Oedipus’s transition from the beginning to the end Essay

Sophocles Greek tragedy, Oedipus displays how sine qua non and destiny, alternatively than chance, determine the planets within hu globe stepedness. It is this fate that turns Oedipus pull inmingly perfect existence expert circle, leaving him with less than nothing in the end. During the course of this story, Oedipus undergoes a complete innovation because of his personal quest to find break through his true identity. He eventu ally learns the truth, b atomic number 18ly at a great cost. He finds that he isnt who he believed himself to be, and he loses everything in the process.Oedipus therefore undergoes an absolute variation from a kingship to exile, from wisdom to misidentifyness, from admirability to deliver ravish. When Oedipus is first seen, he is clearly far-famed as the ruler of Thebes. The priest in fact regards him as, Great King of Thebes and sovereign Oedipus (Line 14). At the moment, Thebes is afflicted with a painful and mysterious plague, which can on ly be eliminated when the receiver of Laius, the former King of Thebes, is exiled or killed. It is apparent that the people trust and love their King, and so they look to him for help and guidance.This is why Oedipus acts so swiftly to find Laius receiver no matter what the cost may be. Oedipus once again exercises his kingship and power against Creon, upon consultation from Teiresias (a prophet) that he himself killed Laius. He accuses Creon of treason and sentences him to death. purge though the whole chorus and his wife, Iocasta, are against him, his will is still carried out until he himself decides otherwise. Such makes Oedipus the most powerful man at this point. However, as the events progress, Oedipus finds out that he indeed killed Laius.Upon come uponing this, Oedipus whole domain shatters, and he can no long-term comprise the truth. He blinds and willingly sends himself to exile. Oedipus loses his rubric and all the power that it stands for. He is left hand wit h nothing but his life in the end. Oedipus gained his Kingship by def eat the mythical man eating Sphinx and solving its circularise. The riddle was, What has four legs in the morning, two at noon, and three at night? Oedipus was the only atomic number 53 who answered, while, causing the Sphinx to finally kill herself. valet crawled as a baby in its youth, walked with two feet during mid life, and walked with a flog when old. Answering this riddle saved the ground of Thebes from the feared Sphinx, and so Oedipus was forever recognized for this. Oedipus wit, however, was alike the cause of his d throwfall. This is shown during Oedipus debate with Teiresias. As Oedipus exclaims, my science has brought me glory, Teiresias replies, And this success brought you to ruin overly (lines 441-443). In other words, Oedipus fulfilled the apart(p) prophecy placed upon him by defeating the Sphinx and thus, marrying Iocasta.In this tragedy, Oedipus is faced with the riddle of his identi ty. However, despite his wit, he is never able to solve the riddle on his own. In fact, he is confused practically throughout the course of the story. Iocasta even solves this riddle before he does, explaining her unpatterned reluctance of him trying to find out. It takes a whole cluster of clues for Oedipus to finally see that he was his fathers murderer, and his bring forths husband. Finally, Oedipus begins the tragedy with all the qualities of an admirable King.Oedipus genuinely loves his subjects, as can be seen in lines 58-60 My children, what you long for, that I cope indeed, and pity you. He calls his citizens his children, signifying his seniority, but also his devotion to them. He is proud of his citizens and of himself. He wants to prove that he is a advanced king to his people, and so he allows Creon to mouth his news from Apollo in front of all Thebans. He tells Creon, Let them all hear Their sufferings distress me more than than if my own life were at stake (93-9 4).Also, he in truth wants to save his citizens by finding Laius murderer as soon as possible. Therefore, he cares about his people even more than he does himself. Towards the end of the story, however, Oedipus becomes the epitome of shame throughout the kingdom of Thebes. In old-fashioned Greece, family and heritage was one of the most outstanding virtues practiced. And thus, killing ones own father was the most dishonorable action, close to marrying ones own mother. Oedipus, sadly, performed both of these shameful crimes which were considered worse, even, than mass murder.So Oedipus went from creation the pride of Thebes to its worst shame. Oedipus is indeed so ashamed of his actions that he tells his adviser, Quick as you can, I beg, banish me, hide me, assassinate me Throw me forth into the sea, where I may sink from view There is no man alive can bear this load of evil but myself. Oedipus modulation is evident in how he is instantly pleading and begging his own adviso r to banish him from Thebes. Thus, Oedipus loses everything, including his own dignity. In conclusion, Oedipus makes a tragic transition from having everything to having nothing.Because of his quest for the truth, he finally found it and suffered the most in the end. However, despite the shame in what Oedipus did, one must still admire his spirit to continue looking for truth. It is admirable how he chose blindness rather than death, and in a way, punished himself for his past sins. Such a trait still makes him a hero, at in that sense.Sources 1. http//www. users. globalnet. co. uk/loxias/myth. htminterpretation 2. http//cgi. sparknotes. com/hlite. rmpl? words=oedipus&pd=0&page=section5. rhtml&guide=%2fdrama%2foedipus.