Power has been the single most fought over thing since the beginning of time. The ability to control, own and do as you please are things that even the most simpleminded human desires. We were born with greed and envy pre-installed into the moment we popped out of the womb. As children we always wanted our parent’s full attention even if we had siblings. We wanted them to be “my parents” instead of our parents. As we grew so did those ideals. In school we wanted the best grades, in order to get into the best colleges and make the most money possible. This idea has been the same for generations before us; the idea of having more power, no, all the power. This is an idea that although sounds very pleasing, when acted on as a life goal will always …show more content…
According to Fosso in his article “Oedipus Crux: Reasonable Doubt in Oedipus the King”, “Oedipus’s present actions in the play are free rather than determined and therefore worth scrutinizing in themselves” (Fosso, 27). From this we realize that maybe Oedipus was not completely unaware of what was happening as he makes it seem at the end of the play. Oedipus is clearly a man who seeks power, otherwise he would have not left his town in order to solve the riddle of the Sphinx and become king. The play itself says it, “many years have passed since Oedipus solved the riddle of the Sphinx and ascended the throne of Thebes” (Sophocles, 1062). If Oedipus was so unaware of the prophecy, then why did he go to a place where he was told not to go by a prophet just to become king? Of course he knew he would become king, subconsciously he knew that he was the chosen son. This means that the prophecy might not have been an unwanted one for Oedipus, but instead one that he subconsciously …show more content…
According to Simply Psychology, “The id is the primitive and instinctive component of personality” (McLeod, 4). Hitler lacked the ability to listen and comprehend what his subconscious mind told him. These things are the ego and superego. They are the “values and morals in society” (McLeod, 19). When someone only listens to his id, he is prone to do whatever impulse decision he gets, which could lead to some negative effects. As we saw in “Oedipus the King”, both Oedipus and Jocasta ignore their superego which ultimately lead to their downfall. A superego would be the part of your subconscious that tells you not to sleep with your mother, not to kill people based on their religion and beliefs. To most people it is what stops a regular human being form becoming blind to his own reality. Although, they are the values in society and those values can change, the general idea that controlling everything by yourself might be one that could require some reconsideration. This is something that Hitler, along with Oedipus and Jocasta did not do. They felt the desire for an unhealthy amount of power, it went over their heads and created their
(Sophocles 6). After Oedipus solved the riddle of the Sphinx, he was crowned king, and the city was joyful. Certainly, Oedipus was proud of his new position and his wife, Jocasta. Life could not possibly become better, so he enjoyed it, without wasting time searching for the truth. He was not even aware about his ignorance to the truth.
Humans have an innate desire for power. Most often, they look for it in relationships and social position. Like all things, having authority offers temporary pleasure. The amount of power one might possess usually parallels their own self-perception and how they interact with others. People usually look to gain power when they lack control in their own lives.
Be honest, have you ever felt like you’re better than everyone else? How much do you desire power? What is power? Someone who’s controls everything and everyone or someone who’s poor who wants the power for themselves? In my perspective, everyone wants power.
The manipulative and tempting qualities of power allow for the natural tendency of abuse by the different
Indeed, the desire for power starts with basic needs and can develop to the point where people lose
He did not want to believe any of it he didn't listen , he thought he knew what was correct , and being the way he was , got the worst part. Oedipus showed disrespect to the gods. His power was a part of his ignorance , being king. He tries to put himself in a god's position , thinking he is that powerful.
One of Freud’s theories is that the “Id – Ego combination dominates a person’s behavior until social awareness leads to the emergence of the superego, which recognizes that
Oedipus’ blindness, figuratively speaking, was based on his perspective. He may not be entirely at fault for the reasons behind the plague on Thebes, but it was due to his ignorance which led him to his downfall. In Oedipus’ perspective, it was logical to leave Corinth after hearing about the prophecy due to the fact the he believed that his parents were the king and queen of Corinth. His blindness to the idea that they were not his
Critical Lens As said by Benjamin Disraeli in Contarini Fleming, “Circumstances are beyond the control of man; but his conduct is in his own power.” Although this quote originates from 1832, centuries before Oedipus the King was published, its logic can still be applied to Sophocles’ play. Disraeli is saying that no one can help the circumstances they are born in, but everyone has the capability to live how they want. At face-value, this may seem true; in the end everyone has the ability to make a decision. Yet, it is their circumstances that drive the choices people make.
Although he 's tried everything that he can to go against the prophecy, by trying to avoid it he ran right into the prophecy. He has killed Laius and married Jocasta. Unknowingly, he and his mother, Jocasta had been fulfilling the prophecy. Oedipus had been ashamed of fulfilling the prophecy, so he gouged his eyes so he could not see the faces of those who looked down on him.
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.
He told Tiresias that he was lying and was just trying to help Ceron become ruler. Oedipus also had too much pride this also contributed to his downfall. He was telling the people that they would find the murderer and have him exiled. He was too blind to see that he killed the king.
Although throughout most of the play Oedipus is not physically blind, he is blind to the fact that his fate has come to fruition. When questioned about the former king of Thebes’ death, Oedipus claims that “[he] never saw the man” (Sophocles 7). However, it is later revealed that Oedipus killed the king and that he was his father, thus fulfilling the prophecy. Oedipus’ sight prevents him from seeing the truth and from accepting his fate.
Sigmund Freud discussed that the id, which is present at birth, is impulsive desires that need immediate gratification. The ego develops, as a person grows older, this consists a more rational part of one’s personality that is basically what creates impulse control. The superego is the third and final part of the personality, which mediates between the needs of the id and the ego, it finds a perfect balance and is critical of what needs to follow through on and pursue. The superego is basically somewhat of a person’s moral code. In terms of criminal behavior, it is said that delinquency and crime are a result of a weak superego that cannot control the id. On the contrary, an extremely strong superego can cause an individual to become very much ashamed to violate social norms and thus keep the individual from ever engaging in criminal
The destiny that Oedipus was attempting to avoid, was the destiny that he was also fulfilling. Fate is defined as a destined outcome; nothing can alter that no matter what is tried. Anyway, it was too late for Oedipus to do anything about it, for the many factors that contributed to his death were irreversible and dormant until the very ironically tragic end. Oedipus tried to master fate and it ultimately mastered him.