ipl-logo

The Nature Of God In Oedipus Rex By Sophocles

1005 Words5 Pages

The question of gods has always been disputed. Even today the debate rages on. Are the gods benevolent and caring, and if so then why is there evil still in the world; or are the gods evil and malevolent? Perhaps there is no god and humans have done all their worshipping for nothing, and the pain in the world is their own fault. In Oedipus Rex by Sophocles this same idea is expressed, what is the nature of god? While progressing through the play a clear commentary on god is revealed to the reader with each prophecy and Oracle. The god of Oedipus Rex does not set up the hero’s demise to be cruel nor benevolent, but to watch and witness the tragedy. The first and most significant prophecy given to Oedipus in his life is the driving force of the entire play. When he was a child, Oedipus lived in Corinth where he was beloved by the whole land, including his mother Merope and his father Polybus. One night while at a banquet a drunkard told him a slurred secret, that Polybus and Merope are not his real parents. Angry but controlled, Oedipus confronts Polybus and Merope, but they will not offer anything except wrath for the drunkard. Oedipus decides that if the truth will not come to him then he will go to the truth, and he leaves home and heads to the oracle of Apollo, god; unfortunately, the Oracle does not tell the truth of his parents but reveals a horrible fate. The Oracle said to Oedipus, “He foretold a dreadful, calamitous future for me-to lie with my mother and beget

Show More
Related

  • Religious Values And Faith In Sophocles Oedipus The King

    238 Words  | 1 Pages

    In Oedipus Rex by Sophocles one major cultural value is religion. Religious values and faith in Oedipus Rex is critical to solving the mystery of who killed the former king Laius. One example of religious values is when, Oedipus sends his brother in law Creon to the Pythian Temple to speak to the God Apollo to find a solution to save the city. When Creon comes back he tells Oedipus that the gods have told him, that to solve the problems in the city they need to find out who killed the old king (3). Characters in this story consistently look to god to solve their problems or predict their futures (1).

    Read More

  • Blindness And Vision In Oedipus The King

    686 Words  | 3 Pages

    Oedipus the King is a tragedy that was written by Sophocles that emphasizes the irony of an irony of a man who was determined to trace down, expose and punish an assassin who in turn became him. Oedipus the King is also known as Oedipus Rex or Oedipus Tyrannus. The art is an Athenian play that was performed in ages approximated to be 429 BC. Oedipus the King would later in the play fulfill the prophecy that he would kill his father and later on marry his mother. There is a twist of an event in the play where Oedipus is looking for the murderer of his father to bring to a halt the series of plagues that are befalling Thebes but only to find he is in search of himself (Rado, 1956).

    Read More

  • Archetype In Oedipus Rex

    106 Words  | 1 Pages

    Oedipus Rex represents the tragic hero archetype throughout the play; shown as he destroys his status and in turn himself as a result of his unyielding arrogance towards the gods; his hubris causes him to be blind to his foolishness and results in his destruction as he tries, again and again, to avoid his fate believing he can best Apollo and the destiny he had set out for him; his eventual demise causes him to recognize the errors of his ways, however like in any tragic play it is too late and he is plunged into a catharsis - blind, poor, and exiled from his kingdom.

    Read More

  • Why Do The Romans See Oedipus As A Hero?

    474 Words  | 2 Pages

    King Polybus and Queen Merope of Corinth decided to adopt the baby and raise him. As Oedipus is growing up, someone told him that King Polybus and Queen Merope were not his real parents, Oedipus wanted to investigate the matter, so he ended up in Delphi, to consult the oracle. When he was in the oracle, he was told that he would kill his father and marry his mother. After hearing this, he thought the prophecy meant Polybus and Merope, so he decided not to return to Corinth and headed to the city of Thebes.

    Read More

  • Motif Of Blindness In Oedipus

    448 Words  | 2 Pages

    ‘But why? If I’m their son--Merope, Polybus?’ ‘Polybus was nothing to you, . . . not in blood’ “ (305). The Messenger attempts to inform Oedipus that Polybus is not his actual father, but Oedipus is hidden from the truth his whole life.

    Read More

  • Hubris In Sophocles Oedipus The King

    1615 Words  | 7 Pages

    Oedipus is ecstatic to learn of this and feels that he has managed to evade the prophecy of killing his father and marrying his mother. Oedipus exclaims with joy, “.... Polybos/ Has packed the oracles off with him underground./ They are empty words.” (Scene 3, 50). Oedipus felt that even though Merope, his "mother" and the queen of Corinth, was still alive, he had to be afraid of going back to Corinth.

    Read More

  • Oedipus Hero's Journey Analysis

    614 Words  | 3 Pages

    From the beginning Oedipus was destined to fulfill a terrible prophecy, but through particular events that follow the steps of the Hero’s Journey, Oedipus becomes a powerful king of Thebes, only to be destroyed by the prophecy that should have ended his life as a child. The Hero’s Journey typically leads to self-confidence and power, however; the Hero’s Journey of Oedipus leads to his tragic demise. The Hero’s Journey lays out the steps of Oedipus’s future actions, which create suspense, fear, pity, and other emotions that captivates the audience. Similar to many famous stories, Oedipus the King, written by Sophocles in 430 B.C., follows the Hero’s Journey path, which is evident in Oedipus’s departure, initiation, and return.

    Read More

  • Theme Of Irreverence In Oedipus The King

    221 Words  | 1 Pages

    In Oedipus Rex, Sophocles showed his feelings of irreverence towards the Gods. He was living in a time when people were starting to turn away from the gods, and this play shows his feeling’s of agreement. Oedipus Rex also demonstrates his feelings of how the gods thoughts can change on whim, destroying the lives of nobles and those around them. This is demonstrated by his showing of how the gods being spontaneous and non caring, in how the cure of oedipus’ family traveled down many generations before finally being fulfilled by oedipus. Irreverence towards the gods is a heavily implied undertone appearing in the text.

    Read More

  • Oedipus Rex Argumentative Essay

    1378 Words  | 6 Pages

    P.13 Oedipus questions Teiresias, curious to know what he knows. “Oh gruesomely clear it has all unraveled… I was bonded with the people I should have never killed.” P.40 Oedipus sees what he has done wrong and feels vulnerable and horror. The audience clearly sees that heroes are very human and how real their limitations. Most people would have felt that same vulnerability if the gods had made us their plaything and tormented us, writing a prophecy of our doom.

    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

  • Religious Context In Oedipus

    1318 Words  | 6 Pages

    The religious context of Oedipus Rex. Oedipus Rex is part of the three Theban plays set in the city of Thebes, in which the main character of the play is a king – Oedipus. By looking at the religious context of the play, we can better understand how religion influenced the play. Oedipus Rex was set in Ancient Greece and Ancient Greeks were said to have been very religious, they had a very strong belief in the cosmic order and the Greek Gods.

    Read More

  • Oedipus 'Vengeance In Sophocles' Antigone

    526 Words  | 3 Pages

    “Fortunate is the man who has never tasted God’s vengeance!” (Sophocles, pg. 215) this statement is about fate, where it is trying to pity Creon as the God’s will curse him because of his unjust law. Although the quote implies “men” Antigone, who is the daughter and sister of Oedipus, is also pitted because the gods have cursed the family. Both Creon and Antigone are unfortunate human beings because the gods are punishing them.

    Read More

  • Destruction Underway Research Paper

    753 Words  | 4 Pages

    The reader is introduced to Oedipus the King. He is a king who is more concerned about himself and his own well being and his subjects were in turn hurt by that. His destruction begins from the moment he was born. When he was born, he was abandoned by his parents and bound by his feet because of a prophecy that he would kill his father and marry his mother. His destruction is evident, there is nothing to do to change the fate of the gods.

    Read More

  • Oedipus Rex Self Discovery Essay

    796 Words  | 4 Pages

    Brilliantly conceived and written, Oedipus Rex is a drama of self-discovery. Achieved by amazing compression and force by limiting the dramatic action to the day on which Oedipus learns the truth of his birth and his destiny is quite the thriller. The fact that the audience knows the dark secret that Oedipus unwittingly slew his true father and married his mother does nothing to destroy the suspense. Oedipus’s search for the truth has all the tautness of a detective tale, and yet because audiences already know the truth they are aware of all the ironies in which Oedipus is enmeshed. That knowledge enables them to fear the final revelation at the same time that they pity the man whose past is gradually and relentlessly uncovered to him.

    Read More

  • Oedipus The King Research Paper

    1224 Words  | 5 Pages

    In the earlier years Oedipus visits Delphi and learns that he was fated to kill his father and marry his mother. He then planned to never return to Corinth. In the play "Oedipus the King", the author presents us with several

    Read More

More about The Nature Of God In Oedipus Rex By Sophocles

Open Document