Structure in Oedipus ReX and the value of a second look by JD'
When I first read Oedipus Rex I thought it was stupid.Mainly because I was taught, as the intro explains many often are wrongfully or at least not very supportably, that Oedipus's fatal flaw was pride. I was taught he should not have attempted to arrogantly overthrow fate. I saw this as the worst moral ever. As I used to say "so he should have gone out trying to kill his father and sleep with his mother?" If fate exists he's dammed either way. In fact he's meant to try and overthrow it and if fate doesn't exist he has everything to gain.
But I realize now that fighting fate is different from fighting the odds. Fate is not a 70% chance or even a 99.999999% probability fate is a 100% probability
As Iocaste says “why should any man be afraid since fate rules and nothing can be foreseen. A man should live only for the present day.” (Line 70 page 63)Oedipus is ruined by fear; of course one can argue he has no choice in anything, that everything was fate.But he only “knows” two things and he wastes his whole life trying to avoid them.
His family gives up a life with there son to avoid what cannot be avoided. There is a sad but humorous irony in the fact that Oedipus is joyed at hearing of his “father’s” death.If this death is not tragic how can the action of killing be tragic. Isn’t the result what’s fearable? Who worry about being killed if it didn’t mean ending up dead? Further irony exists in how Oedipus’s supposed father died “his many years.” Death is always unavoidable and thus in many ways a silly thing to fear.
Oedipus is structured so that the realizations of what’s been done are spaced far after the deeds themselves. This is intentional. Lane has mentioned before the classic example of Alfred Hitchcock suspense, seeing the bomb under the table. This is far more terrifying then it simple exploding. Oedipus takes this concept one step further the victims are walking around bloodied and ruined long before we see there look of horror. Paradoxically the victims all express there horror long before fate is fulfilled. In both these ways Sophocles tells us that events are trivial compared to knowledge.
posted by artpoet @ 12:23 AM
4 Comments:
I can definately agree with you that the moral "do not attempt to arrogantly overthrow fate" is stupid. The thing I question most, though, is if it was fate or rather a self-fulfilling prophecy. I mean, after each character learned their "fate" they committed acts attempting to outsmart fate; these acts in turn sealed their fate. If Oedipus hadn't been "disposed" of, then maybe he would have grown to love his parents and at least know who he was to kill, if he killed his father. And he would most definately not have married his mother.
It's ironic, though, isn't it, Iocaste's lines. She excuses all of humanity's actions with placing responsibilty of their actions as part of fate's decision. Live for the day, which Oedipus did, and ended up killing his father. Whatever happened to just treating people as you might treat yourself? Isn't that good enough to discipline human autonomy? Must we have an inevitability to our actions, so that we can do anything, because it was fate?
I definately agree with you that death is unavoidable, therefore silly to be feared. In fact, I would go so far as to say that death is the only inevitable thing. It is the only thing we are truly fated for.
It's interesting the Hitchcock paradox; and it most certainly ties in with Oedipus. Even though they do not know the extent of their deeds, Oedipus is still sleeping with his mother. I wonder than, with your last line "Sophocles tells us that events are trivial compared to knowledge" if you would choose knowledge over ignorance, even if it would mean sacrificing bliss?
I feel that it is very weird that the actions each character took, after hearing their fate, were what caused there fate in the first place. If you think about it, if you heard that your son was going to kill you or sleep with you, wouldn't you want to get away from that? That in itself is what caused their fate to be fulfilled.
I really like the way your second paragraph goes because it really is true. In Greek themes, fate is 100%. There is no money-back guarantee, or way to weasel your way out, it is what it is. There is no altering it.
You have a lot of very deep intellectual musings on the topic. One problem with that is that it is kind of muddled and hard to read. The ideas are great but you really might want to sit down, reread it and further explain what you mean about the topics you feel are the most important. Then leave the other ideas for future meditations. You have so much to say but you need to spell it out a bit more for everyone reading your mediation. Otherwise it is a very good meditation, just a bit cluttered.
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