Oedipus Death Quotes

Cause of Injuries and Death: Misguided Morals and Insecurities
Thesis: Oedipus fails to understand and achieve justice in its whole form.
People’s concerns of other’s perceptions prohibit justice from being fully achieved.
Oedipus cares more for how others view him which prohibits him from achieving true justice for the murder of Laius.
Oedipus worries about Creon’s accusations.
Oedipus worries over Creon saying that Oedipus himself is the murderer of Laius and comes to the conclusion that Creon “had an evil seer spread the tale to keep his own mouth wholly free of blame” (705-706).
Before this scene, Oedipus appeared to be willing to be punished if he murdered Laius, but fears how others will see him. In this quote, “tale” is synonymous

for rumor, and Oedipus fears that this will make his people think less of him. Due to his focus on what Creon’s accusations may mean to his image, Oedipus is diverted from his search of the true murdered. Oedipus then tells Jocasta that he believes Creon is the murderer, but truly Oedipus wants to hurt Creon’s image; Creon being the true murderer as well would just be a perk.
Oedipus threatens Tiresias’ after Teiresias is honest with him.
Oedipus responds to Tiresias’ admittance that Oedipus is the murderer (362) by threatening that Tiresias “won’t enjoy repeating lies for long!” (363).
Oedipus has been hounding Tiresias for answers about who the murderer is, and when he finally gets an honest answer, it is not the one he wants. Oedipus then proceeds to lash out at Tiresias with vaguely concealed threats, because Oedipus fears how this will make the public see him. Instead of focusing on bringing justice for the murder of Laius, Oedipus is more worried about his image and results to threatening those who want to help him.
Oedipus tends to speak with the purpose of making others think highly of him.
Oedipus speaks to the crowd in a pompous manner.
Oedipus tries to make his people see him as better than he truly is when he addresses the crowd saying, “But none of you, however sick, is sick as me.

You suffer selfishly, alone. I feel the city’s pain and yours and mine as well” (60-64).
Oedipus’ use of the word “selfishly” which depicts himself as selfless. He says that his suffering is greater than other’s suffering to make himself look stronger. Oedipus is so focused on attempting to persuade his audience that he is better than he truly is that it causes him to fail to fully achieve justice for Laius murder.
2. Oedipus tries to simultaneously make himself look better and discredit Creon.
Oedipus believes Creon is after his power and says, “If loyal Creon, ancient friend, so longs to gain the royal power that the state conferred on me, a gift I didn’t seek” (384).
Oedipus emphasizes that he did not want the power to make it seem that he made a sacrifice by taking the power; thus making himself appear to be a good person due to him being self-sacrificing. Oedipus also discredits Creon in a manner that puts Oedipus in a better light due to him saying compliments about Creon. Oedipus is more concerned with how the public sees him and discrediting Creon that he is with actually achieving justice.
II. People fail to fully achieve justice due to their own concepts of

morals.
Oedipus’ nonchalance towards the murder of a stranger contrasts with his reaction to the realization that he killed his father.
Oedipus describes his killing of a stranger.
Oedipus is aware that he did not punish the stranger fairly and admits, “He didn’t pay an equal price. In brief, he felt the walking stick I had in hand, fell backward off the cart and rolled away, then I slaughtered everyone” (810-813).
Oedipus is aware that the man did not deserve to die but he does not care. His casual, “then I slaughtered everyone” (813) shows how unfeeling he is. To Oedipus, killing a stranger is not crime deserving of severe punishment; these morals keep him from being truly able to achieve justice for others.
2. Oedipus discovers that he killed his father
Oedipus discovers that he killed his father and goes into hysterics saying, “O light--the last I’ll ever see, i stand exposed, all wrong in parents, those with whom I lived and him I murdered, wrong, all wrong” (1184).
Earlier, Oedipus was very nonchalant about murdering a stranger, but once he realizes that he killed his father, he goes into hysterics. Oedipus believes that his murdering his father is “wrong, all wrong” (1184). Oedipus’ morals kept him from fully achieving justice due that he did not see it as deserving of severe punishment until he realized it was his father he killed. Admittedly, he felt guilty when he realized the stranger may be Laius, but not to the point where he would blind himself as he does after discovering that he murdered his own father.

Oedipus conforms to his society’s beliefs on social classes.
Oedipus addresses the crowd about the murder of Laius.
Oedipus condemns the murder of noble men saying, “When any noble man is king or killed, the guilty party must be found” (258-259).
It is later discovered that Oedipus killed stranger that he had crossed paths with. He killed a man who he knew nothing about, and quite frankly, during this time, Oedipus would be applauded for the show of strength. Yet, society and Oedipus saw the murder of a king to be criminal and to be deserving of the death sentence. Justice for all men was prohibited by that common belief that Oedipus shared with society that the higher class is better than the lower class.
2. Oedipus mocks Tiresias’ blindness.
Oedipus is more focused on mocking Tiresias for his blindness than he is with justice, and Oedipus declares that “One nursed by endless night can do no harm to me or any man who sees the light” (373-374).
Oedipus results to attacking Tiresias’ blindness instead of focusing on achieving justice for the murder of Laius. During that time, disabled people were not thought of highly, so Oedipus’s mocking of Tiresias was not an uncommon thing for people to do back then. Oedipus’ perceptions of blind people keep him from truly being able to achieve justice for Laius.
III. Conclusion
People’s worries of how others see them has been their follies since the dawn of the human race.
A person’s morals diverge from what will help them fully achieve true justice.
Oedipus’ short temper also played a large role in his failure to achieve justice in it’s whole form for Laius.

Humility and Money Save The Day(nes)
Thesis: By sacrificing his pride throughout the entirety of the epic poem, King Hrothgar highlights what he values most.
A person sacrificing his pride for the betterment of others illuminates that he values selflessness.
Hrothgar puts aside his pride and humbly asks and accepts help for the good of his people.
Hrothgar believes God has sent Beowulf and accepts Beowulf into his home.
Hrothgar announces that God has sent Beowulf to the Danes to help them and tells Wulfgar to “Say moreover, when you speak to them, they are welcome in Denmark” (396-3970).
Hrothgar’s admittance and belief that God has sent Beowulf shows the king’s humility due to that he can not claim any hand in saving his kingdom by having Beowulf sent for. Hrothgar sacrifices his pride and and welcomes Beowulf to save the Danes from Grendel even if it means that Hrothgar appears weaker.
Hrothgar humbly asks Beowulf for help.
Hrothgar burdens Beowulf with the task to defeat Grendel and admits, “It bothers me to have to burden anyone with all the grief Grendel has caused and the havoc he has wreaked upon us in Heorot, our humiliations” (473-476).
Hrothgar humiliates himself further by admitting that he needs help defeating Grendel. Though Hrothgar is bothered by having to put someone else’s life in danger, he is very much aware that he cannot stop Grendel. By putting aside his pride and giving the task of defeating Grendel over to Beowulf, he is selflessly protecting his kingdom.
Hrothgar’s interactions with Beowulf highlight Hrothgar’s selflessness.
Hrothgar not only befriends Beowulf but adopts Beowulf as his son.
Hrothgar is so grateful for what Beowulf has done for the Danes that he adopts Beowulf “as a dear son” (945-946).
Hrothgar does not just offer treasures or an alliance, but due to his love of his people, he even considers Beowulf a son. Hrothgar would do anything for his people, and due to this,he values others being selfless enough to do anything for the Danes.
Hrothgar offers Beowulf wisdom about the dangers of pride.
Hrothgar cautions Beowulf and advises Beowulf to “choose, dear Beowulf, the better part, eternal rewards. Do not give way to pride” (1759-1760).
Hrothgar continuously sacrifices his pride for the Danes and knows of its dangers. Hrothgar is warning Beowulf that his prideful nature will be the death of him, and that Beowulf should instead adopt a selfless nature.
A person who values compensation often sacrifices their pride for it.
Hrothgar reveals that he values compensation when he continuously showers Beowulf with gifts to thank him.
Hrothgar gives Beowulf gifts as compensation for defeating Grendel.
Hrothgar compensates Beowulf for endangering his life for the Danes “with a gold standard as a victory gift, an embroidered banner; also breast mail and a helmet; and a sword carried high” (1020-1022).
On multiple occasions, Hrothgar showers Beowulf in gifts every time Beowulf saves the Danes. Hrothgar does not just give Beowulf gold or other forms of money, as this excerpt shows, Hrothgar gives important objects of his kingdom to Beowulf as compensation. Pride can often be associated with material object, as in one’s pride and joy; by giving up such treasured objects, Hrothgar is essentially giving Beowulf his pride.
Hrothgar gives Beowulf more gifts as thanks for saving the Danes from Grendel’s mother.
Hrothgar gives Beowulf, “12 treasures and told him to set out, sail with those gifts safely home” (1867-1868).
This is another incident where Hrothgar compensates Beowulf with multiple treasures. The use of the “treasures” implies that what the king gave Beowulf was of great importance to either the Danes or Hrothgar himself. Moreover, the king sacrifices his pride by giving up such treasures, but he does it willingly due to how he values compensation.
Hrothgar swallows his pride and willingly compensates all those who helped save his kingdom.
Hrothgar compensates all the Geats who voyaged with Beowulf.
Hrothgar gives all the Geats who had traveled with Beowulf “a bounty, some treasure possession” (1050-1051).
Hrothgar not only rewarded Beowulf, but all those who had risked the journey there. Hrothgar believes in compensating everyone who goes even slightly out of their way to help the Danes. His rewarding of the Geats who did not even help kill Grendel demonstrates that the king values compensation. He further shows humility by rewarding all the Geats who traveled to his kingdom.
Hrothgar gives gifts for the man who was killed defending the Danes.
For the Geat man Grendel had killed, “a price in gold was settled” (1052-1054).
The giving of gold as compensation for the Geat giving his life for the Danes further illuminates that Hrothgar values compensation. Hrothgar recognizes the price that man paid to save the Danes, and rewards it by giving the Geats gold. Furthermore, the king of the Danes values compensating others over his pride.
III. Conclusion
A person’s loyalty to one’s country will cause one to sacrifice almost anything.
Compensation is often valued over self.
Hrothgar would have sacrificed more than just his pride to save his country.