Relevancy of Oedipus in Today's Society

Relevancy of Oedipus in Today's Society

Oedipus the King, written by Sophocles around 430 BC, is one of, if not the most, important and influential tragedy ever written. It became the base for most of the tragedies written since. In spite of the fact that some of the story line may seem a little out of place now, parallels can be very easily drawn with the present time. Even though it was written over 2000 years ago, Oedipus the King is still fitting and applicable in today's society.

In ancient Greece, the people believed that the gods already decided upon their fates and destinies. They believed that nothing that they could do could change them, no matter what they do (Fagles, 152). Oedipus tried to change what he knew to be his destiny, to kill his father and marry his mother, by moving away from the city and family that he knew to be his own. He found out later in the play that by moving he had actually fulfilled his destiny. His parents tried to change their destinies, but that too backfired on them. In modern times, most religions that have beliefs similar to this are in the eastern part of the world. Most people in the west believe that they are in charge of their own fates and destinies and that they can be altered by things that they do or don't do (Donn, 231). Walton notices this too. He states that "Oedipus is not a turannos at all. He is the legitimate son of the previous king (119).

Another thing that may be found similar between Oedipus and modern life is that people can and do change themselves internally and develop themselves over time. Changes are usually unmotivated. The motivating factor for Oedipus was after he realized that he killed his father, married his mother, and found her...

... middle of paper ...

... became the basis for most all tragedies written after it. Although it contains some material that seems foreign and out of place in modern times, most of it is still relevant. Even though it was written over 2000 years ago, Oedipus the King, by Sophocles, is still fitting and applicable in today's society.

Bibliography:

Knox, Bernard. "Sophocles' Oedipus." Modern Critical Interpretations: Sophocles

Oedipus Rex. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea, 1988. 5-22.

Walton, J. Michael. The Greek Sense of Theater. New York: Wethuen, 1984.

Meyer, Michael. The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature. Boston: Bedford/St.

Martin's, 2000.

Sophocles. "Oedipus the King." Trans. Robert Fagles. The Three Theban Plays. New

York: Viking Penguin Incorporated, 1982. 155-252.

Donn, Jeff. History of Religion. New York: Plume, 1991.