Good Essay About Oedipus

1) In many of the scenes in Oedipus the King, both Oedipus and Jocasta ironically dismiss fate as inconsequential and foolish. Jocasta does this when she tells Oedipus, “Listen and I'll convince thee that no man / Hath scot or lot in the prophetic art”(Sophocles 708-709). Oedipus does this at several points, mostly relating to his interactions with Tiresias: “Thou lov'st to speak in riddles and dark words” (Sophocles 456). For these two, prophecy and fate are worthy of mockery; however, the play shows us that fate is something that must be paid attention to, as all of the prophecies end up coming true (whether self-fulfilled or not). In this way, Sophocles comes down hard on the side of prophecy over free will; even though Oedipus thinks he is in control, he could not be further from the truth.
2) While I am reticent to blame public figures for being overly scrutinized for their private lives, there are instances in which that behavior can affect those they lead. Bill Clinton’s sex scandal distracted the country in the late 90s, as did the Anthony Weiner scandal, and so on. To my mind, it should only be a concern when the personal mistake has a direct effect on their job performance, which is why it is shameful that more press does not get placed on politicians who perform rampant nepotism and favoritism in cabinet appointments and the like. In Oedipus, the plague is metaphorically linked to his terrible deed regarding his father, but it is difficult to find a real-world equivalent to that.

Works Cited

Sophocles. Oedipus the King.