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Oedipus the King In his tragedy Oedipus the King Sophocles uses the myth of Oedipus the King to show collision between the gods and the human will. The tragedy comprises of number of incidents that make cause-and-effect chain. Each of Oedipus actions brings him closer to collapse and each of his actions can be explored as a reversal of intentions. Oedipus is the son of Thebes king Laius. Laius was told that his own son will kill him. In order to avoid death, the king orders to stab the childs legs and to leave him dying.
The slave refused to obey the kings order and rescued the child from death. Oedipus was adopted by Corinthian king Polybius. Adult Oedipus was told by oracle that he will kill his father and will marry his mother. Oedipus reversed Oracles words because he considered that Corinthian Polybius and Merope were his real parents. In order to avoid the dreadful destiny, Oedipus leaves Corinth and goes to Thebes.
On the way to Thebes he meets an old man and kills him. Oedipus doesnt know that this unknown man is his father, the king Laius. Oedipus arrives to Thebes and kills Sphinx, who terrified the city. People propose him to become the king of Thebes. Oedipus falls in love with Jocasta and marries her. He doesnt know that he married his own mother.
In such a way, the oracles prophecy came true. Sophocles starts his tragedy by prologue. Thebes suffers from plague. People ask Oedipus to save them. Oedipus sends Creon to Delphi to ask for advice. Creon comes back and delivers the oracles reply that Laius was killed and his murderer is still in the city.
Oedipus damns the kings murderer and starts investigation. Oedipus doesnt know that he curses himself because he is the reason of plague. He doesnt want to believe in first signs of truth. When Jocasta tells the story of Laius murder, Oedipus feels suspicious, when she mentions of three roads, but he doesnt want to believe in these words and tries to convince himself that it was a mere surmise. Further, he refuses to believe in Teiresias words that he is the murderer. Oedipus starts thinking that somebody wants to dethrone him.
However, after he receives the details of accident, he starts to feel anxiety because he reminds the day when he killed an unknown traveler in result of quarrel. Sophocles masterly uses dramatic irony to show the nature of reversals. He builds a chain of cause-and-effect events, and alternates the moments of slow actions with the moments of heightening tenseness of the situation. The reversals of fortune attended by the scenes of recognition play an important role in tragedy.
For example, the moment when Oedipus becomes suspicious, is suddenly interrupted by the moment of relaxation: The arrival of Corinthian messenger who tells about the death of his father and asks Oedipus to become a king. Here Oedipus finds a propitiatory circumstance: his father died a natural death. However, Oedipus is still afraid of the second part of prophecy (the prediction that Oedipus will marry his own mother). In order to avoid it, Oedipus refuses to come to the throne.
The messenger wants to calm Oedipus down and tells him that Polybius and Merope were his adoptive parents. In such a way, the short moment of calming is replaced by the phase of increasing fear. The further it goes, the more Oedipus becomes sure that he is the murderer. Nevertheless, Oedipus doesnt want to stop despite of his wifes supplications. Finally, Oedipus the king finds out the dreadful truth and blinds himself. Bibliography Sophocles. (n.
d. ). Oedipus the King. Retrieved 5 February 2007 r. , from web
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