In Oedipus Tyrannus, Sophocles offers a perfect juxtaposition of the ancient Greek concepts of divine and secular justice, and he does so in a particularly powerful, illuminating, and poignant manner. This juxtaposition warrants an analysis of both the ancient and modern notions of justice. Additionally, as divine justice possesses an ubiquitous nature in the play, it is pertinent to contrast the classical and modern conceptions of divine justice. Furthermore, Oedipus' love for the sovereignty of the individual makes it seem as though he belongs in modernity rather than in ancient Greece, which is why it is also vital to compare classical and modern notions of secular justice.
On the one hand, Oedipus’ primary crimes in the eyes of the secular law
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By gouging out his eyes, Oedipus seeks to reclaim a shred of autonomy and shelter himself from the cruel sights of reality. At the same time his act of blinding himself can be reasonably interpreted as an affront to Apollo, the god of illumination, who brought this darkness upon him. For all his yearning to see the truth, Oedipus, even at the very end, thus fails to realize in his state of blindness why he incurred the wrath of divine justice in the first place and how he continues to act with irreverence, even going so far as to say, as he references his gaping, blood-soaked eye sockets, “I did this...by my own hand” (Sophocles 56). Even at the very end, Oedipus has no doubt that he holds full authority over his life as an individual; however, Apollo knew every move that Oedipus would make before Oedipus could conceive them. Furthermore, Oedipus’ lack of reverence becomes even more conspicuous when Creon advises him to “at least show reverence” (Sophocles