Oedipus The King Literary Analysis

Oedipus Story

Incest is one of the oldest and most disgraceful things that still occur in the world today. Sophocles who wrote the tale of Oedipus the King shows how issues within families appear more often than what people think. Sophocles wants people to see that Oedipus does not know who he is, whether someone is rich or poor they shouldn't be so cocky because not everyone knows their past and it can come back to seek them in the future.

Parents play a huge part in every child's life. Whether if someone was adopted or not, they truly want to know who their parents are. Oedipus on the other hand did not who is true parents were. When he was younger his birth parents did not want him. He was adopted and raised by Polybus and Merope who were

Oedipus speaks with Creon and he asked him, “Was there no messenger, no fellow traveler who knew what happened? Such a one might tell something of use. (pg 2 last line)” The irony behind this all is that Oedipus met someone at the crossroads and killed that person. He didn't know who he killed and he didn't know what Laius looked like. In reality Oedipus wasn't matching his life to reality on what was really going on. He was the one that killed Laius on those crossroads, but doesn't know because he doesn't know who he is as a person. Once Oedipus finds out his actions at the end he says, “Then I would not have come to kill my father and marry my mother infamously. Now I am godless and child of impurity, begetter in the same seed that created my wretched self. If there is any ill worse than ill, that is the lot of Oedipus (pg21 line 6).” As soon as he finds out that he married his mother and killed his father on the crossroads he is very ashamed of himself. He is a disgrace to the townspeople for marrying his mother. The ironic thing about him killing his father is that he has to do something horrific to himself because he said that whomever finds the murder of Laius will be put through great

Jocasta did not want Oedipus to find his father because she thought that it would bring great stress to their marriage. Jocasta says, “I beg you-do not hunt this out-I beg you, if you have any care for your own life. What I am suffering is enough. (pg17 Line 3).” Jocasta felt that Oedipus would ruin everything if he were to keep trying to find his father. Jocasta is under a lot of stress because she doesn't want to deal with Oedipus leaving and searching for his father and mother. At this point, Oedipus does not know that he is married to his mother. As soon as Jocasta finds out that she married her son, she freaks out in disgrace, the second messenger says, “And then she groaned and cursed the bed in which she brought forth husband by her husband, children by her own child, an infamous double bond (pg20 line 2).” Oedipus does not know yet that Jocasta (his mother) has found out. Once Oedipus returns to find and tell his wife what has happened, he finds Jocasta hanging from a beam. He noticed that she already found out about the incest that has happened. Oedipus then blinds himself because of his actions throughout the whole play. He realizes that he has no clue who he is as a person and he is a disgrace to his children and the