Illusions In Sophocles Oedipus The King

An individual must use all of their prior knowledge to create an answer to questions that do not have a definite answer. These empty conclusions can escalate into fallacies that, when disproven, can change one’s perspective of life dramatically. In the play Oedipus Rex by Sophocles, the illusions that blanket the entire town of Thebes prevents them from seeing the truth. Throughout the play, the author uses Iokaste’s emotional states to convey that the comfort of illusion is better than the harshness of reality. Iokaste’s ignorance of the situation allows her to be a good ruler. One of the many qualities a good leader has is confidence. A leader must believe in themselves in order to have others believe in them. After Iokaste convinces Oedipus the inaccuracy of predetermined fates, the chorus also begins to question the validity of the oracles by wondering, “Shall we lose faith in Delphi’s obscurities?” (1253). Because the people of Thebes has strong faith for their rulers, no one suggests nor entertains the idea that the

As Oedipus continues to find Laios’ murder, the growing number of consequences enables her fear of the unknown. After being confronted with the possibility of her belief being wrong, she begins to panic and yells, “[L]et us have no more questionings!” (1004) Being afraid of the answer is very similar to knowing it. Once you realize the unsound reasoning of your beliefs, it’s hard to continue knowing that there’s something that you don’t know. Not wanting to know the truth when you discover that there is one sometimes isn’t enough. Having only that amount of knowledge becomes hard to ignore; the person that has seen the light cannot unsee it. This proves that her misconception of finding comfort in not knowing can easily be shattered. Her questioning her own beliefs creates a visible fault in her illusion, which brings her to lose her