Oedipus Rex Group

Question:

ect1216
ect1216
Student
College - Sophomore

Consider the consequences/effects of Oedipus' actions/decisions. Now consider the ways in which he tried to avoid doing wrong wrom the beginning.

When you put the two together, do you think that Oedipus ultimately deserves his fate? Is he justly punished for his actions, or is he too harshly dealt with for actions which were beyond his control, or is it some of both?

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Posted by ect1216 on Thursday July 10, 2008 at 4:48 AM and tagged with character, oedipus, oedipus rex.

Answers:


  1. suman1983

    eNotes Editor

    Oedipus’s action can be defined as an unconscious tragic error. Though Oedipus does perform the error unconsciously, he has to suffer according to the laws of fate. Oedipus’s actions and decisions have been governed by fate and he has been punished by that same fate for his unconscious tragic error. An apparent supervision shows that he has been punished wrongly as the situations were beyond his control. But Oedipus has been punished not only for his tragic error, but also for his hubris or pride. A close reading of the text therefore reveals that the punishment he suffers has a double purpose. On one hand he suffers for his unconscious tragic error and on the other hand he suffers for his hubris. And this double purpose justifies that his character has been handled with proper care.

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    Posted by suman1983 on Friday July 11, 2008 at 1:13 PM