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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Oedipus Wrecks, November 4, 2004
Sophocles' Oedipus Rex was a part of a trilogy of plays he wrote around one family. This play was the middle of the three, and it revolved around one man, Oedipus, the king of Thebes. Oedipus had a prophecy that said he would marry his mother after he killed his father, so after he was born to Laius, king of Thebes, and Jocasta, his queen, he was abandoned in the countryside to die with a spike through his ankles. But he was found by a farmer, and given to a ruling family in Corinth. After he got to be of age, and heard the prophecy, he ran away to avoid the curse, hoping that by getting away from his family, he could keep from bringing them harm. He traveled until he got to the "place where three roads meet", where he crossed paths with a party of travelers. There was a scuffle, and he killed them all, save one, including an older man. He continued on until he met up with the Sphinx, a creature who had been terrorizing Thebes for some time. He defeated it by answering its riddle, and the people of Thebes were so glad that they made him king, since there old king had just recently been reported to have been killed by a band of robbers. All is well, and he rules there until everything starts dying. Come to find out that it is because Apollo is cursing the city-state because of Oedipus' unknown sin of killing his father, who was the old man at the crossing, and sleeping with his mother. Tiresias, a blind prophet, reveals the truth to Oedipus, who doesn't want to hear it. The play revolves mostly around the pride of Oedipus, who refuses to listen to any of his advisors, his wife/mother Jocasta, or his brother-in-law/uncle Creon. In the end, once all is revealed, Jocasta kills herself, and this agony causes Oedipus to stab out his eyes. The play ends with Oedipus leaving the city-state with Creon in power.
Sophocles' main purpose in writing this play was to address two main issues. The first was the issue of hubris, or pride, and how it can cloud your view of things. This can be shown by the actions of Oedipus, who was counseled by not only Creon and Jocasta, but also by Tiresias, the blind seer. Tiresias tries to warn Oedipus that the reason for all the trouble in Thebes is his own sin, but Oedipus ignores him, and brashly proclaims that the man who killed Laius must be killed. Tiresias even comments on the irony of his being blind but able to see the truth, but Oedipus' ignorance of it though he has his sight. Oedipus' sin and inability to bring himself to listen to those who are more knowledgeable than he are what bring him to even accusing his own brother-in-law of trying to take the throne from. He becomes paranoid and distrustful, and is eventually driven to the brink of insanity. He becomes desperate to find the truth of what is really happening, even though he begins to realize that the truth will destroy him, and maybe all those around him as well.
While I read this play, another, perhaps more subtle twist that Sophocles threw in there became apparent to me. Throughout the play, both Jocasta and Oedipus are shown to be trying to escape their fate, their destiny, by their own human actions and endeavors. But in the end, they find that all their attempts, all their efforts to change their future, were in vain. The prophecy that was given at Oedipus' birth comes true, and there is nothing that they can do to stop it. I thought that this was an interesting commentary by Sophocles on our role as humans compared to fate. It seems that Sophocles felt that no matter what we do, our destiny is set in place, and is unchangeable, no matter what course of action we take. I'm not sure if I agree with that, but it seemed to be a sentiment that he felt needed to be conveyed to his original audience, the Greeks. He obviously felt that the gods they worshipped were in control of fate and destiny, totally, and that humans should just resign themselves to whatever was to happen to them.
Personally, I enjoyed reading this play. It was a good storyline, with several good points, and even could be found to spark some interesting discussions questioning fate. I found myself growing because of this book, not physically, but spiritually, because I was forced to question: are we in control? Does our fate rest in our own hands? Or are we controlled by some cosmic, impersonal force that doesn't care about us? As a Christian, I found this question very interesting, and I would recommend everyone who reads this book to consider it as I did.
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9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Oedipus Rex: A Dissertation on Human Behavior, March 2, 2000
Oedipus Rex is a timeless, masterpiece of a tragedy whose greatness and complexity far transcends the age in which it was written. Sophecles skillfully delves into the depths of human behavior, and discerns an acute knowledge of the components which compromise the human behavior which he is studying. Human desires, the human moral code, and the human sense of remorse are three of the facets of human behavior which Sophocles conveys to us through Oedipus in his rise to power and subsequent demise. Reading Oedipus Rex can not only provide a powerful and extraordinary literary experience, but can also pose an oppurtunity for examination and reflection regarding human behavior at large, and the behavior of one's self. After reading Oedipus, it is not difficult to understand why Aristotle proclaimed Sophocles' epic to be civilization's greatest work.
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21 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The irony of fate., June 12, 1999
"Oedipus the King" (or, "Oedipus Rex") is probably Sophocles' most famous work, first performed about 429 B. C. It should be required reading for every college Freshman (or High School student). As had been prophesied, Oedipus unknowingly kills his father, Laius, and unknowingly marries his own mother, Jocasta (or, Iocasta). The play has great use of irony. Jocasta recognizes the truth before Oedipus and tries to prevent him from finding out. The play has unsurpassed use of dramatic irony. The play inspires fear and pity in the audience for the hero. It has had a great influence on later authors.
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