Examples Of Compassion In Oedipus Rex

Oedipus’ typical compassion is tested when his position is at risk, exposing his selfish nature. Oedipus is usually a compassionate ruler. He would communicate with his people and give them a chance to be heard. For example, Oedipus goes to his people and after hearing them speak of their sufferings, he replies, “each of you suffers in himself alone his anguish, not another’s; but my spirit groans for the city, for myself, for you” (Fritt 5). Here, Oedipus is showing his sympathy and pity for his people and that he wants to help them. This is important because it shows that he is someone who is willing to undergo stress and sacrifice for his people’s wellbeing. Another time he shows his compassion is when he decides to find the murder of Liaos and says to Creon that he will “‘bring what is dark to light … [and] stand by you, as I should, to avenge the city and the city’s god’” (Fitts 9).

This further emphasizes his dominant trait, compassion. Despite being a compassionate person, when Oedipus thinks that Creon collaborated with Teiresias to frame him as Liaos’ murderer, Oedipus says he wants Creon’s death, in which Creon questions Oedipus’ trust in him, and Oedipus questions how he can believe in him and that he isn’t a fool to want to save himself” (Fritt 32-33). Here, Oedipus becomes selfish, which is shown when he is asking for Creon’s death to save himself. This shows that even though he typically is compassionate, when his position as king is at risk, he chooses to be a selfish person to protect his