Oedipus Rex Certainty

Knox says, “knowledge, certainty, justice - are all qualities Oedipus thought he possessed”. In Oedipus Rex, Oedipus thought he knew the whole truth by what people around him were telling him, but he did not know that a prophecy was inevitable. He concludes that everything was by fate and not chance. Oedipus’ fall came from his certainty of knowledge because he thought what people told him about his family’s past was true. He thought he knew his whole past, but finds out that everyone was trying to spare Oedipus. Oedipus thought he had certainty about his family and family history, but his certainty led him to the truth in which he could not bear with. There is a plague occurring in Thebes where people are dying and they find out that Laius, the king of Thebes, has died. Oedipus soon takes over and tells Teiresias that he will avenge Laius’ killer or put them in exile. Teiresias responds with, “Alas how dreadful to have wisdom where it profits not the wise” (Sophocles 120). Teiresias is a blind seer hinting to Oedipus and the audience, telling Oedipus that he does not need to find the killer because he

Cithaeron only to escape from an evil prophecy. They reveal to Oedipus that Polybus and Merope were never his real parents. Instead, Laius and Jocasta were his real parents. Oedipus finally combines the information and realizes that Laius was the man he killed at what the three crossroads met, and Jocasta was the one he married and had children with. Oedipus says to them, “All brought to pass all true You light may I now look my last on you I who have been found accursed in birth accursed in wedlock accursed in the shedding of blood!” (141). Oedipus realizes that what Teiresias, the herdsman, and the messenger has said was all true. Even though it is overwhelming for Oedipus, he has now seen that it all makes sense