Oedipus Tyrannos by Sophocles

Oedipus Tyrannos by Sophocles

Sophocles uses a mixture of both visual and emotional imagery to create the morally questioning, Greek tragedy ‘Oedipus Tyrannos’. He presents the audience with an intense drama, which addresses the reality and importance of the gods that the Greeks fervently believed in. The play also forces the audience to ask themselves if there is such a concept as fate.

From the very beginning of Oedipus, it is made clear “that his destiny be one of fate and worse”. The irony is that Oedipus unknowingly repeatedly predicts his own fate: “It was I who called down these curses on that man.” Oedipus has unconsciously married his mother and killed his father, just as the Oracle predicted. Fate is proven to be unavoidable to Oedipus as the play shows a devout belief in the Greek gods. The Gods are seen as both “protectors” and “punishers”, who can “turn fate back away”. The gods are shown to have power over everything and everyone, and whoever ignores them will be cursed by the “darts no one escapes”. Oedipus is one of these people who is seen to have ignored the gods’ warnings and therefore has brought a curse upon himself, and all those around him: “Nothing grows in the earth, nothing in the wombs of the women.” With the idea of fate comes the question of fairness. Does Oedipus deserve his pitiful destiny and if it was so pre-decided then why? It was yet again the God’s powers.

It may be difficult to avoid pitying Oedipus, as despite his obvious sins, he is shown to be a respectable and honest man: “I bear more pain for the people than for my own soul”. Sophocles uses irony to increase your growing pity for Oedipus as he searches for the ‘abomination’ that is soon to be revealed as none other than himself: “That man must reveal himself to me”. Oedipus is frantic to find the killer of Laios (his real father) so as to save the city from the “hateful plague” that the gods have brought upon them. When Oedipus gouges out his own eyes, the difference between visual sight and insight is clearly represented: “Light, let this be the last time I look on you”. Oedipus cannot bear to see the destruction that he has brought upon his family. “Would the sight of my children have been pleasant?” he asks himself, now left in the depths of shame. Due to the severe punishment that Oedipus inflicts upon himself it makes it difficult for one ...

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...time to pass judgement on himself by first gauging out his own eyes, “Ranting, they would not see what evil he was suffering, what evil he was doing”, and by then ordering his people to “Expel me from this land as quickly as you can.” Oedipus’ sense of dignity also swiftly disappears toward the end of the play, but he manages to redeem himself by accepting all blame for his actions and does not even attempt to pass it on to someone else. He could have blamed anyone from his parents, the servant that saved him as a baby and even the Oracle, but he does not. He shows great courage when he says: “My evils are mine and will affect no one but me.” Oedipus goes from a man who has unquestionable and perhaps a dangerous amount of power to a man who himself relinquishes all rule of his land to live a life of misery that he feels he deserves.

The gods and fate play a massive role in creating the tragedy, but Sophocles leaves it up to the audience to pass final judgement on Oedipus. There is a definite moral to this play and that is no one can ever know their decided fate until they die, for “How can we say anyone is happy until he has crossed to the other side without suffering?”