Who Is Oedipus Innocent

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Recommended: Character analysis of oedipus in oedipus the king

Jury, hear me out. Oedipus is innocent. One who ordinarily commits patricide and incest is guilty. However, Oedipus has special circumstances based on his early childhood. He was given away by his biological parents, Laius and Jocasta as an infant. Only by acts of mercy did he end up remembering that he was raised by Polybus, king of Corinth, and Merope, a Dorian. My client also has no true reason to have committed patricide and incest. I swear by the gods, Oedipus is innocent. First, Oedipus cannot be held responsible for patricide. Oedipus killed his own father in self defense without knowing that he was indeed Laius, his father. Jocasta and Oedipus were having a discussion where Jocasta was giving more details about Laius's death while Oedipus began to remember what happened. The elders of Thebes recalled Oedipus saying: He that led the way and the old man himself wanted to thrust me out of the road by force. I became angry... When the old man saw this he watched his moment, and as I passed he struck me from his carriage... my stick had struck him backwards from the car and he rolled out of it. And then I killed them all. If it happened there was any tie of kinship twixt this man and Laius. ("Oedipus the King" 937-948)
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My client here does not have legitimate motivation for patricide and incest. After hearing that he killed his own father, married his own mother, and that his mother/wife committed suicide, all on the same day, he stabbed his own eyes out of grief. When Oedipus was questioned on scene for why he did so, he replied "Alas for me! And yet again, alas for me! The pain of stabbing brooches pierces me! The memory of agonizing shame!" (Oedipus the King 1568-1570). For what reason would a criminal stab his own eyes out like this? Would a criminal feel shame and depression to this

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