At the revelation of the true origins of Oedipus, he violently blinds himself at the pain of his crimes. His fate was unavoidable, he was subservient to chance. In the face of the adversity of his crimes, Oedipus never protects himself from sadness, but becomes vulnerable to it's grip in his search for the truth about his sins. Oedipus did not protect himself from sadness, and consequently protect himself from happiness. He directly sought his own sadness, unknowingly. Thinking he was searching for happiness in truth, Oedipus was merely pursuing his own anguish. The power of chance throughout the play attests to happiness being unknowingly predetermined for those who are not threatened by fate.
Monday, September 12, 2011
Oedipus: Fated Happiness?
Oedipus Rex chronicles the story of a man plagued by chance and true destiny. In the midst of his struggle to accept his fate is Oedipus' encounter with the nature of happiness. In the play, the chorus sings of happiness as a transient feeling, more predetermined than undecided. So is happiness predestined for those who are not slaves to a doomed fate?
At the revelation of the true origins of Oedipus, he violently blinds himself at the pain of his crimes. His fate was unavoidable, he was subservient to chance. In the face of the adversity of his crimes, Oedipus never protects himself from sadness, but becomes vulnerable to it's grip in his search for the truth about his sins. Oedipus did not protect himself from sadness, and consequently protect himself from happiness. He directly sought his own sadness, unknowingly. Thinking he was searching for happiness in truth, Oedipus was merely pursuing his own anguish. The power of chance throughout the play attests to happiness being unknowingly predetermined for those who are not threatened by fate.
At the revelation of the true origins of Oedipus, he violently blinds himself at the pain of his crimes. His fate was unavoidable, he was subservient to chance. In the face of the adversity of his crimes, Oedipus never protects himself from sadness, but becomes vulnerable to it's grip in his search for the truth about his sins. Oedipus did not protect himself from sadness, and consequently protect himself from happiness. He directly sought his own sadness, unknowingly. Thinking he was searching for happiness in truth, Oedipus was merely pursuing his own anguish. The power of chance throughout the play attests to happiness being unknowingly predetermined for those who are not threatened by fate.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)