A week with Oedipus

     This week in World Literature, we studied literature written by Sophocles.  The first piece was Oedipus- the King and second piece was Oedipus at Colonus.  Oedipus- the King dealt with prophesy and fate, shame and guilt, truth and lies, and also, sight and blindness.  As a child, it was the gods that said through prophesy that Oedipus would kill his father and lay with his mother.  So his parents injured his ankles and got rid of him. But the climax of the story is that fate happened and he eventually killed his father and layed with his mother. Having realized that the man he thought was his father was not, but was the man riding a chariot outside of town that he actually killed, in defense. Also the woman giving to him for his great works, to which he had children, was his mother, Oedipus blinded himself, out of shame and guilt.

The city of Thebes was suffering plague and death until the man that killed the king was avenged, Oedipus was kicked out of the city because of the horrible crime committed and the shame he had brought to his family and city.

This was a interesting piece of literature.  It was very entertaining. Reading literature is all new for me.   When I was younger and in school, literature was boring and I just didn't feel the need to read such spiritless material.  Oh how wrong I was.  I have come to realized the importance of ancient literature and how relevent it is to today's culture. It is the a light came on in my spirit and I cannot wait to get to the next piece of literature to be given to see what history unveils to me.  Because reading the playwrights of classical greek text is still alittle confusing to me, I have found youtube to be quite helpful. As I read the literary work, I follow along with the video.  This process has been a great aid to not only my comprehension of the written work but the imagery of the authors intent.   I was able to put myself in Oedipus's shoes, the shock of hearing the prophesy from others and then realizing that it has already happened.  The shame and guilt he felt, I felt.

      I, then, followed by reading Oedipus at Colonus. This playwright was a continuation.  Years after Oedipus being banished from the place where he ruled and had many great memories, he was now begging for food, blind, and had to live with the shame and gulit of his past.  Being lead by one of his daughters ( and sister), was lead once again by prophesy to a sacred place to die. As if the gods were apologizing for the life he had to live.  Now, it was about redemption.  Where ever his body was laid to rest would be protected and blessed. WOW! I don't think I would want that kind of redemption for a life of HELL. But he was the ruler of a nation, had a beautiful wife and children, fame, and power. But to be stripped, shamed, and belittled for the rest of his life, AND then BE granted atonement for such a life. No, that ok.  I personally don't believe in fate.  I believe that we are given choice by GOD to make our own future. But for the sake of good story-telling, I really enjoyed them both.  Now, on to Anigone....