The Interrogation Of Laziness In Oedipus The King

Although Oedipus appears to be an angry tyrant, his search for the truth, at the risk of losing

his established reputation confirms his righteousness. A plague has struck the city-state of

Thebes due to the mysterious murder of Laius, the late king of Thebes. As a result, Oedipus tasks

himself with finding the truth of this crime in order to save the people of his city. While doing

so, a key witness, a Shepherd, appears and Oedipus begins to question him. In the beginning of

the questioning between Oedipus and the Shepherd, Oedipus simply asks for basic information

regarding Laius’ death. However, the questioning quickly escalates into an argument as the

Shepherd vaguely answers Oedipus’ exceptionally easy questions. This frustrates

Oedipus is a human being, and even though he is a king, he still has the right to

be irrationally angry and even threaten a someone for doing something that will only benefit

himself. However, his rare acts of anger do not show his true self. When the Shepherd begins to

reveal the truth, it become clear that Oedipus may be the murder. Now, he must choose whether

to continue investigating or to conceal the truth. It is clear that Oedipus chooses to do the morally

right thing because he has decided conclude the investigation by admitting ‘’it was true! All the

prophecies are true. O light, may I look upon you for the last time!’’ (Oedipus 64). Whether he

was arguing with Teiresias, Creon, Jocaste, or the Shepherd, it is undeniable that Oedipus has

always done whatever he can to find the truth, even if it meant acting irrationally or tyrannically.

Instead of continuously denying the truth, Oedipus is admitting his faults and his guiltiness. He is

now accepting the inevitable truth and doing what any citizen would if they were convicted of

the crime, which is why he says his farewell to the light. By accepting his fate and