Oedipus The King: Significant Or Uninformed?

Oedipus: Significant or Uninformed? By: Jonathan Hayman

Do people really know themselves? This is a question that people ask themselves all the time, and can be a question brought up in your day’s worth of thinking. In the playwright entitled “Oedipus The King” by Sophocles, Oedipus is the main character in the play. He is the classic example of a man whose central problem is that he does not know himself. Firstly, in the text, he states that he has a hidden determination to find his true self, but has yet to do so. Additionally, hubris can be interpreted as excessive pride. Oedipus exemplifies hubris in a way that can be defined as a façade, the way he wants to be until he finds his true self. The actions of Oedipus in this playwright can clearly show that Oedipus is the classic example of a man whose central problem is that he does not know himself.

An example of this is when in the play he is trying to save his people, but makes it clear that he must know who his true self is before doing so. Additionally, he doesn’t even realize that he is a murderer, which exemplifies the fact that he does not know his true self. If he knew his true self, he would not act as he has not done anything wrong. These specific examples show that determination is the classic example of a man whose central problem is that he does not know himself.

Additionally, hubris can be translated as excessive pride. When Oedipus says, “I count myself the son of Chance, the great goddess, giver of all good things—I'll never see myself disgraced” (1188-1190) exemplifies that in the play, Oedipus portrays a fake form of confidence that is just a façade and is just the way he wants to be until he finds his true self. An example