Symbolism in Oedipus the King
Sophocles wrote one of the most enduring plays in history, Oedipus the King. This drama has lasted longer than many plays half its age. What makes this play so important? A human is trying to change his fate by refusing to understand the power of Greek gods. Thesis: Arrogance, pride, and blindness provide the symbolism throughout this story, which involves facing the universal truths of man. This marvelous story takes place around the time of 430 B.C. The story begins at the city of Thebes. A plague has left the city and its people sitting at death's door. The King, Oedipus, has sent Creon, his brother in law, to consult Apollo's oracle about the plague. Once he returns at Thebes, he informs the King that the murderer of Laius, the former King, must be brought to justice in order to lift the plague. The King makes a promise to find the killer and save his land and his people from the plague. The symbolism deep-seated within Oedipus is that he is known to be slightly crippled because his heels were pinned together when he was an infant before being taken into the hills. Being pinned is a brand of a slave, and strangely enough, he is enslaved by the prophecy.
Perhaps the symbolism of the Sphinx, who haunts the past of Oedipus with her simple yet awful riddle, says it all: The true enigma of the universe lies not in any abysmal mystery, than that of the soul of man. On his journey from Delphi, he meets a rude man who insults him at the crossroads. As they wait to hear from the witness, Jocasta decides to leave the palace to go and pray for Oedipus. A great argument ensues and Jocasta arrives before matters get any worse between her husband and her brother. Creon begins to search for the truth. He had two other roads to choose from and he still chose to continue on to Thebes to fulfill his prophecy. Creon decides to leave, and Jocasta asks her husband about the details of the fight. Now he has been set free from his former blindness and the darkness of the world. In searching for the killer of Laius, Oedipus discovers who he really is and that the prophecy has come true. Oedipus had sworn to unravel this mystery, and he will do so, no matter the outcome. Out of rage, the King accuses Tiresias and Creon of conspiracy to overtake the throne. Heartbroken and angry at what he has done, he removes the gold brooches from her robe and digs the points into his eyes. 280- 287)He has unknowingly curse himself, which make his fate worse. The fact that there is a reference to the number three this could also be symbolic of the birth, life, and death and that the crossroads is where all the past, present, and future will intersect and collide.
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