Blame Oedipus For The Events example essay topic

968 words When one looks at the way in which the great controversy occurred in the end of Sophocles' play, Oedipus the King, they most likely can observe the way in which the entire situation could have been avoided. If not for two of the characters in the story being so na " ive in believing that getting rid of their son would save them from a prophecy about their child. Prophecies, in this story, were the capital reason that all the events took place. Many people believe that one should not fully place blame on Jocasta and Laius because that's what anyone in their society would have done, but this is still not acceptable in any case. Some may believe that Oedipus's tubbornness and false sense of pride was the actual reason that he ended up blind. If he hadn't been so headstrong and widespread about the way that he was going to punish the person who brought the plague on the city, when he found out it was he, his punishments wouldn't have had to be so severe.

Also, there were three other factors that played a huge part in this unraveling tragedy in the city of Thebes, their politics, laws, and the general rules that they followed. These three things seemed to have the most effect on the story conclusion because they frame the reason why the situation was able to happen, the reason why it did happen, and if it will happen again. Jocasta and Laius' behavior was, in fact, the primary reason that he ended up blind, but his arrogance was the actual reason that he actual ended up scratching his eyes out. If Jocasta were to be blamed for the events that took place, it would be because she was married and twice impregnated by her own son.

A mother should be able to recognize her own son no matter how long she hadn't seen him. Also, if she and her husband were so afraid that their son would one day kill them, they should have murdered him themselves or at least witnessed the death of their own son. Not only did their carelessness end up bringing on their deaths, but it also ended up leaving the entire generation of their family with many hardships to live through. Some say that one cannot truly blame the two parents because believing whatever is prophesied to be true is what Theban society followed by, which, in this play, proved to be the case. It was their beliefs, instead, that generated such problems for their family. A prophecy that Jocasta and Laius thought they could overcome, instead of just bring on the death of the two of the, ended up bringing on the deaths of all but one of the travelers with Laius, the suicide of Jocasta and the torturous blinding of Oedipus.

If this play was looked at in another light, one could say that no matter Jocasta and Laius did, the prophecy was going to play out. One could say that there was, in fact, no way to kill Oedipus. It could be said that Oedipus had to live his entire life out in order to fulfill his purpose, which was to cause the deaths of his parents. This is probably the most controversial view, though, because, most likely, they would be argued that the events were mostly coincidental, but never actually genuine.

It this look at the play were actually true though, the corresponding events could not be the fault of Jocasta, Laius, nor Oedipus, the events were going to take place no matter how much they tried to avoid it. This point of view is one that would take all the blame off of anyone in the story and just say that it was their fate or the will of the Gods, which, as stated before, either way was uncontrollable. Another contrasting view to these events, is a less likely one, but, slightly believable. This view would solely blame Oedipus for the events that took place, saying that it was his fault that the plague was sweeping the city, which it was, but there were events before that that lead him to doing so. This particular view looks past the fact that Oedipus didn't know that one of the travelers was his father and the fact that he said he killed them in self-defense. Instead, the main element is the fact that he killed Laius, which resulted in the plague sweeping the city, which resulted in Oedipus finding out that his wife was also his mother, and the final tragedy for the both of them.

Most people in that time period would try to get rid of their children if a prophet told them that their children would one day murder them. Instead, of an actual individual being blamed for the events that occurred, the entire city of Thebes should take some blame for their take on the prophecies that were told. You can not place all the blame on them because it is human nature to try to kill or capture anyone or anything that it trying to kill or capture you. The Gods also took a major part in the downpour of events. I say this because the Gods were put the plague on the city and it was because of their superior order that the city of Thebes followed such drastic measures in punishing those who defied them.

It was not any one individual's behavior that caused the Oedipus to find out that he had slept with his own mother, his mother's suicide, or Oedipus' blindness. Instead, it was the entire mindset that the citizens of Thebes were subject to while growing that caused the great tragedy of Oedipus the King.