Lack Of Justice In Oedipus The King

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Recommended: Sense of justice as portrayed in the play of king oedipus

All throughout the story of Oedipus the main character struggles with who he is and until he truly knows the answer his judgement skills, as well as his leadership skills, are impaired. In his search for justice in hopes of helping his people and avenging king Laius he ends up hurting not only dragging out the struggles of his people but harming himself and all of the people he loves. The truth can do many things; it can hold people back or set them free, it just depends on whether or not they seek it. A person cannot truly live up to their full potential until they know what holds them back; this is especially true for the story of Oedipus, he does not become the leader he is capable of being until he discovers the truth about himself and is able to accept and grow from it. Before Oedipus knows …show more content…

His hamartia is that while trying to find the killer of Laius he blatantly rejects any evidence that points to himself and turns the blame on his people; in his doing this, the plague is elongated and the truth is still revealed. In part 1, Creon tells Oedipus “…to drive out a pollution from our land, pollution grown and ingrained within the land; drive it out, said the God, not cherish it, till it’s past cure…By banishing a man, or expiation of blood by blood, since it is murder guilt which holds our city in this destroying storm…we had a king called Laius…let someone punish with force this dead man’s murders” (Sophocles 109-121). At this point in the story Creon is explaining to Oedipus why the city is condemned with a plague and how to get rid of it. Even though Oedipus killed a man before arriving to Thebes

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