks, controlled everything on Earth and beyond, god and man alike. It was an unyielding force that drove everything. In Oedipus’ case, an oracle was revealed to him that he would kill his father and marry his mother. No matter the steps the king tried to take to keep this event from happening, it still did. This shows how Oedipus’ fate was written from the start, a way most Greeks felt about their lives (though, they still felt that held control). The nature and relationship between the Greeks and their gods is shown in Oedipus the King. In Oedipus, the play starts with the chorus and Oedipus seeking guidance and help from Apollo. They praise his name, along with other Greek gods. Oedipus is considered a man loved by the gods. However, at the end of the play, Oedipus seems to have disregard the hands of any gods in his life (save misery and death) and calls himself “the man the deathless gods hate most of all!” Oedipus’ downfall is also a good example of Greek beliefs. The ancient Greeks valued knowledge and reason. Oedipus also values knowledge and truth. Yet, during the events of the play, instead of stemming his lesser traits with reason that he did possess (shown when he defeated the Sphinx), Oedipus let his temper and pride blind to the truth and consequences of the situation. If Oedipus had held firmly to his reason, as the Greeks valued doing, and not judged his friends and comrades, he might have avoided the horrible consequences or maybe been less harshly punished.

Heroism

Oedipus met the definition of a tragic hero in Greek theater. Oedipus, like all Greek heroes, was of noble standing. He was not only royal, but a king. While he definitely was not perfect, Oedipus was a good man. He was a beloved king, very smart, and compassionate for his people. His faults included a big temper, stubbornness, and pride. Although his actions were rooted in good intentions, his “act of injustice,” as Aristotle called it, was accusing his loyal brother in law and an innocent prophet of treason, letting his temper get a hold of him, and (although he didn’t know it at the time) killing his father and sleeping with his mother. His fall from such a great height to someone blind and miserable from a respected king was basically his own fault. Due to his ignorance of the significance of the actions that lead to his downfall, the audience can feel pity for Oedipus. And like other tragic heroes, the punishment Oedipus received was not fully deserved, after all, he didn’t know.