Oedipus Final Blogging...
While not participating in the fishbowl/aquarium, blog your reactions to the discussion. This will be like a live recording of the discussion. Ask questions, record reactions, as well as important arguments. Make sure if you refer to people in the discussion, refer only by first name. Have fun and show them what you know...
posted by annes at 9:18 AM
28 Comments:
I agree with Mark, that the chorus was beind Oedipus until he became the obvious criminal. The thought of him as their savior and leader, so it was hard for them to be critical of him.
Apollo is used to heal the city, that is why he is used, and not Zeus. Apollo tries to heal the city by telling the oracle that Oedipus was the problem.
Claire brought up the question What is the difference between capitalizing God and not capitalizing god?
I think it is because the people look up to the Gods. The Gods are above them and therefore the proper name is capatalized.
I agree with Mark. It is quite ironic that Oedipus slightly disgraces the gods by taking their name in vain. Also, it is a great observation by Claire that Oedipus demonstrates his feelings towards the gods. When he capitalizes God, it demonstrates his feelings of smallness towards the gods. However, when he spells gods with a lowercase, it shows that he reveres or respects them.
I agree with matt that he is like a child. Some of his actions make us believe he has a childish side
It is funny how everyone in Thebes goes to Pus for help. When Pus goes to the gods for help. If Pus is all that he makes himself out to be then why does he have to ask the gods for help, when he thinks he is above the gods.
Would the prophesy still come true if Lauis and Jocasta didn't send Oedipus off to die? If he stayed their son, living in Thebes the entire time, would he kill his dad and still marry his mom? I think it would be a better idea to keep Oedipus with them so they can watch over the prophesy..I realize it's fate but would it still have happened if Lauis, Jocasta, and Oedipus all knew about the prophesy?
I agree with Chris on how Sophocles used Tyresius to show that you can have all the intelligence in the world and still not be able to see what is right in front of you.
When it's fate I think that you don't have a chance to do anything and that is what makes this play tragic and the lives of everyone involved in it... I don't even think that it's an option of if they kept oedipus it would have been different... you can't just go agaisnt fate.
Is sophocles making a point about blindess? Is it a reoccuring theme and does he use blindness to show true sight. I think he's using it as a tool to show that when you can't see with your heart you have to look in other areas
Matt asked why did Sophacles choose Tiresias? It could be because he is blind. Claire just brought up that maybe he is one who had to use other senses. Once you loose something you miss it and realize how much you loved it.
From this act on instinct thought, I think a hero is someone that knows about the consequences and either decides to go with the plan, or to back away. Hopefully, the hero judges this on his values, and what it will do to the people around him.
A modern day hero if you relate it to superheros act with out thinking. Sometimes when the superhero sees a person in danger they act without thinking, even if it exposes their identity. They act to benefit others and save others and not to benefit themselves. When Pus killed Laius he didn't benefit himself but he did benefit the city of Thebes because he was able to solve the sphinx's riddle saving Thebes
I completely agree with marie on the fact that you never know what you really have until it is gone. Throughout the whole book you never hear him once mention his kids. Then when he is banished and his children are to be taken away from him does he ask for them and realize how much he is going to miss them.
The story of Oedipus trying to fight his fate and go against whats pre-determined for him could be a parallel to how we live today. If you beleive God already has ONE specific path laid out for you, then there's nothing you can do to change that path, and you are then Oedipus when you think about it. Which leads to the bigger question that we've talked a lot about in class is : Do you beleive in fate? Is your path already laid out for you or do you have some say in the matter
Pus is all about himself. Like claire said he does good things for others to make himself look good.
hero?
I think it comes to down to the individuals opinion! In Some eyes Oedipus is a hero...but in others Oedipus could be a murderer and a person who made bad and gross decisions. Even though he did not know at the time but he eventually found out.
As Claire said he does things for his benefit.
I think that Oedipus is less of a hero for trying to figure everything out without figuring out what the consequences would be. This seems irresponsible, and could hurt more people then it could help. He creates a plague for his city for killing his father, on instinct.
if Oedipus killed himself he would become a mardyr.
I think that what made oepdipus a hero was that he owned up to what he did and not necesarily his actions before with people... he was a hero because was able to accept what happened to...
Oedipus not taking his life is a symbol of heroism because he is trying to make up for what he did. If he would of killed himself, he would of made it easier on himself. This is different than with Antigone because she died for someone else.
I think Oedipus has not been truly humbled in the end. I don't think it fixes the situation if he killed himself, but he still shows pride by taking his sight and creating an example of something "great and admirable" again..i think he's still trying to be the hero..everything he has done even through the end has had a certain amount of selfishness
Why doesn't Tiresias tell Oedipus about the prophecy in perfect detail?
I think it is because Tiresias doesn't want to perfectly spell it out to him because he wanted Oedipus' to be humbled. Also, Tiresias wanted Oedipus to realize the true concept of fate. And this would also make Oedipus' have faith in the gods.
In repsonse to Amys question it not so much that i believe in fate but that i believe that god already has a plan for each and everyone of us. The word fate almost drifts away from the fact that there is a god. fate i think was used with Pus because he really didnt think the gods were that REAL.
Oedipus poking his eyes out shows he is strong...He is living in exile...he does not take the easy way out! The easy way out would be killing himself!! He knows that his life from finding out that he is the killer of King Laius and in to the future, he will be miserable!
I agree with Kirk that he did not banish himself Creon did!!
OEDIPUS IS SELFISH!!
i still think even by banishing himself..if you look how he even talks in the end..he's very self-righteous and selfish..he still thinks he's above everyone else..and you can still be a hero when he's absent from the city..maybe he wants to be remembered and still thought of as an amazing man BECAUSE "he has changed"
Stephanie YES! I completely agree. He only thinks about himself. It is always me me me. He does everything for the thought of how are they going to look at me for doing this, not for what will benefit them and how will it help them.
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