Blog 5
Oedipus Rex is a play that I was actually interested in; not that the other play’s were not interesting. There is one thing that sticks out that I had trouble understanding. When reading the play and seeing the plot unfold, I realize that when ever something bad happens it is whenever Oedipus Rex causes it. He himself is responsible for his own actions. Even when he hears his fate, he doesn’t check to see if the women he is about to sleep with is his actual mother. After hearing something as weird as that, I would have to get to know the women as much as I could so that I could be sure that she wasn’t my mom. Maybe my thinking is unreasonable but to me that seems like something that would be mandatory for me. On the other hand maybe Oedipus doesn’t mind the whole mother son relationship thing.
posted by jsturtevant @ 11:58 AM
3 Comments:
I agree with your analysis on ot is Oedipus' fault. If he just does a little background work or listens more closely he could avoid a lot of controversy. I think it is something we should consider in our own lives. Sometimes we need to just take it slow and listen to what others have to say so we can not have problems like Oedipus did.
As far as I can remember, Oedipus had no awareness that Iocaste was his mother at the time that they were married. He believed another couple to be his parents. In fact, a messenger comes to tell him that the man who raised him recently died and also let's it slip that Oedipus is not the man's biological child. What I found kind of strange was that just before the big reveal Iocaste was urging him not to seek any more information. This leads me to believe that somehow she knew the truth. Her suicide only supports this assummption. At first this was kind of disturbing to me that she would willingly go to bed with a man she knew/suspected to be her son. Then I realized how powerful and appealing denial can sometimes be. She may have felt this was the only way to atone for the sin of shackling her newborn son and to carry on the family line. Oedipus also saved the kingdom and there was probably a lot of pressure on her from the people to show her grattitude. It's sick but I think she had her reasons. She just never counted on anyone ever telling him who he really was.
I found it kind of creepy that when he did find out who his mother was that didn't stop him from having sex with her. I think were on the same page no matter how good the girl looks if there is a possibility it's my mom I am gonna check into it before I do it.
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