Oedipus Rex Part 1 Essay

        In Oedipus Rex, Oedipus, the king of Thebes, makes discoveries that leads him to one major discovery. Because Oedipus is blind to the truth, he reacts to his discoveries in the wrong way and blames others to give himself assurance. Oedipus starts off as a confident man who doesn’t know who he is, and turns into a man with a broken soul who knows who he is and what he has done.

In the prologue of the story, the priest informs Oedipus that there is an infertility plague among the people of Thebes.  The priest tells Oedipus that the people of Thebes are relying on Oedipus to save them from the plague.  Oedipus promises to end the plague.  However, he makes a comment, “No one is as sick as I.”  He said this because he not only has his burdens, but he also has the burden of the people with the plague now.  This reaction suggests that Oedipus is not a good king, because he worries more about himself than his people.  He is showing character traits of being conceited and selfish.  

The next revelation that Oedipus uncovers in his quest for knowledge happens when he sent Creon to Apollo’s Oracle.   Apollo commands that Oedipus drive out the pollution from the land.  Apollo said that the pollution was the murderer of King Laius.  He also said that the murderer lives in Thebes.  Oedipus promises to banish or kill the murderer of Thebes.  This reaction suggests that  Oedipus makes promises to appease Apollo, and seems to be eager to help others.  Of course, the promises he makes cannot be granted due to the fact that Oedipus himself is the murderer of Thebes.

        Also, Oedipus goes to Teiresias for help on how to resolve the plague among the people of Thebes. Oedipus asks Teiresias to tell him what he knows about the murder of King Laius, but Teiresias tells him nothing good will come of what he knows. Teiresias warns Oedipus that the news might cause chaos, but Oedipus keeps asking for his knowledge. Oedipus becomes enraged since Teiresias doesn’t do what he asks. Because Teiresias becomes angry, he reveals that oedipus is the murderer. Oedipus doesn’t believe him and accuses Teiresias and Creon of trying to take over his throne. He then orders Teiresias to leave. This rash assumption Oedipus makes shows how he makes his decisions based on his emotions and not the facts.