Comparing Ulysses And Oedipus The King

Less Is More When comparing Ulysses and Oedipus, many apparent differences can be seen. Both men are kings but view their sovereignty differently. Oedipus likes being king. He cares for his people and “his heart is heavy with the city’s pain, his own, and the people’s pain.” (i.63-34). When he is informed of the reasoning behind the plague in Thebes, Oedipus is determined to stop at nothing until Laius’s killer is avenged and the city is free of its suffering. Meanwhile, Ulysses is rather unhappy as a king. He is utterly bored and discontent with his life. He emphasizes this by saying he “cannot rest from travel” (6) and feels as though he is “always roaming with a hungry heart.”(12) Needless to say, Ulysses is a restless man that knows sitting

Both Oedipus and Ulysses believe that knowledge is the key to fulfilling or, in some cases, avoiding the purpose of their lives. In Oedipus the King, Oedipus discovers his destiny and flees from home making him feel as though he succeeded in keeping the prophecy from coming true. So that he “might never see cruel fulfilment of that oracle,” (ii.797-798) Oedipus never returns to Corinth, the place where his parents rule. By not returning home, Oedipus assumes this will ensure that the prophecy will not happen and he can protect his parents. This reveals his desire to do what is right and how he feels his decision is beneficial for not only his parents, but himself as well. The idea that one can improve themselves through knowledge is also exhibited by Ulysses. Ulysses will not be satisfied until he has gained more knowledge from his experiences. He longs “to follow knowledge like a sinking star, beyond the utmost bounds of human thought.” (31-32). Ulysses wants to become more knowledgeable. His desire is to travel and learn. This desire is emphasized when he says his purpose in life is “to sail beyond the sunset, and the baths of all of the western stars, until I die.” (59-61). This reveals his feelings towards adventures. He believes there is more to adventuring than just gaining experiences and learning. Even though Oedipus and Ulysses want knowledge

Ultimately, Oedipus’s decision to leave Corinth hurts him and his family. “I who am proved accursed in my conception, and in my marriage, and in him I slew.” (iv.1184-1185). Now Oedipus has discovered that he did fulfil the prophecy. Because of Oedipus’s irrational decision, he eventually causes harm to his family. Not only does Jocasta kill herself, but he gouges his own eyes out and exiles himself from Thebes like he promised he would Laius’s murderer. Because of Jocasta’s suicide and his exile, he has left his children without their parents. Eventually this will cause turmoil among them. His brother-in-law, Creon, is made king of Thebes even after he explicitly explained how he did not desire to be king. The concept that the knowledge sought can make one desert their responsibilities and hurt the ones they love is displayed by Ulysses too. Because Ulysses yearns to explore and learn, he abandons his role as king, his family, and his people and degrades them as well. Ulysses states that while he is gone his son will “work his works and I mine.” (43). He describes his subjects as “a savage race that hoard, and sleep, and feed, and know me not.” (4-7). Although Ulysses feels as though his son is a better ruler than him, he drops everything he is doing and hands over all of his responsibilities to his son. Ulysses even insults