Literary Analysis: Oedipus Rex

Adriane Faust

English 1023-M17

Schexnayder

November 18, 2016

Literary Analysis: Oedipus Rex

        Oedipus Rex is a story that displays the perfect example of a Greek tragedy as Aristole would call it.  Oedipus Rex encountered many devastating tragedies in this story.  Most men wouldn’t have been strong enough to face the many tragedies that Oedipus Rex faced.  Oedipus Rex was native of the town of Corinth.  Oedipus Rex was born into a noble family.  His father was King Laius and his mother was Queen Jocasta.  Oedipus never knew who his biological parents were until he started to discover the truth.  One day Oedipus came in contact with a prophet named Teiresias and the prophet began to tell Oedipus of the story of his life.  In total disbelief Oedipus brushed off what the prophet told him.

        When Oedipus was younger his father was warned by the oracle that he son would kill him and he would also sleep with his wife and bear children.  In effort to prevent what the oracle had told him, King Laius decided to have his son, Oedipus killed.  However, having Oedipus killed didn’t go as planned.  There were this shepherd that found Oedipus along the mountain side and rescued him.  The shepherd found the young child boy a family and gave him to them.  King Polybus and Queen Merope named him Oedipus and raised him as their very own.

        As time begin to pass by and Oedipus Rex becomes older, he approaches the Oracle of Delphi and he is told by the Oracle that he is going to kill his father and sleep with his mother. Oedipus Rex then becomes devastated and decides to run from the truth. Oedipus Rex was very naïve and goes on a rampage of killing 49 people.  Of the 49-people killed King Laius is one of them. While running from the truth Oedipus Rex runs into the truth.

        Oedipus Rex has already started to live out his fate because he has already killed his father which is King Laius.  He doesn’t realize that King Laius was his father at the time of him going on a killing spree.  After doing so, Oedipus solves the riddle of Sphinx and becomes the King of Thebes.  Now Oedipus is looked upon as a Hero by the citizens of Thebes.  Oedipus then marries the Jocasto whom which was King Laius wife before he was killed.  After marrying Jocasto whom is really Oedipus’s mother the two bears two daughters.

        Oedipus Rex has now encountered the tragic of killing his father King Laius and sleeping with his mother Queen Jocasto without having a clue. The dramatic irony of the story leaves readers like me in awe and total disbelief of truths of this story.  Although Oedipus was told by the Oracle these things would happen he didn’t believe it. After becoming King of Thebes, Oedipus focused on finding the killer of King Laius.  Oedipus wanted to find the killer and serve them the punishment they deserved. As the story is unfolding, everyone is aware of Oedipus life story except him.  Oedipus is blinded by the truth because he failed to believe what was being told to him by the oracle.