Subjects:
Since the beginning of time, man has used various methods on which to pass down stories,
beliefs, and myths which explain different aspects of life. From oral tradition, to
pictographs, to clay tablets, and onto paper, all compose the world of literature. Literature
has always been an infinite realm of ideas, morals, and trains of thought. Although the
sphere of literature is encircled with extreme diversity of thought, its core is focused on
one theme: man. All literature carries with itself three main characteristics: it is written by
man, for man, and about man. Oedipus the King, the great Greek tragedy by the
unparalleled philosopher, Sophocles, is no exception to literature's domain. It deals with
one king, Oedipus, and his plight to avenge the death of his predecessor, King Laios. In
his determined search to find the murderer, he establishes a proclamation which would
demand the banishment and even the death of the murderer. In his ironic action, the reader
discovers that this murderer that Oedipus is so determined to discover is none other than
Oedipus himself. In adhesion to the definition of literature, this tragic plot rev
. . .
plot in this renowned Greek tragedy emphasizes the role of literature.
As proclaimed by the Catholic church in the middle ages, seven deadly sins exist
which ultimately lead to the loss of salvation by the soul which indulges in such evils. This “catching up” of the past need not always be negative and be portrayed as
some type of revenge infringed upon the individual possibly due to a vile incident in the
past, but the past will always effect the future and its toll is inevitable. Man himself is not omnipotent, but a fragile, mortal being who unavoidably must
suffer downfalls in his life. It is also in
concordance with the very nature of the universe that he should suffer for the actions of
his errors. This shadow is always cast by either or both of two
different bodies: an unconscious error committed by an individual, and/or an error
committed due to some flaw in man’s nature. It is one’s past that makes
one what he or she is today. In the Greek tragedy, Oedipus the King, three
dissertations of human nature are exhibited. Unfortunately, this is impossible due to the fact that the past is a
precursor to the present which, in turn, determines one’s future. Of
the seven, pride has been the one which serves as the catalyst for the remaining six. This brings into view the third commentary about man and his existence: that
although the life of man is in itself a positive good, there will always be a shadow of
terrible tragedy that falls across it. This
individual became what he or she is today because of an incident which occurred in his of
her past. This show of pride, in the fulfillment the prophecy,
contributed to the downfall of the protagonist and set the stage for the plot. This domino effect will continue on until
the individual recognizes his or her faults and reconciles, or until he or she has immersed
themselves in the totality of evil and suffers the consequences through death or horrible
suffering. When King Laios was traveling down the path where the three roads met, he and
his men encountered a man walking alongside named Oedipus.
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