Thursday, March 12, 2009
WAGES OF SIN.
When Oedipus and Jocasta begin to get close to the truth about Laius's murder,Oedipus fastens onto a detail in the hope of hiding himself.Jocasta says that she was told that Laius was killed by 'stranger',where Oedipus knows that he acted alone when he killed a man in similar incidents. This is an extraordinary moment because it calls into question the entire truth-seeking process Oedipus believes himself to be in great danger.Oedipus and Jocasta act as though the servant's story, is history. They can't face the possibility of what it would mean if the servant was wrong.This is why Jocasta feels she can tell Oedipus of the prophecy that her son would kill his father,and Oedipus can tell her about the similar prophecy given him by an oracle.While the information in these speeches is intended to make the audience aware of the tragic irony,it also emphasizes just how desperately Oedipus and Jocasta do not want to speak the obvious truth untill they look at the circumstances and details of everyday life and pretend not to see them.
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wow..the title of your blog promised sunshine for my cloudy and chilly Sunday morning..
ReplyDeleteYes...both of us agreed that Oedipus was blinded for the truth. Even, he felt scared to see say truth eventhough it was obviously shown. They were involved in reversal of fortune where it shows that ignorance and foolishness can be a treacherous danger to all of us.
See, the end of the play,what happened to Oedipus and Jocasta. We just simply can say " SERVE THEM RIGHT", but , it was the punishment for those who is going astray from right track. No matter Oedipus tried to hide or object his fault, later it will be revealed at the end. Does it sound too ironic Sazrin?
Well, different people have different values in how they look at the issues in Oedipus. Tragic irony is the main speciality for Sophocles. He managed to create Oedipus as the main character who is the victim of fate and the prophecies that he couldn’t stop.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, I think it is all a matter of fate. It is obvious that Oedipus, Jocasta and Laius are the victims of those prophecies that they couldn't avoid. Why? It is just fated for them. No matter how hard they try to avoid, there is no way to escape. It is fate who brings Oedipus to the road where he kills his own father and it is fate that Oedipus marries Jocasta. Human are powerless over fate. We cannot control our own destiny nor to predict what will happen in future.