The quote I have chosen comes from Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex, a classic Greek tragedy first performed around 428 B.
C. It stands through the test of time, examining the conflict of fate and free will, of truth and blindness, rendering itself a relevant and insightful drama even in today’s modern world. After Oedipus have found out the truth about his lineage and have realized that the prophecy that he has sought to escape has come true, he takes out his eyes and banishes himself on exile.Before he does, the messengers come in to inform the audience of what has befallen Oedipus crown and family: Jocasta has killed herself and Oedipus cursed because of his actions, and thus speak: Ills wrought of malice, not unwittingly. The worst to bear are self-inflicted wounds.
I find the passage significant for it gives the individual control of his actions, and renders him responsible for the decisions he has made in contrast with passing on to fate and destiny the personal tragedies that we experience. In a nutshell, what the passage means is that the greatest grief is that we bring ourselves.Further, by saying ills wrought of malice, not unwittingly, it says that we are always aware of our actions, even at a subconscious level – we know the intent of our actions, and for all our actions there are consequences. The worst to live with are the ones we know we have brought on ourselves. Otherwise, if we remain ignorant, remain in the dark of what we have done and the price that we have to pay, it loses it remuneration value. Thus, it cuts deeper to know that the tragedies we are experiencing are brought about by our very selves.
To further elaborate on this concept, this paper will first examine the appeal of Oedipus Rex to the Greeks at its time, and what makes Oedipus Rex relevant in our day. I argue that the passage pertains to the sovereignty of the individual, of the individual’s control over his own actions and decisions. Oedipus Rex is a tragedy colored with prophecies and Greek gods, but at the heart of it is the celebration of free will and choice. The Greeks were a people who believed in fate and the capacity of humanity – they subscribed to prophecies and worshipped gods even as they developed their arts and sciences.
They saw their gods as their counterparts – they gave them human-like qualities and emotions. They were familiar with the story of Oedipus and his family, and so watching it being performed only heightened the story’s tragic end. A familiar concept associated with Oedipus Rex is blindness – Oedipus as the "most blind" character and Tiresias blessed with sight even if he was physically blind. Oedipus started out as an insightful character who solved the Sphinx riddle, highly capable and successful, but the actions he has done in the past – killing a man in a roadside – comes back to haunt him, in the form of fulfilling the prophecy.Although Oedipus Rex supports the idea of there is no escaping fate, or the destiny written by the gods, I would like to argue otherwise. Oedipus Rex has exerted his free will to escape the prophecy – he left Corinth to get away from the parents he thought was his own.
However, he had to pay for his actions – he kills a stranger for no good reason but pride. If he had better values and virtues, would he have not fulfilled the prophecy? He had the choice whether to kill the man or not – he did not know it was his real father, but not fulfilling the prophecy should not be the first criteria in making decisions.We are not on this world only to prove or disprove prophecies – but to live honest, godly lives as well. Further, the first prophecy revealed to Lauis and Jocasta only mentioned that a son born to them will slay its father.
Out of fear, Jocasta gave the baby to be killed. For her actions, the prophecy has gained a clause as revealed to Oedipus: he will kill his father and wed his mother. Also, Oedipus pursued the truth –he was blind to the details of his life, but he pursued the truth nonetheless even when Jocasta dissuaded him. In the end, he took off his eyes and decreed himself to be exiled.
He put it on himself as punishment for what he has done, not wailed what has befallen him as though he was a mere victim of events. It shows that he was no mere pawn to the hands of destiny, but rather a captain of his life. Yes, the Greeks knew what was going to happen to Oedipus, but I believe that they also saw the humanity in his character – he was flawed, he was given a prophecy, he was not able to escape it, but in the end, he paid in full for his actions – and that is what matters – he owned his actions as his own and not as destined by the stars.In the same way, I believe that the passage is relevant and significant in today’s world.
More than ever, we are bombarded with information and choices, and it is easy to point the finger at somebody else when something goes wrong. It is taxing to live with one’s conscience that is it is much easier to pretend not to see truth. How many cases are there of broken marriages and homes? Of people going to psychiatrists to help them figure out why their lives are a mess? Of all the other people who pretend that they are doing okay even when they are not happy and fulfilled?We are a blinded people, thinking that material wealth can compensate for the anguish and anxiety of living. In the most basic sense, we turn a blind eye to the suffering around us – from the war happening in other countries to the abject poverty across the street.
We turn a blind eye to the mirror and ask ourselves: why is my life like this? Where is happiness? Everywhere there is discontent. The truth is, our lives are the way they are because of our actions and decisions.We should realize that we cannot continue to blame others for all the problems that we have. We can blame the economy for the way our finances are going; the government for all our problems; our childhood for all our issues, but it will not change anything. The answer lies within us, we are to blame, and we are the ones who bring tragedy to our lives, knowingly or unknowingly.
The difference lies in knowing and accepting ourselves, so that we will be able to make enlightened decisions.This realization entails enormous courage; it brings grief, but also hope, because knowing this you can do something about it. We realize then that as being responsible for our actions, the only ones who can truly make our lives miserable is us. We are the only ones who have the power to hurt ourselves, to allow others to affect us.
The knowledge that the individual is sovereign over himself – over the choices he makes and the choices he decides not to make – is a burden, a huge responsibility because it entails owning up for the consequences of one’s actions.It is not easy; it is not an attractive prospect. However, we should know also that whatever happens to us, we have control over our own attitude, on the way we look at things, on the way we decide what to do in any given situation. We have control, we have free will. Nothing is written on stone.
True, as Jocasta said, no human can penetrate the future, and more than that, no human is without choices. I think that is what Oedipus Rex is about – that the greatest grief is the ones we cause ourselves.
