Sing of his hamartia, or missing of the mark! Weep for the unwise decisions made by one renowned for his wisdom! For lo, when Oedipus did go to the oracle to hear its destiny, and learned the horrible fate the gods had in store, he fled, in hopes of preventing it (pg 145). Weep for that simple crossroads where he chanced to meet an aged king and entourage-unbeknownst to him, none other than Laius, his own true parent! For in a struggle to pass each other, Oedipus allowed his rage to overcome his natural good sense, like Achilles at Troy, or a hungry wolf who chases a particularly plump sheep into a pasture where the shepherd waits, too starved to see the danger! He slew all but one, that one later being the instrument of his downfall (pgs 145-146)!
Oh, Oedipus, foolish Oedipus! You did not see that the woman Jocasta, more advanced in age than thee, was your own mother, and entered into sin with her! Your children, also your siblings, now bear your curse (pg 174)!
Sing, O Muse, of the plague that struck Thebes to punish this travesty (pg 112)! Sing of Oedipus's great struggle to find the one responsible, not knowing it was he himself! He gathered information bit by bit, as a bird gathers twigs for a nest, but didn't see that the perch he craved would soon come crashing down under the weight of his facts!
Sing of his anger, and his lack of foresight! Because of his rage, his father died by his hand! Because he could not see the truth until too late, he realized past time that he had brought a plague on Thebes, and had to flee, a blind and miserable man! Pity Oedipus, who had long to travel before he found peace at last, far from either of the lands he called home!
This was a very creative way to answer the question. I completely agree with your position that it was his anger and lack of foresight that led to his downfall.
ReplyDeleteI like the format of your post! I agree that his rage led to his loss of control that ultimately resulted in the tragic beginnings and endings of the play.
ReplyDeleteI like how you support your argument that hamartia was causal of Oedipus's lack of foresight and anger. I agree that Oedipus was blinded because he did not understand his identity, and made small mistakes that he could not foresee.
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