Oedipus

This is such a tragic story. One can see just how much Oedipus are the antagonist and the person we are to feel most sympathy for. Oedipus learned that his wife was also his mother. Anyone who would have heard of this news would be in shock and even disgust as well. Oedipus also came to realise that he had killed his father, King Lauis. All this brought grief and agony to Oedipus; he even says to his people “I am agony”. Oedipus feels that his life has come crashing down and he has every reason too. He also feels as if he has committed the biggest crime. He cannot even fathom the fact that the mother of his children; is also his own mother. He is angry and depressed with Apollo the god. So he decides that he is too ashamed to go on as King. He walks into the bedroom and finds his wife dead, as she has hanged herself with a rope. He takes pins from her robe and gorges his eyes out. This symbolises that he no longer can face the world. He then asks Creon to take care of his children. He tells him, that neither should be left without a man. He then asks to be taken into exile. After all that has happened, one can see that the only way foward for Oedipus is downhill.


I feel that Oedipus feels that he is doomed and that there is no way out of this situation. No one thinks that he is fit to be king anymore. He feels that not only has he betrayed himself, he has betrayed his father, his wife, and his town Thebes, as well as his children. I feel that the reason he fell is because he did not take any criticism from anyone. He feels as if he can make the best decision on his own and not listen to other’s advice. When the chorus says at the end, how they feel sorry for him and how they cannot believe what has happened, and they cannot bear to look at him.
He has no way of redeeming himself after all that has happened and how public it was. After the death of his wife, one can tell that there is no way he is able to get over it.