Mauricio Arnal
1/15/2014
Brilliance and Arrogance
Sophocles’ famous Oedipus the King tells the tale of a great ruler blinded by his own
greatness, and led to downfall by his curiosity. Throughout the play, the
author sets Oedipus on a pedestal as this “brilliant” king who figured out the
Sphinx’s riddle. Not only did he become the prince of Corinth, but later
went on to become the great ruler, and king of Thebes. Even though Oedipus
began his search for Laius’ murderer with the best intentions, to try and
rid Thebes of the plague, he let his power and arrogance get the best of him.
He lets his curiosity overpower him, and even when Tiresias and Jocasta warn
the king to stop asking questions, he begins insulting and defies the blind
prophet and his wife until he learns the truth that he forever wishes he had not. The dichotomy between Oedipus’ brilliance and arrogance proved to be both
the source of his power and eventually his downfall. While it helped him become
the great and powerful leader he was, it was also his greatest flaw that led to
his eminent demise. In the end, Oedipus could not escape his eventual fate as
foretold by the gods.
Lines: 1675-1684
Creon:
Still the king, the master of all things?
No more: here your power ends.
None
of your power follows you through life.
Chorus:
People of Thebes, my countrymen, look on Oedipus.
He solved the famous riddle
with his brilliance,
he rose to power, a man beyond all power.
Who could
behold his greatness without envy?
Now what a black sea of terror has
overwhelmed him.
Now as we keep our watch and wait the final day,
count no man
happy till he dies, free of pain at last.
In this passage, the author uses
words such as “master” or “brilliance” when describing Oedipus in order to
personify and portray the king’s greatness. By using words such as these rather
than smart or great, the author can more accurately give the reader a sense of
how truly masterful Oedipus’ was. Such words have a more powerful connotation,
and sets up the reader to perceive how Oedipus’ greatness was also
his ultimate weakness. As we know, in this case, it was that same mastery and
brilliance that brought about Oedipus’ innate curiosity, even when warned not
to ask any more questions, which ultimately led to his downfall.
When analyzing just this passage rather than the story as
a whole, it provides a different perspective on the main point. In this passage
we see a different perspective on Oedipus’ downfall. Rather than someone who
was blinded by his own arrogance, his downfall seems more of a tragedy of
someone who suffered an unfortunate series of events when trying to do what he
thought was right. The final passage also sheds some light on the true face of
Creon. Even though he denied any wish to become the leader and overthrow
Oedipus throughout the story, Creon is awfully quick to assume the position and
re-state how Oedipus will be “master of things.. No more.” This point is further
pursued by the Chorus who questions “who could behold [Oedipus’] greatness
without envy?” Implying that Creon has always been envious of Oedipus’ brilliance
and power. While the passage still embodies some of the main point, it also
acts as a contradiction, offering a different perspective.
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