What makes a great text a truly great text? One interpretation is that a great text transcends the cultural differences of the centuries and offers truth applicable for all audiences. If this is truly the definition of a great text, then Oedipus Rex certainly fits the bill. As it reminded its ancient audience of their own mortality and helplessness against fate, it continues to offer timeless lessons for its modern audience. One of these lessons, learned through Oedipus’ response to his circumstances, is that anger, left unchecked, leads to destructive consequences. The danger of anger is shown in Oedipus’ response to discovering that the murderer of Laius is the cause of Thebe’s plague. Creon offers wisdom that would be prudent for Oedipus to heed, “I don’t know; and when I know nothing, I usually hold my tongue” (Oed. 569.) Unfortunately, Oedipus’ anger allows him to make incriminating speech, even when he obviously knows nothing. When Oedipus hears that this unknown man is the cause of the plague on Thebes, he …show more content…
Not only did he, in insulting the blind prophet, indirectly insult himself on a much larger scale, he also called curses upon himself by cursing Laius’ murderer. While the modern audience hopefully does not have to deal with a situation to the scale of Oedipus’ problems, each day, humans have the choice to respond to situations in anger or in grace. Unlike Oedipus, humans can apply Creon’s advice and search for truth and facts before responding to unfavorable circumstances. For allowing anger to dictate our paths may lead to wrongful accusations or total humiliation. As Creon stated, “It’s not just lightly to count bad men as honest ones, nor honest men as bad. To throw away an honest friend is, as it were, to throw your life away, which a man loves the best” (610-615.) This lesson shows the true timelessness of Oedipus Rex: there is not a human, past or present, who cannot gain from heeding this