Synthesis

Yessenia Vargas

Gender & Literature

November 26, 2014

                           

        My ideas about Oedipus remain the same as from the beginning; I still consider him to be a good leader who had his people's best intentions in mind. At the beginning of the play Oedipus stated, “I am ready to help, / I'll do anything” (13-14) demonstrating his willingness to protect his people. As a good king, Oedipus was willing to risk his life to ensure the safety of others. He remains a worthy leader throughout the play attempting to make the best decisions with his limited choices. Due to his preordained destiny his decisions unintentionally harmed those around him. Before Oedipus knows he is the murderer of Laius, he tells the people of Thebes to cast away his mysterious killer. As Oedipus stated, “for the love of god, / hide me somewhere, / kill me” (1544-1545) though he knows he is the murderer he still demands the people to kill him or caste him away. He is a man of his word who wants to cease the agony his people are enduring despite the consequences. Oedipus stated he will help his people despite the cost and sticks to this even if it means putting his life at risk. After reading Oedipus the King, an important understanding that I gained about taboos is, that despite the fact that many of us may commit them; once it is open to the public, you are expected to be shunned from society. Although sometimes those who love us are unable to shun us out, their morals and society expects them to. At the end of the play the chorus stated, “count no man happy till he dies, free of pain at last” (1684) it is evident that despite the fact that they know of his crimes they still pity him. The people desire for Oedipus to be free of his pain but society will not make an exception for him despite these feelings. In a functional society those who commit sins must be shunned; otherwise, it creates the impression that committing sins is acceptable.