One central theme displayed in “Oedipus the King” is the idea of kingship and what it means in terms of the story and Oedipus himself. Oedipus is raised by the people to become the king after he saves them from the Sphinx. They are so grateful to be free of the Sphinx and to be released from all that they were forced to do under her that they immediately turned to Oedipus as their savior and guardian. As king, Oedipus provides his people with security and protection. He also stands as a hero figure for his people to look up to, respect, and obey. Oedipus is the man that his country turns to in a time of crisis because he has positioned himself in their minds as the only man capable of such a challenge.
Oedipus is put to the test when a true crisis does evolve in his country. He is faced with saving his people from the plague that is spreading through his country as well as all over the continent. Oedipus immediately takes a stand to fulfill his role as king and thinks ahead even before his countrymen come to him in seek of help. He sends his brother-in-law as a messenger to visit an oracle to gain help and understanding for his great problem. Oedipus intends on remaining a powerful and respected ruler of his country. The messenger finds the oracle at Delphi, in the Temple of Apollo. The oracle informs the messenger that the gods will stop holding the plague over the people when they find the killer of their old king Laios. The people must kill the murderer or send him into exile. Oedipus acts as a good king in response to the news and promises to take action right away. Oedipus takes his kingship seriously in this instance because he tries to take the pain and suffering away from his people and put it onto himself by taking responsibility in finding Laios’s murderer. However, Oedipus is unaware of what this duty really means in regards to himself. In truth, Oedipus is King Laios’s killer he is just unaware of this fact. Consequently, even though Oedipus is showing great kingship by working to find the murderer, he in fact cannot fulfill this challenge without realizing the truth of him being the killer.
The whole short story is centered around the notion of kingship because Oedipus rose to the position of King by demonstrating king-like qualities and then continued to serve in the same manner. Oedipus works to demonstrate good kingship over his people by taking the responsibility of finding the murderer of King Laios even though it forces him to come to terms with the day of King Laios’s death. The success of a country was based on its king because Kings were the center of every countries survival. Oedipus was smart enough to realize how important his role was in his country and to his people, leading him to take the matter of the plague seriously. His people should be thankful of his dedication even though in a sense his killing of King Laios caused problems and pain for his people. (531)
11 comments:
I totally agree that he was working hard to be a good king. He was obviously stuck between a rock and a hard place when he realized it was he. It is interesting to me, however, that he is so determined to find the killer but he has such a hard time believing others that he curses and rejects them... Not very kingly?
I definitely agree with what you said about Oedipus rising to the moment when faced with a crisis. Although he does curse and reject others while trying to find the killer as Sam said, I thought that it was very noble and somewhat extreme that he gouged his eyes out and then followed through with the predetermined punishment of exile for the killer.
Jillian,
I really liked how you talked about how he served as a good leader despite his reaction to finding out that he was the killer. It's human nature to blame other people when you believe there is no way that you could have been the killer, so I totally understand why he would try to blame other people for his crime. In the end though, he did come through with his promise and exiled himself from his people. I definitely agree that his people should respect him for that.
Nice post!
Kaleena
Jillian Attaway--
I like how you expanded upon an idea we discussed in class and added some new insights. As you correctly noted, he truly acts as a king throughout the novel. He shows so much dedication to his adopted nation of Thebes, which I think makes his demise all the more puzzling. Why do the Gods decide to punish someone for acting in self defense? There are many takes on this question, but to get back on track, Oedipus even puts the people of Thebes before himself thus displaying superior leadership or "kingship".
Navdeep Khera
Jillian,
The theme of your essay is great! I like the fact that you talked about the role Oedipus plays in his city-state, nad how vital it is to support his subjects. It was definitly interesting--especially the part when you analyze his position.
Julia
Phat Jill!
Yo the fact that your post discusses how great of a king Oedipus tried to be helps reinforce the tragic ending that only by killing himself will Oedipus be able to save his people. You know his job was difficult so you cut the man some slack....Bravo.
-J LO
Jillian, your blog on "kingship" and as it pertains to Oedipus, really hit the nail on the head. You pointed out many times that he took his kingship very seriously. We get the sense of that, and i like the way you magnified this aspect of his life. The dedication of king carried throughout the novel, he exiled himself, because it was the right thing for him to do. The purpose of a king is to bring peace and security. He did so, by exiling himself in the end. nice blog.-lemanley
I like how you showed that Oedipus really is a good king and a virtuous person in spite of what he has done. Given the severity of his circumstances, he did the right thing. I agree with Lemanley in that he ultimately acted in the best interests of his people.
Attagirl--you said his kingship is put to a hey test, and I agree. What is both moving and sad to me is that in passing the test, he ends up ruining his life. But he does pass the test, so in terms of kingship theory I guess that means we admire him.
No sure exactly what I meant to say in my first sentence, but I'm pretty sure that "put to a hey test" wasn't it, or anything close. Another good reason I should re-read what I've just written before I click the "publish" button.
Jill,
WOW! we pretty much wrote our blogs about the same thing, which is glorious. I also was interested in exploring my thoughts and opinions about what a king does and does not do for his country. I think the idea of kinship and the reason for having a king is very ambiguous--probaly the reason why they cease to exist. I agree with you on your thoughts and I think that Oedipus was a good king and a good man. There was no way he could control his future and every body needs to realize that. I enjoyed reading your blog. Good work!
Post a Comment