Essay on Oedipus Rex

The Oral Presentation gave me a clear idea about how and what the author was trying to convey through his book. Not being from the time period at which the play was written made it difficult to interpret what Sophocles was trying to portray. Even though the presentation clarified most of my questions, I was still left pondering certain aspects of Oedipus Rex. In the book, the main question for me was if Oedipus really had control of his life or what he being controlled by the gods and fate. When Oedipus heard the prophecy for the first time, he tried to run away from it.

That gives me inkling on Oedipus that tells me he believes in the prophecy and it will come to pass. When he really does kill his father without knowing and later tried to find the killer he says “Now my curse on the murderer. Whowever he is, a lone man unknown in his crime or one among many let that man drag out his life in agony” (Sophocles, 280 – 283). In reality he places that curse on himself and he really did spend the rest of his life in pain and agony as well as exile. In the presentation it shows the respect Greeks gave to the gods and elder as well as to their advice and wisdom.

Also since they respected the gods, who were almighty, would punish you if you resisted their will. In the book it shows that because Oedipus killed his father, the plague started and until there has been justice and the man caught for the crime, the plague will keep killing people. In the presentation, it showed us that the plague was active during the time the play was written and it transfers over to the book because the author is trying to tell us that people were losing faith and thus causing plague which scared people to pin their hope on some higher power.

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In the book the chorus says that “great laws tower above us” (Sophocles, 957) which shows that people considered gods as the greatest Justice. That proves the fact that they respect the gods at the highest of level. This makes me want to learn more about their belief as well as what the prophecy meant to them. I also want to learn more about how the belief affected their everyday life and thoughts as well. That ends my thought on what I have learned from the presentation. The reflective essay also helped clear my thoughts on what I had learned from the presentation and sort out the facts.

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