Examples Of Suffering In Oedipus The King - 796 Words

The characters in the play Oedipus The King, by Sophocles, respond to suffering in a variety of ways. Characters like Tiresias respond altruistically to protect others from the truth, other characters similar to Oedipus tend to approach these situations with gall and are hasty with allegations, and the remaining characters respond like Jocasta with disbelief and extremity. Ironically, although suffering is painful and destructive, the way the characters dealt with suffering brought each of them to find the true value of clarity and healing that can be found when suffering. Throughout the play, characters like Tiresias and King Laius respond to suffering in a way that protects others. On page 177, Tiresias is reluctant to share Oedipus’†¦show more content†¦Also, when Creon asks Oedipus the possibility that he is wrong when accusing Tiresias and himself, Oedipus disregards the needs and rights of other people in order to avoid the truth of the suffering that Tiresias has bestowed upon him: â€Å"‘What if you’re wholly wrong?’ ‘No matter-I must rule’†. Oedipus became rash and selfish when faced with suffering when he threw away the rights of the citizens for his own self pleasure despite the lack of evidence and reason to do so. Therefore, when Oedipus is faced with suffering, he blames others for his own fate to avoid the truth until it is right in front of him. Therefore, unlike Tiresias and King Laius, Oedipus is more hasty and selfish when faced with suffering. Though some characters took suffering with quiet acceptance, other characters like Jocasta have a more skeptical and extremist response to suffering. In the play, when Jocasta first hears of Tiresias’ prophecy, she questions the legitimacy of oracles: â€Å"Racked with anguish, he [Oedipus] won’t admit the latest prophecies are hollow as the old.† Although what the Oracle at Delphi said to Jocasta earlier on in the story about her baby’s prophecy matched up with Oedipus’ story of him killing a man where the roads fork, she refuses to believe the Oracle’s power of prophecy. Furthermore, Jocasta’s extremist viewpoint is shown when she finally does find out that Oedipus is truly her son through the shepard’s confession, and she hangsShow MoreRelatedThe Tragic Hero Of Sophocles Oedipus Rex972 Words   |  4 Pagesaudience effortlessly. Greek tragedies are still performed and read across the world in modern-day. Oedipus Rex, a stan dout amongst the popular tragedies, is written by Sophocles. Within every tragedy play, one character takes the role of a grievous or tragic hero. 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