Oedipus:the search for identity. Is he a hero or a fool - Term Paper Example

?Oedipus: the search for identity: Is he a Hero or a Fool? Introduction Of all the complex aspects of the human mind, the one truth we cannot deny isthat all humans seek for satisfaction, may it be in reality or a part of a fantasy. Happy endings are what we expect to see in a book, enabling us to turn the last page with a pure sense of satisfaction. However, it is a fact that tragic endings and grief affect us much more than usual endings, leaving a throbbing pain and a lasting impact on the readers. The fact that real life is never always rosy, we tend to look for reality in what we read too. Some might intend to focus on the impact that a particular character might have while others might give importance to the meaning held by the storyline or may even intend for the character to be thought provoking. However, the easiest way to have a striking impact on the viewers would the conceptualization of a character that would never leave the mind of the viewers, keeping them bound to the grief of a tragic hero. Of the many tragic heroes that have been created, the hero of Oedipus remains a favorite who has earned a place as a memorable character. This paper will discuss his character in particular, analyzing how he goes through the various phases of tragedy, ending as a tragic hero. The Prophesy The play Oedipus Rex, is the tragic story of the life of Oedipus, which revolves around the games played on him by fate and his moments of self realization that taunt him through his life. The life of Oedipus is seen to be miserable as he does not know of his past and is completely ignorant about the consequences he will be forced to face for having lived a life free from the complexities of his true birth. Oedipus is the son a King Laius of Thebes and Queen Jacosta who give the child away to be taken care of by foster parents for fear that the prophesies stating that the king would be killed by his son would come true. Oedipus is aware of the prophecy, but does not know that he has been brought up by his foster parents. He leaves the city in an attempt to outplay the Oracle. However, this itself becomes the reason for the tragedies that occur in his life. In the course of the story, we see that Oedipus, according to prophesy, does kill the king due to circumstances that could not be handled otherwise, which set the stage for future Anagnorisism or self-realization and the resultant tragedy. The fact that he is unaware of being the King’s son will, on realization, bring much pain to Oedipus in the future. The second prophesy that he would marry his mother also comes true, when Oedipus is the only one to solve the Sphinx puzzle and has to marry the widowed queen before he can become the King of Thebes. “Oedipus with the answer, but only so that he may enter the grateful city, be hailed as its hero, and marry its widowed queen” (Smith 93). These events form the basis for the tragedy that is to overcome Oedipus when he discovers that he has killed his father and has married his mother. So, the actualization of the prophecies and the resultant events, initiated Hamartia or set the stage for Oedipus to realize his mistakes, and thereby setting stage for the tragedy. Onset of Tragedy It is the belief of the people in the kingdom that the onset of plague is the result of not having punished the King’s murderer. In the kingdom, there was onslaught of plague. He seeks advice from Teiresias, who is blind and yet seems to know about the events that have occurred and the future that Oedipus will have to face. He tells Oedipus about the prophesy and how it has taken shape in reality. Oedipus refuses to believe him and even threatens him but he is left speechless when Teiresias retorts by saying, "you with both your eyes you are blind: You can not see the wretchedness of your life, Nor in whose house you live, nor with whom….You don't even know the blind wrongs that you have done them." (Sophocles 92). This clearly shows that although Teiresias is physically blind, he has better vision of the future. “Sophocles' inclusion of Teiresias in the play is brilliant: Teiresias is a physical image of Oedipus future, blind not sighted, improvised not regal, carrying a tapping staff not a scepter” (Smith 91). On the other hand, Oedipus who has perfect vision does not accept the truth and in a way blinds himself from accepting the truth, thereby initiating the eventual tragedy. It was through Teiresias, Oedipus knows the truth of his wrongdoing, although he does not accept the truth, his eventual acceptance made the truth difficult to accept. Oedipus will eventually accept his wrongdoings, dooming him to irrevocable grief. Tragedy strikes Oedipus When Oedipus is aware of the actions of his past, he inevitably falls into a state of depression and shock. He is unable to handle the grief that has befallen him and the terrible fate that he has been condemned to by fate. He laments, “I, Oedipus, damned in his birth, in his marriage damned, Damned in the blood he shed with his own hand” (Sophocles 123). Oedipus was not aware of the fact that he had killed the king and was forced to do so under circumstances where he was ignorant of who he was killing. As the present king of Thebes, he was hoping to find the murderer of the king and prevent the plague from setting in. Further, he is forced to face the shame of having married his own mother in the midst of the people of his Kingdom. The realization of the truth only puts him in deeper misery, putting him through ultimate pain and grief. Although he did not kill his biological parents intentionally, he is subject to the agony forever. These events only lead to the stage of Anagnorisism or self-realization. In Oedipus’s life, all the negative events were mostly externally driven and not due to any intentional action from Oedipus’ side. “In discussions of Oedipus' relative culpability, much importance has been attached to the hero's unavoidable ignorance” (Kane 1). That is, Oedipus did not kill his father or marry his mother intentionally, but those crimes happened because of some external forces, which was not under his control. This event had damning effect on Oedipus. On coming to know about the truth, he does not know how to react. Fully guilt ridden, he does not had any other option but to undergo Anagnorisism. With self-realization happening quicker, he was able to prepare himself for the eventual downfall or punishment or tragedy. So, after Hamartia and the onset of tragedy, the eventual tragedy was waiting for Oedipus, when he underwent self-realization. Eventual tragedy When self-realization happens, the Peripeteia or reversal or downfall also occurs, with Oedipus transforming from a strong king to a weak blind man. “He is glutted on what does not profit him and soon will fall” (Scodel 216). Oedipus is remorseful of his sins when he realizes his mistakes. He was fully penitent of his misdemeanors when he comes to know the truth about his real parents, “Thou horror of darkness overspread, Thou shadow of unutterable dread Not be stemmed or stayed, fallen on my head……Strings of these wounds and memoirs of woe!” (Sophocles, 47). When he becomes aware of the truth, Oedipus strikes his eyes with the golden brooches found on his mother’s dress, thus becoming blind. He physically blinds himself because he is does not want to see any of the repercussions and miseries, which have unfolded till now and also might unfold in future because of his actions. “For the King ripped from her gown the golden brooches. That were her ornament, and raised them, and plunged them down/ Straight into his own eyeballs, crying, 'No more, No more shall you look on the misery about me'.” (Sophocles 126-7). Oedipus did not had any life saving alternatives. He had only two negative alternatives, suicide or self-disablement, with Oedipus selecting the second. “The alternative of suicide is directly before him. He takes up her golden pins...blinds himself. It is Sophocles point that Oedipus sees two possibilities and chooses the harder and more painful course” (Smith 92). Having chosen the more painful option and having been subject to eternal grief, Oedipus becomes the ideal tragic hero, fate transforming him from a strong young King to a weak blind man. Conclusion From this analysis, it is clear that Sophocles' Oedipus is a ideal tragic hero, fulfilling Aristotle's three criteria of hamartia, an anagnorisis, and a peripeteia. Oedipus has a tragic flaw or hamartia as he cannot evade Oracle’s prophecies. Then he undergoes anagnorisis, when he is told that it was he who has killed his own father, the King Lauis and as a result of that is to his own mother. With this anagnorisis Oedipus becomes weak and is finally led to his peripeteia, or downfall. Thus, due to the actions of the main characters during the course of a play, tragic ending and the resultant tragic hero could only be a viable option. So, this paper will focus and discuss the tragic hero of Oedipus. Works Cited Kane, Robert L. “Prophecy and Perception in the Oedipus Rex.” Transactions of the American Philological Association. 105 (175): 189-208 Scodel, Ruth. “Hybris in the Second Stasimon of the Oedipus Rex.” Classical Philology 77.3 (1982): 214-223 Sophocles. Four Greek Plays: The Oedipus Rex of Sophocles. Translated by Dudley Fitts. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 2002 Smith, Helaine L. Masterpieces of classic Greek drama. Westport: Greenwood Publishing Group, 2006 Read More