ipl-logo

Lies In Oedipus The King

740 Words3 Pages

In the play Oedipus the King by Sophocles, Oedipus does not know it but he has been living a lie. Imagine waking up to find out everything you have accepted to be true is false. This is exactly what happens to Oedipus as he leaves his home of Corinth in order to escape the prophecy set by the Delphic Oracle. While on his journey, he comes to realize that his life has been a lie from the start and he questions everything he has become. Although Oedipus wants to discover his true self, acceptance of the truth does not come easy. Upon arriving at Thebes, Oedipus finds out that King Laius has been murdered and he promises to punish the person who has killed him. As Oedipus searches for the killer, he learns that King Laius has been killed at the three crossroads. It is here that Oedipus begins to question himself, as he previously killed someone at the same spot but he ignores the nagging feeling that something is wrong and continues to look for the killer. Eventually a …show more content…

The child the herdsman had given away “...was called [Laius’]; child.” (Line 1171) and the herdsmen further explains that “...his wife [can]tell [him] best how it all was.” (Line 1171) Not only has the herdsman confirmed that King Laius was indeed Oedipus’ father, but he tells Oedipus, in not so many words, that he has married his mother. Now Oedipus must face the ugliest of realities that he has committed incest with his mother. Incest is one of the worst things a human can do as it replaces roles in the family and there is a good chance that the children born through incest will have a physical mutation which can continue to be passed along through their own children. Oedipus has fulfilled the second half of the prophecy. Oedipus cannot believe what he has done, and he is not able to handle to truth of who he has become. Oedipus rips out his eyes as he can no longer look at himself. He has seen too much and cannot accept what he has

Show More
Related

  • Pride Blocks True Sight In Oedipus The King

    961 Words  | 4 Pages

    Looking for the murderer of King Laios, Oedipus asks Tiresias for his help. He refuses to Oedipus his knowledge of the incident resulting in Oedipus accusing Tiresias of the murder. Oedipus says, “And I’ll tell you what I think: You planned it, you had it done, you all but killed him with your own hands: if you had eyes, I’d say the crime was yours, and yours alone” (19). Oedipus refuses to be wrong in any argument with others about his prophecy. Oedipus doesn’t believe that he murdered King Laios.

    Read More

  • Oedipus The King Faulty Analysis

    670 Words  | 3 Pages

    His new blindness- ironic only when he loses his sight that he actually gains the insight understanding who he is where he came from Who killed the king Theme: The One and the Many inconsistency Laius- killed by several people at the crossroads Oedipus- alone killed Laius Theme: Conflict between “the one and the many” Oedipus detective and criminal two roles merge into one person both father and brother Twos and doubles two daughters and two sons, two opposed pairs of king and queen (Laius and Jocasta, and Polybus and Merope), and two cities (Thebes and Corinth). combination of two things “What is this news of double meaning?” Jocasta asks (939).

    Read More

  • Sight And Blindness In King Oedipus The King

    628 Words  | 3 Pages

    Oedipus learns that you can’t control everything in life and also things come and go, they never stay. So instead seeing the truth and believing the lies, it’s best to see the lies and believe in the truth. Otherwise

    Read More

  • Denial In Oedipus The King

    509 Words  | 3 Pages

    Everyone tries to convince themselves that it is all lies when you receive bad news about anything that you don’t believe in. In the play Oedipus the King, written by Sophocles in 430 BC, Oedipus is in denial about who killed the previous king, Laius. The town has asked Oedipus to save them from the disease that has spread killing all the life in town by finding the person who killed Lauis. Oedipus tells the people he will find the culprit and do whatever he needs to do to punish them. When he is given the truth, he is unwilling to accept the truth.

    Read More

  • The Motif Of Light And Darkness In Oedipus The King

    825 Words  | 4 Pages

    Briefly following, Oedipus goes on to explain his perspective of Thebes saying, ‘"for what the light of the day has spared that darkness of night destroys”’ (Sophocles 198). Oedipus knows that the darkness that the city encounters and figures that he could help save it. After defeating the Sphinx and 15 years as being the King, Oedipus faces his first conflict; what man is responsible for the death of Laius? The immense pressure that the King of Thebes faces daily, Oedipus is frantic and reluctant to figure out the murderous man.

    Read More

  • Hamlet Resilience Essay

    1429 Words  | 6 Pages

    Upon receiving the prophecy that he would kill his father and marry his mother, he unquestioningly embraced its validity without challenging it. However, if he employed his common knowledge and free will, the course of events might have been altered. For instance, he tragically killed Laius in a dispute that could have been avoided with restraint. Additionally, when tasked with uncovering the murderer of the former king of Thebes, Oedipus willingly accepted the challenge, firmly believing it was his destiny to expose the killer and save his city. Unfortunately, his unwavering trust in fate and blind devotion to prophecies ultimately led to his downfall.

    Read More

  • Outline For Oedipus The King

    1377 Words  | 6 Pages

    Background Information: In Oedipus the King, by Sophocles, Oedipus was told that he would kill his father Laius and marry his mother Jocasta. However, Oedipus doesn’t believe that he killed Laius but was blind to the truth for him accept it which led to his demise. 3.Thesis Statement:

    Read More

  • Forms Of Blindness In Oedipus The King

    1062 Words  | 5 Pages

    Sophocles dramatizes Oedipus’s blindness to himself through his denial of the truth, which is blatantly presented to him. Teiresias reveals to Oedipus that he is the one who has brought such turbulence and misery to his beloved city, although the words of this blind prophet have always come true, Oedipus refuses all statements and beliefs that blame him for being the source of any harm or misfortune (Sophocles 12). Oedipus convinced himself that he was taking every precaution necessary to avoid his unthinkable fate. He fled his home and rejected any circumstance that may have put him in the presence of one his adopted parents (Sophocles 12). However, Oedipus did not realize that in his attempts of proving his fate wrong, he was only driving himself in the direction of a tragic downfall.

    Read More

  • Identity In Oedipus The King

    1443 Words  | 6 Pages

    (Oedipus The King. 1336.1342). The understanding of his identity is completely shattered when he learns the truth. With the sudden shift in his identity, the life he lived seems like a lie, and he becomes confused about his own identity. His loss of his coveted former identity as a good king, and the discovery of his new and shameful identity cause emotional

    Read More

  • Tragic Flaws In Oedipus The King

    1159 Words  | 5 Pages

    Introduction The story of Oedipus the king is gloomy, yet captivating. Going from a child bond around the feet and abandon by the mountainside, to marrying his mother, his story is intriguing. In search of the truth about the prophecy and putting an end to a plague Oedipus, search for king Laius’s killer, did somethings inadvertently, making him a tragic hero. His search for truth in the death of Laius the king, as well as his birth led to the ultimate destruction and downfall of his life.

    Read More

  • Loss Of Knowledge In Oedipus The King

    790 Words  | 4 Pages

    As more information is uncovered, Oedipus’ legacy is exponentially diminished as a childhood prophecy revolving around Oedipus, murdering his father and marrying his mother, is brought to light. Knowledge possesses the power to catalyse devastation in stages as demonstrated through Oedipus’ ignorance, his overwhelming curiosity, and his psychological anguish. From the beginning, Oedipus was raised in a legion of lies, believing Merope and Polybus to be his true parents. This cloak of ignorance not only shielded Oedipus from the knowledge of his biological parents, but allowed the prophecy to act as a catalyst for his fleeing of Corinth.

    Read More

  • Nobility In Oedipus The King

    444 Words  | 2 Pages

    After his accusations, Oedipus mocked Teiresias for his blindness, and told him to leave the palace as Oedipus had grown tired of him. Oedipus’s imperfect nature stopped him from learning the truth from Teiresias before it was too late, and lead to great loss at the end of the play. Throughout the story of Oedipus the King, the imperfectly noble nature of Oedipus is displayed for all to learn from. His temperamental and overzealous nature made him argumentative and combative when Teiresias tried to tell him the truth about the murder, causing Oedipus to accuse his good friend Creon of being a usurper.

    Read More

  • Knowledge In Oedipus The King

    479 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the beginning Oedipus know very little, he came from corinth to thebes like a stranger he doesn't know the mess he is in and the mess about to occur. Other people know, and hide the truth from oedipus. Oedipus has killed his father, saved thebes from the sphinx and its riddle, and become king. The citizens believe that solving the Sphinx’s riddle makes Oedipus wise.

    Read More

  • Oedipus The King Research Paper

    1224 Words  | 5 Pages

    So in the end, Oedipus no longer thinks of himself. Thinking of his children 's impending marriage, Oedipus begs for his children and no longer can think of himself as anything more than a creature that embodies what it means to be pathetic: “When you come to the age ripe for marriage, who will he be who will run the risk, children, to take for himself the reproaches that will be banes for my parents and offspring alike? What evil is absent? Your father slew his father; he ploughed his mother, where he himself was sown, and he sired you in the same fount where he himself was sired.

    Read More

  • Tragedy In Oedipus The King

    848 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Queen, Jacosta, Oedipus’ wife tells him not to believe in the prophet, because they’ve been wrong before, she then tells Oedipus about how she and King Laius had a son who was prophesied to kill Laius and sleep with her but since the child was supposedly dead the prophecy couldn’t be true. Oedipus becomes a bit weary because as a child an old man told him he was adopted and that one day he’d kill his real father and sleep with his mother, Oedipus did also kill a man at a crossroads which sounded like the way Laius died. Oedipus continued questioning the messenger and found out that he was the man everyone spoke of and Jacosta then comes to the realization that Oedipus is her son and kills herself.

    Read More

More about Lies In Oedipus The King

Open Document