Choice in Sophocles Oedipus Rex Essay Example

When it comes to choices, logically it would make sense to make good choices. Sometimes that’s not the case in most situations. Sophocles’ creation of Oedipus Rex tells the story of a man who allows his stubbornness to take over his emotions and put into a drought of pity. Noticing the reality of a person who shuts out his peers telling them right from wrong, leading him to choose wrong and causing limitations to his fate. This story shows that the choices you make can either make or break your fate and future which the main character Oedipus proves his choices lead to plummeting. 

Oedipus is a character who believes his thoughts and actions are what’s best for himself and the community, but it’s not always what happens with Oedipus, Oedipus tends to reject other’s thoughts when they could be for his own good. As the king of Thebes, Oedipus feels responsible for keeping his people safe, so getting advice from others from the plague, getting advice from others on how to stop it would be logical. Oedipus is used to his thoughts being correct, but in this case, it is not helping the problem. The plague is a problem out of his control which is where the leaders try to guide him on to what’s right and wrong. “If you think there is anything good in being stubborn against all reason, then I say you are wrong” (520-523) This quote shows the stubbornness of his own actions caused him to shut out the wise advice and knowledge from others without knowing it could help his people.  Oedipus tends to show hubris, his excessive pride, which leads him to tune others out and tends to bring out his madness. Creon is trying to enlighten him on what could be best for the town of Thebes. Due to Oedipus’s pride, he has a tendency to believe people are trying to overrule him when being told what certain possibilities could lead to. “Do you think I do not know that you plotted to kill me, plotted to steal my throne? Tell me in god’s name: am I coward a fool, a fool who couldn’t not see your slippery game? A coward, not to fight back when I saw it? You are the fool, Creon, are you not? Hoping without support or friends to get a throne? Thrones may be won or bought you could do neither”. (510) When getting information that doesn’t appeal to Oedipus he tends to be more bothered by what a possible outcome could be than what the present events are happening around him. Oedipus once again is self-centered to his peers and thoughts, when it comes to social interactions. How will this lead to his downfall? The majority of the characters in Oedipus Rex such as Choragos, in this case, try to show the perspective of what others are witnessing. Lead-in needs a little more context. What is happening when Choragos says this line? “Oedipus is it not once I have told you--you must know I should count myself unwise to the point of madness, should I now forsake you--- you, under whose hand, in the storm of another time, our dear land sailed out free. But now stand fast at the helm!” (650-660). Oedipus’s peers try to show him a different perspective of the situation but he refuses to listen to what Choragos has to say about Oedipus’s mindset. 

Oedipus spent hours denying the information his peers had thrown into his mind, at this point of the story nothing was in his control. Oedipus finds out that the parents he claimed weren’t his parents. “No: I will never go near my parents again” (957). The heartbreak and fear that swarm Oedipus at this time leads him to start acting crazy. Oedipus finds out that the parents he thought of before weren’t his parents, which makes him show he slowly gets defeated. “That is true; only-- If only my mother were not still alive! But she is alive. I can not help my dread” (935-937). Oedipus’s mind becomes to turns into a rollercoaster trying to figure things out of what’s the actual truth, was his mindset set up the wrong way, or even if anything he’s hearing is false and people trying to take his position. Dealing with his mind turning Oedipus puts himself into denial. “What do you mean? In the name of God tell me!”(959) ties into Oedipus starting to realize his defeat, he throws himself into a frenzy trying to pull more details about the information told to him. He doesn’t get the answers he is hoping for which seems caused a breakdown in pieces for Oedipus. Oedipus doesn’t do well with not being told the correct facts he believes are correct when information that doesn’t suit him Oedipus goes into the stages of denial. 

At this point in the story, Oedipus is completely in denial. Everything his peers are throwing at him causes Oedipus to actually listen to his peers. Talking to his peers about everything causes him to go crazy, from finding out that his parents weren’t actually his parents, his mother being his lover and mom, and his father being the one he killed throws Oedipus completely off. Particularly in this situation, his mother knows everything and cannot bear to hold the guilt, fear, and truth she knows she couldn’t bring to Oedipus herself. With the guilt pilling up on her chest she decides to hang herself so she wouldn’t deal with the guiltiness she feels. When Oedipus finds her hanging it sends him into not knowing what to believe. “He struck at his eyes-- not once but many times” (944). Oedipus’s emotions couldn’t control his actions, without even thinking he strikes his eyes out, not being able to bear what he has just witnessed. Oedipus is in disbelief with pain and sorrow. “Do not counsel me anymore. This punishment That I have laid upon myself is just. If I had eyes, I do not know how I could bear the sight Of my father when I came to the house of Death, Or my mother: for I have sinned against the both So vilely that I could not make my peace By strangling my own life” (1320-1330).  Here’s another example of Oedipus coming to accept his defeat, his downfall that he would’ve never expected to happen. The truth slowly starts to make sense in his mind which leads him to depression. While Oedipus starts to think his defeat is on himself and accepts all of the outcomes, he slowly starts to become himself again and starts to blame the gods for his action and the outcomes of what the past just held. “Enough. You have wept enough. Now go within” (950- 1460). At the end of  Oedipus Rex, Oedipus cannot control any of his emotions or surrounding. With him now being blind he no longer has to see what the world can throw his way, but can still hear and suffer with what he has to continue living with. 

Wrapping the story of Oedipus Rex, Oedipus himself proves that his own stubbornness led to his actions causing his downfall. The refusal to listen and take accountability for his actions made Oedipus become the downfall of his own actions. So what if your choice to be stubborn and refuse to listen to others causes your own downfall? The message Sophocles was trying to interpret to the readers is that the choices of your actions in this case being stubborn and refusing to listen to your peers can dig you a deeper hole than needed.

WORK CITED 

Sophocles. “Oedipus Rex.” Bedford Anthology of World Literature. Edited by Paul Davis. Bedford, 2004, 899-951.