Antigone

Oedipus’ Curse of Curiosity

In Oedipus the King Sophocles concocts one of the most famous and intricate characters of Greek drama. Oedipus' desire for self-discovery and understanding, which can be described as his tragic flaw, leads Oedipus to the lucid realization of his ominous fate. In the end, it can be seen that Oedipus’ tragic flaw is his own determination and persistence. Contrary to Knox’s belief that Oedipus’ search for the truth is his only freedom or salvation, Oedipus unremitting need to know and his overbearing curiosity about his life traps him and leads to his demise.

Oedipus’s zealous curiosity is illustrated when Oedipus forces his prophet, Teiresias to reveal information that will lead to Oedipus’ knowledge about the fate that awaits him. Initially, Oedipus unknowingly inquires about his own fate by asking Teiresias the identity of the murderer of King Laios. With the knowledge that Oedipus was the murderer of King Laios, Teiresias decides that it in his best interest, as a servant to his King, not to tell Oedipus the truth. After being asked who murdered King Laios, Teiresias responded, “How dreadful knowledge of the truth can be When there’s no help in truth! I knew this well but made myself

. . .

View the whole essay, without interruption

Just as Teiresias did the Shepherd made several attempts to avoid Oedipus’s question. Discovering the true identity of his parents has been a life long dream for Oedipus, and he badgers the Shepherd to divulge the awful secret of his parent’s true identity. Teiresias’ attempts to warn Oedipus about the danger of answering Oedipus’ question fails. Oedipus seems unaffected by Teirsesias’ warnings, and he proceeds with his questioning as if he did not even hear Teiresias. Immediately upon learning the truth by failing to appreciate the advice of those people trying to protect him Oedipus realized “Ah God! It was true! All the prophecies!” (Sophocles 64)

Knox believed that searching for the truth gave Oedipus his salvation. At this point Oedipus, being the wise king and man he was, should have had the foresight to heed the advice of “Teiresias… the holy prophet In whom, alone of all men truth was born” (Sophocles 16), and stop inquiring about the killer or King Laios. Oedipus becomes a tortured old man; he gouges out his own eyes because he can’t bear the pain of living with the “truth” which he learned. Just as before Oedipus did not take the advice of those had no reason to lie and were trying to protect him. Oedipus’ persistence in questioning his originall!

y revered prophet, Teiresias, forces the first pieces of the puzzle to Oedipus’ horrible fate to fall in to place

As the play progresses and Oedipus’s curiosity progresses Oedipus meets a Shepherd who supposedly knows who his parents are. If he hadn't been so over zealous about learning about the awful fate, which he was destined, to live then Oedipus would never have known that he killed his father, King Laius, and married his mother, Jocasta.

Approximate Word count = 925
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

Simply subscribe to view this paper, and 100,000 others.