Oedipus the king

Introduction

Oedipus is a man of swift action and great insight. At the opening of Oedipus the King, we see that these qualities make him an excellent ruler who anticipates his subjects' needs. When the citizens of Thebes beg him to do something about the plague, for example, Oedipus is one step ahead of them—he has already sent Creon to the oracle at Delphi for advice. But later, we see that Oedipus's habit of acting swiftly has a dangerous side. When he tells the story of killing the band of travelers who attempted to shove him off the three-way crossroads, Oedipus shows that he has the capacity to behave rashly. Oedipus is a self-confident, intelligent, strong willed man and a great king. Ironically these are the very traits that bring about his tragic discovery. There are many themes in the play that add to his character, which ultimately instigates his own undoing. Going through the play the audience recognises the reasons why Oedipus ends up the way he does, blind yet seeing the truth. The audience learns how his character develops, through viewing his behaviour and interaction with the other characters in the play. The chorus also plays a major part of his characterization, as do the many references to light, darkness and sight in the play

Oedipus: the Character

At the beginning of Oedipus the King, Oedipus is hugely confident, and with good reason. He has saved Thebes from the curse of the Sphinx and become king virtually overnight. He proclaims his name proudly as though it were itself a healing charm: “Here I am myself— / you all know me, the world knows my fame: / I am Oedipus” (Sophocles 7-9). By the end of this tragedy, however, Oedipus's name will have become a curse, so much so that, in Oedipus at Colonus, the Leader of the Chorus is terrified even to hear it and cries: “You, you're that man?” (Sophocles 238). King Oedipus is portrayed as a great and respected king. He is ready and willing to do all he can to help his people rid Thebes of the polluter of their land. "I would willingly do anything to help you, indeed I should be heartless were I to stop my ears, to general petition such as this". The priest is the first character the audience is introduced to in the play besides Oedipus. The priest speaks highly of Oedipus, he asks for his help and gives the audience their first impressions of the main character "Now Oedipus great and glorious". The dialogue between the priest and Oedipus helps the viewer to understand the character and how he develops through out the play. The next main speech given in the play is from Oedipus to the people of Thebes. He is extremely confident in warning the citizens of Thebes about their fate if they do not cooperate with his investigation. He promises banishment and shame for any found guilty; the tragic irony is that he is the polluter of ...