CAA: Christian Anime Alliance

i finished reading this book for english. And I have to say, i feel so sorry for the Oedipus. Has anyone read it? And what do ya think about it? Ya think it was fair for him so suffer? or not?

Heres a breif synopsis of the book/playwrite


Oedipus The King is about, well, a guy named Oedipus. The before the play/book. There was a legend.

Before Oedipus was born. His parents Laius and Jocasta (they were the king and queen of Thebes) wanted to have a child. So they asked the Oracle of Delphi if they should get one. The oracle said "No, do not bere a son". Jocasta and Lauis were all like "whatever" and bore a son anyway. So the Oracle tells them that Their son will kill his father, and marry his mother.SO they're all like "oh no! what are we gonna do? and stuff" So theygo up to a mountain. And tie him up on and drive nails down his ankles. His name was Oedipus (In greek, it means "swollen foot") Then they leave him up there to die

A shepard hears the baby's cries and decided to go save him, he realizes that the king (Polybus) and queen (Merope) of Corinth (sound familiar? ) weren't able to bare a child. So the shephard was like "I can present this baby for the king and queen! and they can adopt it" So they adopt it and he lives a normal life and stuff. Untill...

One day Oedipus was at a party and stuff. And thios drunk guy goes like "hey, ya know, you aren't your fathers, real son ya know?" So oedipus asks his parents, and they're like "of coruse you're our real child" and stuff. So he goes to the Oracle of Delphi and asks the oracle "Am I my fathers real son?" And the oracle goes like "You will kill your father, and marry your mother" So he gets scared, and runs away... To Thebes

When he gets to the outskirts of thebes, he runs into a caravan full of people. They push Oedipus away so Oedipus fights for self defense. He kills the guards, and an old man. Except for one guard, who escaped. He continues onto Thebes and everyone is suffering. Because of the Sphynx. Many men were unable to defeat the Sphynx. Oedipus decided so challenge it. The Sphynx asks him "What walks with 4 legs in the morning, 2 legs in the afternoon, and 3 in the evening?" Oedipus replies: "Man" (A baby walks on 4 legs in the beginning of it's life, 2 in it's middle age, and 3 becasue an old man would use a cane) So the Sphynx dies. And everyone is like "hurray!, you did it! The King somehow died, so you should be the king and marry the queen!" And stuff. Oedipus did not know that the old man he killed with the caravan was his father, Lauis the King of Thebes. And he marries The Queen of Thebes, Jocasta. Who is his mother.

Now it continues with the book/playwright

Oedipus is married to Jocasta now, they have 4 kids (really scary isn't it) and He is trying to figure out who killed Lauis the king (he still doens't know that he's the murderer). Basically, he talks to people, discovering clues about the murder. He finds out that he's married to his mother. And that he killed his father. So Jocasta hangs herself, and Oedipus takes the golden pins off of Jocasta's dress, and stabs himself in the eyes. So that he would be blind. Then he banishes himself from Thebes

Yeah, that pretty much says it all. I just read that the other day, and it was pretty good reading. I do feel sorry for poor Oedipus (nothing ruins your day like finding out that kind of news) and no he didn't deserve it but hey, thats life. It is good reading and even though you know the truth about oedipus from the begining, It still keeps your attention.

Mr. Sm P., When i saw the your name under the thread started I was like ... hmmm King Oedipus, and Mr. Sm P... do they mix?

Yeah I've read it, it is a tragedy, and there is heaps of dramatic irony, its just oozing with it, like right at the end when his wife/mother (gross) figures it out shes like.. 'no oedipus don't look into the matter anymore' and he is so stupborn that he keeps going, with the whole "I'll kill the man who killed my father" ie himself.

The story actually contiunes after King-Oedipus, he the goes on his quest thing with his daughters, self-banishment i think it was. But I never got around to reading what happend to him.

Piloswine.. you're pretty well read arn't you

I read it for a class a few years back; very well done and lots of fun to read aloud, though the ending really does make you cringe. (Of course, being a tragedy, that's what it's supposed to do.)

Got a favorite character? I was rather fond of Tiresias...

Zane wrote:Mr. Sm P., When i saw the your name under the thread started I was like ... hmmm King Oedipus, and Mr. Sm P... do they mix?

Yeah I've read it, it is a tragedy, and there is heaps of dramatic irony, its just oozing with it, like right at the end when his wife/mother (gross) figures it out shes like.. 'no oedipus don't look into the matter anymore' and he is so stupborn that he keeps going, with the whole "I'll kill the man who killed my father" ie himself.

The story actually contiunes after King-Oedipus, he the goes on his quest thing with his daughters, self-banishment i think it was. But I never got around to reading what happend to him.

Piloswine.. you're pretty well read arn't you

what? mixing names? I'm confused

yeah, there are... 2 other books after this I think. About his daughters, and other stuff.

I for one had no sympathy for Oedipus. He was cocky and refused the good counsel of every person around him. Yeah it sucks that he married his mom, but that never would have happened if he hadn't lost his temper on the road and killed the King.

Mr. SmartyPants wrote:what? mixing names? I'm confused

yeah, there are... 2 other books after this I think. About his daughters, and other stuff.

Yup. Oedipus at Colonoss and Antigone are the other two.

Mr. Smarty Pants.... and...... Ancient greek tradgedies/literature.
Those two, You and reading a play like that. I thought it funny, u don't really come across as a literature guy thats all

CDL... you are a shocker
"yeah it sucks that he marries his mum" Classic.

Ah yes, Antigone I coincidently have to write an essay on that this weekend. About who is the trajic hero in it, Antigone (Oedipus' Daughter/sister) or Creon (Oedipus' Brother in law/Uncle). I am leaning towards Creon at this point.

I have to write the same essay (maybe bc we are in the same lit class ) anyway ya I def think the creon is the tragic hero insttead of antigone. Mainly bc antigone has no real tragic flaw and creon's is clearly his pride (aka hubris in greek)
I've read oedipus the king and antigone but not oedipus at colossus. Kinda sad.
hmmmm maybe that's why it's called a tragedy.

hey at least he didn't know that they were his parents... Hamlet is the real smart psycho.. hahaha

As in a lot of Greek tragedy the point is that Fate is something that one can
never really avoid no matter how clever one is in trying to do so.
There are a lot of IFs to the story of Oedipus:
What IF his parents had decided not to abandon him on the mountain?
What IF the sheperd had left him lying there?
What IF Oedipus hadn't gone to see the Oracle at Delphi?
What IF there hadn't been a famine at Thebes?
What IF Jocasta had recognized her son?
What IF Oedipus and his father hadn't both been so stubborn?
Etc...

but the whole time they were tying to run away from their fate, which is inevitable

so what do ya think. Is his fate fair or no?

i say indescisive, becasue the Gods chose his fate, but he DID try to run away and stuff.

Next playwrite i have to read, death of a salesman

Mr. SmartyPants wrote:Next playwrite i have to read, death of a salesman

Another one that people say is a classic, but I didn't enjoy it.

sadly i haven't read it.
I am currently reading hamlet though, so far I'm, only through act 2.

I loved Hamlet.

I'm going to be reading Oedipus the King after The Iliad in my Classical Civilization class.

Creon was great. He was totally my favorite character. Based mainly on the fact that he had the chorus following him around like puppies (to the best of my recollection) and he seemed almost sane (which is saying something). Antigone is by far my favorite of the three plays mainly because a friend of mine did a hilarious parody/rewrite of it...

Oedipus got what was coming to him. He killed his father and marries his mother. I'd say his reaction to that revelation was understandable. If he had been a little more humble and accepted some one else'e advise, the whole thing would have been very avoidable.

Have fun with Willie Lowman. He's another character whose a little messed in the head. But his kid Biff - boy could he simonize

o cool a discussion on oedipus! yea i read this book over the summer and finished reading hamlet two months ago. both are so interesting and if u think about it they are very similar. i had ti write an essay for my ap class on any subject pertaining to a comparison with hamlet so i decided to compare hamlet and oedipus. it wasnt an easy paper to write but just discussing the two was so interesting i couldnt stop writing. i really love the background of both the stories and if u have read hamlet and not oedipus then i highly suggest u do cuz it puts another perspective to it, like a predetermined fate and well i wont get into it, but i really loved both of these books.

I love Oedipus. Great story.