Introduction
Oedipus Rex is a tragic play, all about [well] Oedipus himself and his resolution which accounts for his tragedy. Scholars, from the ancient Greek till today have written many gigantic research papers just to give a solid reason to Oedipus hamartia (which means what were the causes behind Oedipus' tragedy). Oedipus protests a straightforward character. His motives are disclosed mainly by himself to find out the actuality behind the murder of the previous king, Laius.
How Oedipus Coined his Name?
Oedipus' parents received a prophecy that their son will commit patricide and incest before he was born. To prevent the prophecy from fulfilment, Oedipus was handed over to a shepherd, who was instructed to kill the baby [🙄 what??!!], but the shepherd took pity on the child and placed it in the Cithaeron mountain where his ankles were joined together by a pin [ouch!] so that he might not slip away. When he was gifted to the Corinthian monarchy, he bore swollen ankles. The word Oedipus also means 'Swallow Ankles'. This is how his name was coined by the cruel fate.
Oedipus as an Intelligent and Responsible King of Thebes
Time goes by and Oedipus grows up into a young man. He, somehow, overhears the same prophecy but, this time, for himself only. He, then, runs away to the city of Thebes where a tyrant monster, Sycorax had been tormenting the people in Thebes when a person would answer her riddle in a wrong way. Oedipus shows up his intellectual talent and solves the riddle within one try. Much impressed by the show of intelligence, the Theban people make Oedipus, their king. After several years, another plague hits the city and people demand Oedipus, a solution to the devastating plague. Before their demand, Oedipus has already sent Creon, his brother-in-law to Delphi to bring an oracle which will surely tell them the solution. Oedipus' fast-paced act shows how responsible and anxious he is about the betterment of his city.
Oedipus' Self-Judgement (Somewhat) Brings Ruin to Him
The oracle brought from Delphi suggests that the murderer of King Laius should be either exiled or punished to death. Previous successes of Oedipus were made through his quick judgements of the problems or riddles just like the riddle of Sphinx. But to bring "what is dark to light" was not something which should be "judged" quickly. Oedipus, earnestly, committed this mistake and accused Creon and Teiresias of plotting the murder of the old king. This, not only shows his rashness, but also his blasphemous behaviours to religion and religious people. Oedipus was warned by Creon, "You cannot judge unless you know the facts." and by Choragos, "Judgements too quickly formed are dangerous". His firm resolution of "Truth must be made known" gradually but steadily leads Oedipus to his blindness and he discovers that he was the murderer of the king and husband of his own mother.
Conclusion
Oedipus' early life was adversely affected by fate. He tried to flee from his fate. But as much as he attempted to escape from his fate, the divine powers worked against him and made himself the tool of his own tragedy. Despite his awful tragedy, Oedipus' character remains unstained and we, the readers are compelled to blame fate for his suffering.
References, Sources and Citations
- https://www.coursehero.com/lit/Oedipus-Rex/character-analysis/
- https://www.shmoop.com/study-guides/literature/oedipus-the-king/oedipus
- https://www.litcharts.com/lit/oedipus-rex/characters/oedipus
- https://www.sparknotes.com/drama/oedipus/character/oedipus/
- Lecture(s) of Sir Hassan Akbar
- http://www.cssforum.com.pk/css-optional-subjects/group-v/english-literature/108910-oedipus-rex-tragic-hero.html
