Literature and other fictional compositions are not only designed for the entertainment of the reader, but often allow the audience to consider certain ideas whether those be religious, political or ethical. However, the point of such a work is open to interpretation. It exists as an idea that applies to the characters, and can easily transition to a theme applicable to everyday life. This point gives the audience another reason to enjoy a composition besides the obvious entertainment value. In the case of the play Oedipus the King by the Athenian author Sophocles, Oedipus, through his persistent and unyielding pursuit of the truth, eventually caused his own ruin. His pride prevented him from accepting his ignorance that was essential to his own happiness, and the welfare of those around him.
Oedipus the King is a tragedy involving Oedipus, the king of Thebes, and his stubborn pursuit of his own past. By the ending, Oedipus learned that he has fulfilled a dark prophecy cast on him through his father Liaus. Liaus tried to have Oedipus killed as an infant to prevent the fulfillment of this dark foretelling that Oedipus will kill his father and marry his mother. Throughout the story, Oedipus, being a powerful ruler, found many of the witnesses who saved his life as a young child. Slowly, through the testimony of many reluctant people, he found that he indeed killed his father and married his mother, just as the prophecy foretold. In anguish, he gouged out his own eyes and condemned himself to a life of exile far from Thebes. Oedipus, while being a seemingly good-willed character, is very prideful and stubborn. All of the witnesses he called forth were very reluctant to disclose any of the information they had about his past. With all his power, he coerced them into revealing the dark truth that lead to his downfall. Even his own wife Jocasta and the honored prophet Tiresias of Thebes tried to convince him to stop this fruitless and potentially harmful search, but instead Oedipus blatantly ignored and insulted them. He is too prideful to cope with his ignorance, even though it would have prevented his demise. Oedipus’s pride and stubborn refusal to remain ignorant are two qualities that lead to the tragic ending of this story and also gave the audience reason to read such a tragic narrative.
As mentioned before, the argument between Oedipus and Tiresias demonstrates Oedipus’s huge ego and very stubborn nature. Tiresias’s line uses words such as “horrors” and “brutally” to describe Oedipus’s future as he continued to unearth his past. Rather than believing him, Oedipus insults him with calling Tiresias “filth” and commanding him to “vanish”. These words allow the reader to understand the tense emotions that have arisen between these two important characters. These lines, from 479 to 492, are at the end of a lengthy conversation where Oedipus tries to convince Tiresias to disclose the truth about the murder of Liaus. This is prior to Oedipus suspicion that it might have something to do with him. Immediately after this conversation, Oedipus tries to blame Creon, Jocasta’s brother, for all the problems currently occurring in Thebes. This displays another of Oedipus’s traits that abets his demise; he can be extremely irrational. This addition complicates the previously established point by implying that Oedipus has many flaws that contribute to his tragic end. From this, we could infer that Oedipus might not be a kind and just ruler. There are two ideas that support this argument: first, the people of Thebes were very unhappy at the beginning of the story for unclear reasons, and second, the audience knows that Oedipus does not always treat people kindly as seen from interactions throughout the play. Perhaps Oedipus’s unjust rule is the reason for unrest in Thebes that lead to the start of digging up his past. His personality could have exacerbated the process, and the condemnation he received could have been his penance for hurting his constituents. This passage brings about many different implications that can be taken many different ways, but it does strongly suggest that Oedipus was a rash, stubborn and prideful individual who could have very well abused his people.
As mentioned before, the point of a narrative can be interpreted in many different ways and provides meaning for reading the story. In the case of Oedipus the King, there are several valid interpretations that can accurately represent it. The demise of Oedipus through his own stubbornness and refusal to accept his ignorance is one of them, and provides reason for the audience to enjoy this particular work.
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