Oedipus Rex Group

Topic: Fallibility of the Chorus?

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1

ect1216

 In Oedipus, the Chorus repeatedly gives us moral lessons, often condemning “pride”—especially O’s pride.Are we to take the proclamations of the Chorus as absolute truth, or is the Chorus just as fallible as the other characters? To what extent is PRIDE the characteristic that causes all of O’s trouble?

2

ophelia35

Traditionally, the chorus in a Greek tragedy represents the community as a whole; consequently, we see the chorus acting and reacting in ways that the playwright would see as logical given the context of the play.  Sometimes, the chorus is the audience's persona in the play itself, responding in ways that would be logical for the audience viewing the play.  Therefore, the chorus and its comments, proclamations, and observations are just as fallible as any other human character.  However, the chorus often has an advantage over the other characters in that they are more "distant" from the central conflicts and often see the implications and potential consequences for the main characters before they do. 

Oedipus' pride is most often identified as the source of his downfall; however, many tragic heroes find themselves in situations where their desires to be virtuous and just outweigh their personal sense of self-preservation or loyalty to others.  One could look at Oedipus and say that his sincere wish to alleviate his kingdom's suffering and remain true to his vow to find Laios' murderer led him to his tragic downfall.  Is this a flaw or true leadership?  We wouldn't see it as a flaw unless we can say that this excessive virtue springs from his excessive pride.   If you can make that connection, then, yes, pride is the most prevalent factor in causing his downfall.

 

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