Thursday, September 17, 2015
And so, all becomes clear...
...tomorrow in class we will learn about and discuss the ways in which Aristotle defines and judges a tragic figure, a reversal of fortune and the other required elements of tragedy (according to Aristotle). But tonight, you are blissfully unaware of the Classical rules of tragedy and just have the reading and your reaction...so, what is that reaction? How do you feel about Oedipus now that everything is revealed and he has fallen from his great heights? Do you still feel connected to him? Do you feel sympathetic or compassionate towards him? Has he done anything to stop you from feeling sympathy and compassion? Please include specific lines from the text to illustrate and support your current feelings and explain why you feel as you do. More tomorrow!
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From afar, Oedipus seems even more difficult to connect to than before. The measures that Oedipus uses to punish himself when he finds out that he has murdered his father and slept with his mother, in particular gouging out his own eyes, are pretty extreme. However, I still feel connected to Oedipus on an interpersonal level because of the love that he shows.
ReplyDeleteThough she kills herself quickly after Oedipus finds out that his prophecy came true, he still demonstrates his love for Jocasta. In lines 1583-1584, Oedipus says, “And you, I command you—I beg you…the woman inside, bury her as you see fit.” In this final gesture for his wife/mother, he wants what is best for her. He even places her in the hands of Creon because he knows that he cannot (and does not deserve to) care for her properly.
Additionally, Oedipus requests to see his daughters one last time. Creon grants that request, and in lines 1646-1650, Oedipus tells him, “You are the only father they have now…Don’t let them go begging, abandoned, women without men,” seeking the best thing for his girls. Additionally, when Oedipus is forced to leave, he clings to them saying, “No—don’t take them away from me, not now! No no no!” (1674) Even though he is no longer fit to serve as a father, he continues to express his love and his emotional attachment to these girls, to whom he gave life, as he is wrenched away.
And so, it is for the love that he shows toward his family, even though he is unjust to care for them, that allows me to continue to connect to Oedipus as a fellow human being.
After finishing the chapter "Oedipus the King", I feel deep sympathy and pity for Oedipus. My sympathy is established on the basis that Oedipus has been a great man, and hasn’t done anything bad his life, and thus doesn’t deserve the misfortune he is receiving.
ReplyDeleteMy sympathy for Oedipus starts when Jocasta mentions to him the prophecy of Jocasta’s and Laius’ son, and Oedipus begins to realize, or in his perspective, suspect, that he’s killed Laius. Because I know the truth to what happened, I also know that Oedipus is about to find out the tragic truth, and suffer mentally. Also, because I know that Oedipus is a man of his words, I know he will banish himself from Thebes after discovering the truth, and lose everything he’s had.
After Oedipus starts suspecting that he might have killed Laius, his attitude changes, from extreme and ill-tempered, to desperate. His change in attitude helps us connect with him, and feel compassion for him.
When Oedipus talks with the shepherd that was ordered to kill him when Oedipus was a baby, my sympathy shifts a little, from Oedipus to the old man. Oedipus speaks very rude to the old man; he says very harsh things to him: “Don’t lash at him, old man --- you need more lashing than he does.(p 228)” When the shepherd tells Oedipus that the shepherd wished to die the day he was given the child, Oedipus responds: “You’ve gotten your wish granted if you don’t tell the truth.(p 229)” Oedipus even attempts to torture him: “So, you won’t talk willingly --- then you’ll talk with pain. (p228)”
I feel the greatest pity for Oedipus when he banishes himself and is separated from his children. He cries out: “No --- don’t take them away from me, not now! No no no! (pg 250)” At this point, he is about to lose everything that he has ever had. But, worst of all, he finds out that he isn’t ready to lose everything, or at least his children. We know this from what he screams when the guards take his children away from him. Not ready leaving his loved ones will most likely leave him regrets in the future, which is more tragic than leaving his loved ones. This makes me feel compassion for him.
You know, I was really on the border of sympathizing with Oedipus until he, “with a slow embrace” (p. 237), slipped Jocasta off the halter where she hanged herself. I expected myself to think that Oedipus was getting what he deserved after yelling at Creon and Jocasta, but the scene with the brooches where Oedipus is “raking them down his eyes. And at each stroke blood spurts from the roots” (p. 237) is definitely horrific, pitiable, and gruesome. It was an incredibly sympathizing moment for me, and I think marks a clear point where Oedipus almost doesn’t want to live anymore.
ReplyDeleteI think another moment the really makes me sympathize with Oedipus is the moment when he begs Creon to protect his children: “Look at them, so young, so vulnerable, shorn of everything – you’re their only hope. Promise me, noble Creon, touch my hand!” (p.249) – to which Creon responds by…drawing back. This one little moment of action by Creon can encapsulate quite a bit of emotion. Perhaps Creon still has lingering resentment, or he is afraid to have anything to do with the children of a “cursed” marriage. In any case, the implication that the daughters aren’t safe, and that more bad things could happen even after the story ends. Tragedy is the gift that keeps on giving for Oedipus.
As the story goes on, I pitied Oedipus more and more. As the painful truth is revealed, Oedipus can do nothing but loathe himself and the inhumane deeds he had unconsciously committed. Most importantly, I pity how Oedipus lost all of his renowned qualities in the end. He used to be this brilliant man who saved a town from riddles and hardships; now he lost everything and became a madman whose punishment he inflicted upon himself unknowingly.
ReplyDeleteWhat makes me pity Oedipus most is the fact that he puts himself his greatest enemy, out of the entire humanity. Oedipus thinks that he is the greatest evil being, and punishes himself by not dying and living with himself and his guilt. He even puts Creon, whom he used to distrust the most, in front of himself. He says to Creon: “You wipe my fears away, coming so generously to me, the worst of all men” (Line 1567-1568) He also considers him not even worthy of looking at those at whom he inflicted pain to : “Now I’ve exposed my guilt, horrendous guilt, could I train a level glance on you, my countrymen?” (Line 1516-1517)
Lastly, what made me pity Oedipus most was the fact that the deeds he committed unknowingly has led him to separate forever with his loved ones. Jocasta kills herself, and Oedipus exiles himself forever from the presence of his daughters. He is so reluctant to separate, but knows that he needs to due to his mistakes. He lets Creon take care of the daughters “Never bring them down to the level of my pains” (Line 1651) and is very upset when he has to let go “No— don’t take them away from me, not now! No no no!” (Lines 1673-1674)
Now that everything has been revealed to all of the characters, I honestly can’t be sorrier for Oedipus than I currently am. Not only did he realize that he did kill his father and marry his mother, but also his mother/wife committed suicide. By the end of this play, Oedipus has basically lost everything. He no longer is as revered as he once was, he lost his mother/ wife, he lost his sight, and worst of all he cursed his entire family. He even sees himself as a complete monster and desires to be taken away. He says, “Now I’ve exposed my guilt, horrendous guilt, / could I train a level glance on you my countrymen?” (Lines 1516-1517). He feels so guilty that he does not even believe that the people of Thebes should see his terribleness. I simply feel so sympathetic for Oedipus because he feels as though he must continually punish himself for a prophecy that he could not change. He was bound by fate. One of the saddest parts comes when Oedipus is hugging his daughters. When he hugs Antigone and Ismene, he states, “How I weep for you – I cannot see you now… / just thinking of all your days to come, the bitterness, the life that rough mankind will thrust upon you” (Lines 1627–1629). Not only does he worry for his daughters because they are supposedly “helpless”, but I also believe that Oedipus realizes that he caused their lives to be worst because of the curse that he brought down upon his family. Even in his darkest times, Oedipus seems to continually blame himself and wish the best for both the people of Thebes and his family. Unlike some characters in stories, Oedipus realizes his mistakes and does his best to make up for what he has done.
ReplyDeleteIn the final segment of the play, my sympathies toward Oedipus are almost completely wiped away. Though I feel this for many reasons the biggest one is the loss of any sort of hope that Oedipus seems to experience. In talking to the chorus Oedipus says, “What can I ever see? What love, what call of the hear can touch my ears with joy?” (1474-1476). I feel that no longer is Oedipus a strong man who has been the victim of a terrible tragic mistake but now he is a weak man who is groveling in his weakness. Even though Oedipus’ sadness is relatable, his lack of hope turns him into a seemingly inhuman character. I do not like the ending of Oedipus.
ReplyDeleteKatie I really like your response. Sorry to be vague but I have a minute and I just wanted to throw that out there
DeleteIn accordance with some of my other classmates, I do believe that Oedipus deserves to be pitied at the end of the play. Although I do not believe that what Oedipus did was morally correct, his situation was not entirely his fault.
ReplyDeleteI completely understand where Oedipus is coming from throughout the entire play. Nobody would imagine that they would kill their own father and then have children with their own mother. And Oedipus had a very unfortunate situation that was brought on by his own fate. But I do really like the end and the way in which Oedipus reacts and controls the situation. Even after finding out the disturbing truth, he continues to care only about the well being of Thebes. From the moment of revelation to the last scene he continues to say “Drive me out of the land at once, far from sight, where I can never hear a human voice” (Lines 1571-1572). Rather than going on the defensive and trying to justify his situation, Oedipus realizes and takes responsibility for his unconscious mistakes.
Although it was extreme, I understand why Oedipus made himself blind: “He rips of her brooches, the long gold pins holding her robes—and lifting them high, looking straight into the points, he digs them down the sockets of his eyes” (Lines 1402-1405). He believes that he deserves some form of punishment for his actions. He also can’t stand to look at himself or anything else after realizing what he had done. I like this part of him because unlike many people today, he was able to own up to actions. He took punishment even though nobody was enforcing it.
Overall, even though Oedipus fell from great heights, I still sympathize and connect with him on a understanding and moral basis.
The readings from last night is what I figured would happen and thats someone who witnessed the death of Oedipus's father would speak up and thats what happened. News of this manner can not be taken lightly though cause finding out news that is regarding the killing of a father and the incest acts of a king and a queen would ruin his name and families name for ever. I feel Oedipus gut was right all along that deep down inside he had a falling what Tiresias said could be true. Jocasta on the other hand was probably having the same thoughts as Oedipus but Jocasta was afraid of the truth and knew she could not handle it which we found out was true because when the news hit she committed suicide. All of what Oedipus did was not by a choice he was not aware of whom he killed, who he has married, and what was true and false. There is two ways I can feel sympathetic one already mentioned before Oedipus need to discover the truth, and also once he finds out the truth his willingness to accept his punishment. Oedipus although knowing what the truth will cause and mean he is putting a curse on himself he still goes to extreme lengths to find the details of this horrific past life. For example on lines 1215 when Oepidus was trying to find out who the Shepard gave baby Oepidus too he said he would torture him if he did not talk this was seen when he said "twist his arms back quickly." The next reason I could sympathize for him is because when he found out the truth and heard his wife committed suicide he stabbed his eye balls out but did not kill himself because he said the gods wanted him to be alive and exiled and instead of fighting it he went to Creon. Creon the new leader saw Oepidus and Oepidus said on line 1570 "drive me out of the land at once, far from sight, where I can never hear a human voice." This made me feel compassion for him because he is being a man and accepting his punishment. Even the great Oepiuds is human and makes mistakes and I think that makes him not only easy to connect to but also feel compassion for.
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