When the mythical Greek king Oedipus
Oedipus the King
Oedipus Rex, also known by its Greek title, Oedipus Tyrannus, or Oedipus the King, is an Athenian tragedy by Sophocles that was first performed around 429 BC. Originally, to the ancient Greeks, the title was simply Oedipus, as it is referred to by Aristotle in the Poetics. It is thought to have bee…
Why did Oedipus take his eyes out?
Oedipus blinds himself out of shame because he does not want to see what he has done. He now has a new spiritual sight and cannot stand the consequences of possessing it. This in addition to Jocaste's suicide, presses him to blind himself.
What did Oedipus say when he blinded himself?
"The blind shame in which you live and who lives with you, lives always at yours side." This is reference to Oedipus still not knowing who he truly is, the heir of Laios and Jocasta. Jocasta is his wife but he later will learn she is truly his mother and that he has been blind to the fact this whole time.
Does Oedipus take out his own eyes?
But upon discovering the lifeless queen, Oedipus took her down, and removing the long gold pins from her dress, he has gouged out his own eyes in despair. The blinded king now exits the palace, and begs to be exiled.
What is the symbolic significance of Oedipus's self-blinding?
The blinding is a symbolic form of castration. In Oedipus at Colonus, Oedipus tells his son that he blinded himself in a moment of frenzy and not from a sense of guilt. Perhaps no one reason for the self-blinding suffices, nor all of them put together.
For what reason does Oedipus blind himself what meaning if any do you find in his choice of a surgical instrument?
He blinded himself because he could not bear to witness the destruction of himself and his family; the meaning behind his choice of surgical instrument is based upon punishing himself for setting eyes on his mother's nakedness during their marriage (the brooches are what mainly kept the gowns on).
What is the moral of the story Oedipus Rex?
Moral Lesson: You can't always control what your destiny is. You can steer it in the right path though. Also if you want something done it is better to do it yourself. If you don't do it yourself don't rely on anybody else.
What is Oedipus's tragic flaw?
Oedipus fits this precisely, for his basic flaw is his lack of knowledge about his own identity. Moreover, no amount of foresight or preemptive action could remedy Oedipus' hamartia; unlike other tragic heroes, Oedipus bears no responsibility for his flaw.
Why did Oedipus sleep with his mother?
The idea of the Oedipus Complex is derived from Sophocles' Oedipus Tyrannus, during which Oedipus learned that he was cursed to kill his father and sleep with his mother.
Who does Oedipus blame for his fate?
Whom does Oedipus blame his sorrows? Oedipus blames Apollo and the gods. After finding out the truth about his fate of killing his father and sleeping with his mother, Oedipus decides to blind himself. He was metaphorically blind to this fate before, due to him being guilty of hubris.