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You pray to the gods? Let me grant your prayers. This quote helps to describe the overall description of Oedipus character in Oedipus the King written by Sophocles. Throughout Oedipus the King the ideas and themes of fate, irony, and reason reoccur numerous times. Oedipus believes in fate but he believes more in his own abilities and actions to determine his future. Irony is evident in many forms such as verbal, dramatic, and situational.
Since, Oedipus relies on himself he believes in his own reason and wisdom in making all of his decisions. Sophocles is a strong believer in destiny, but also offers the alternative in Oedipus in that he believes more in himself than in fate and he proves this in many ways throughout the play. As the idea of fate is brought forth by Oedipus going to the Oracle, it is clear that Oedipus believes in the idea of fate but feels more strongly in himself than in the idea of fate. Upon realizing that what the Oracle has said is coming true, the truth of what has happened has still not struck home, he will not abandon his faith in himself but will see himself out to the end. To the very end of this play, Oedipus is still insisting that he is the one who has blinded himself, that he will accept his exile, that he is fully prepared to accept the self-destructive consequences of what he has done. I have observed that one key to Oedipus's character is that he will not compromise.
He must see life through on his own terms, no matter what the cost. He is prepared to acknowledge no authority outside his own will. Hence, if he is to be satisfied the world must answer to him. As his situation gets more complicated and things do not work out as he has imagined they might, Oedipus does not adapt, change, and learn.
He becomes more and more determined to see the problem through on his own terms; he becomes increasingly inflexible. Having accepted the responsibility for saving Thebes, he will on his own see the matter through, without compromise, without lies, without deceit. Anyone who suggests that he proceed differently is simply an obstacle who must be overcome. That attitude, as we know, leads to the most horrific conclusions. The use of many types of irony such as verbal, dramatic, and situational ad to the complexity of the book. For example, when Oedipus says: So will I fight on the gods side, And on the side of the slain man!
But my curse be on the one who did this, whether he is alone Or conceals his share in it with others. Let him be free of no misery if he share my house Or sit at my hearth and I have knowledge of it. On myself may it fall, as I have called it down! Oedipus makes this statement about the killer of King Louis, cursing the killer not knowing he was the killer.
This is an example of dramatic irony. Another example of irony is that when towards the end Oedipus gouges his eyes out and becomes blind. This is an example of irony because Oedipus has been blind or ignorant to all the circumstances and happenings around him. He is blind to the fact that everything the Oracle has said.
The gouging of his eyes is symbolic of him being figuratively blind. There are several points in the play where Oedipus acts with reason. The first such point occurs when he is asked by his followers to help save Thebes. He acts with reason when he immediately decides to heed to their demands and find help for them.
However, he may also have been deciding to do this through passion. His need for his land to be perfectly normal might have prompted this immediate decision. Reason also occurs through the character of Oedipus himself. He has a heroic confidence in his own abilities, and he has good reason for such confidence, both from his own sense of past achievements and from the very high regard everyone has of those achievements.
Reason also occurs through the character of Oedipus himself. He has a heroic confidence in his own abilities, and he has good reason for such confidence, both from his own sense of past achievements and from the very high regard everyone has of those achievements. He is conscious of himself as a great man. He feels he can achieve anything.
The reoccurring theme that we can deny fate and go our own way and make our own path, and that we keep trying even though it doesnt work out, shows that Sophocles believes in fate. I believe that Sophocles shows this by having Oedipus fail in the end. If Sophocles believed that we could do it alone he would have had Oedipus prevail over all circumstances. I also think that Sophocles believes in reason rather than making choices without thinking. When Sophocles wrote the novel, Oedipus the King, he used a irritated tone to describe how society tries to change their fate, he achieved this by using many types of irony, and I believe that Sophocles effectively achieved his goal.
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Research essay sample on Character Analysis Of Oedipus The King
