Thursday, January 23, 2014
There's a Flaw in the System
The more we get to know someone, the more we find that we might not like. Sort of like Donkey in "Shrek" explaining about the layers of an onion. As you've read the bulk of the play, Oedipus's character clarifies, and some of the pieces aren't so wonderful. Consider his actions and choices, and determine his flaw. What is it, and what is the evidence that supports it? What mistake in judgment is caused by his flaw? What does the mistake ultimately lead to? Be clear about the flaw, the mistake in judgment, and the consequences.
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Oedipus's flaw is his temper. Being the King comes many decisions, and power. So Odeipus needs to have respect for all of his citizens so that they will respect him more. But his temper is not a way to treat any other, and especially not a way for a King to treat any of his people. For example when Oedipus is having discussions that are about his sick town, family, or prophecies. He gets very angry right away if someone doesn't want to tell the answer. So he threatens them by saying, "You will die now unless you speak the truth." and "You are a dead man if I have to ask you again." (pg. 62,63) Even though it may be a very important topic that he is discussing with his people, but it is no way that a King should be treating others while talking to them. These mistakes ultimately lead to people not liking him, and by going against him. The consequences can also lead to people leaving the town, or even keeping the town sick with the plague.
ReplyDeleteOedipus has really only had one big flaw in his lifetime which was going against the Gods. When Oedipus was young the Gods told Oedipus that he would kill his father and that he would marry and have kids with his mother. In order to avoid this prophecy Oedipus made the decision to leave his "parents", and the city of Corinth. What Oedipus did not realize was that Polybos and Morope were not his actual parents. He was really walking to his doom. On his journey he killed his father who was King Laios. He solved the riddle of the sphinx and became king of Thebes. Here he married his own mother who had a necklace that made her look many years younger. Oedipus never found out that he had completed his prophecy until years later and it was to late. Why leaving Corinth was his flaw is because leaving his parents would show that he was trying to evade his own prophecy created by the gods. The gods never allow people to go against their wording so they made sure to punish him severely. So during Thebes's plague the only way to solve it was to find the murderer of Laios which was Oedipus who did not know. He went through all of this just because of going against the Gods. If the gods say its going to happen, its going to, no matter how hard your try to avoid it.
ReplyDeleteThere is one very very large flaw that Oedipus has and that is the fact that he is arrogant. The proof that he is arrogant is the fact that he thinks he can defy the gods will. In the book when he hears that he will kill his father and marry his mother he leaves the city state where his not real parents live so that he wont kill his father. But because they are gods an they always get their way, on the way to Thebes he killes his real father and because of this is the new king and marries his mom and because he is arrogant. The consequence of this huge flaw is his downfall.
ReplyDeleteOedipus’s flaw is his attitude. He is so determined to find the truth of his origin, and to find the killer of Oedipus, he doesn’t realize, that the truth can be just as hurtful, and is sometimes better unknown. In multiple scenarios, Oedipus wants to know the truth, even though other characters, are saying that they don’t think he should know it. This happens when Oedipus was talking to Teiresias, who said “How dreadful knowledge of the truth can be When there’s no help in the truth.” Oedipus ignores Teiresias, and continues to be persistent to know the truth. This happens again when Iocaste, says don’t look into finding the Shepherd, and who your father and mother is. She is saying that it doesn’t matter “For G-d’s love, let us have no more questioning.” He again ignores and is determined to find the truth when the Shepherd doesn’t want to tell Oedipus who gave him to him, before Oedipus was given to the messenger. His mistake in judgement, was when Teiresias, warned him not to look into the murder, and find out who his family is, but Oedipus justs disregards him, and continued his search. His mistake/flaw leads to him finding out who his family is, and that he murdered the king and has to be exiled. It also leads, to the death of his wife, and Oedipus becoming blind.
ReplyDeleteThe biggest flaw Oedipus has is his temper. Oedipus starts out the story being a very lovable king who wants nothing but the best for the people of his city. You can clearly see the compassion and real concern he has for his people when they come to him to try and save them from the plague that is brought upon them. But its when Oedipus starts searching for the truth that you start to see some of his true colors. He goes from being nice to angry in less than a mili second every time he is told the truth about different parts of the mystery of the murdering of king Laios. Its like when he doesn't hear what he really wants to hear and gets accused of things he looses it and his temper takes over. Because of this flaw, he accuses his own brother in law Creon of plotting along side Teiresias to try and take over his throne which we know ends up being wrong. Along with this, he continues to upset more and more people the more he lets his temper take control and threaten and scream at people. These mistakes end up leading to people getting mad at him and disliking him more as a king and really questioning if he is telling the truth.
ReplyDeleteThe biggest flaw of Oedipus is that he disobeyed the gods. The way that he disobeys the gods is when he learns that he is going to kill his father and marry his mother so he leaves. I think his arrogance was what made him disobey the gods. He thinks that he is all mighty and he is allowed to go against what they say and nothing will happen. When he disobeyed the gods he ended up killing his father without realizing it after he had been run off the road by him. His mistake of disobeying them never works because in the end the gods get what they want.
ReplyDeleteThough Oedipus has a good amount of flaws (like anybody does) his biggest one is his arrogance . This directly causes Oedipus to leave Corinth. On page 42 after he tells Iocaste what the oracle told him he says “ I heard all of this, and fled. [...] To a land where I should never see the evil sung by the oracle. And I came to this country where, so you say, King Laios was killed.” Because of this mistake caused by his arrogance he made it so that the oracle could come true, it caused him to kill his father and marry his mother. Oedipus’ arrogance and, by effect, his search for the truth, are in the end what caused him to bring about his fate. He thought he could go against the gods and come out on top having deceived them and the oracle. It is a trait that he shares with his mother, Iocaste. Both of them thought themselves above the gods, which caused them to give the gods what they wanted in the end.
ReplyDeleteOedipus's flaw is that he wants the truth and thinks the truth is everything. He doesn't realize that sometimes a lie is the only good option. Especially as a leader of many people. "If you repeat a lie often enough, people will believe it, and you will even come to believe it yourself." This quote says that you can make the lie the truth if you keep saying it. I think that Oedipus is too committed to the truth. In the end the truth really screws him over.
ReplyDeleteOedipus’ fatal flaw is his arrogance. He thinks that he could outsmart the gods by running away and trying to stop the prophecy. Though in any other greek tale if someone tries to outsmart the gods it usually ends up badly, Oedipus is no different. Little did he know that he was playing right into the hands of the gods by accidentally killing his father while he was traveling, and unknowingly marrying his mother after he became king. In the end his arrogance is what made the prophecy come true.
ReplyDeleteAlthough one can claim tht Oedipus has many flaws, his biggest flaw is that he tries to outsmart the G-d’s on multiple occasions. The fact that Oedipus tries to outsmart the G-d’s shows he is very arrogant and infers that he has a big ego. The biggest example of Oedipus trying to outsmart the gods is when Oedipus is told that he will “kill his father and sleep with his mother.” After hearing this, Oedipus flees Corinth and is certain that he won’t kill his “parents” if he is far away from them. What Oedipus doesn’t know is that the G-d’s are smarter than him. Oedipus ends up killing his real father, King Laios on his way from fleeing his “parents”. Soon later, he becomes king and marries Iocaste. Little does he know that Iocaste is his mother. Hence, the G-d’s prophecies were right from the beginning. Indeed, Oedipus misjudges his ability to control his fate and that is why he was ultimately outsmarted by the G-d’s prophecies.
ReplyDeleteIn the play Oedipus rex the main character Oedipus has many flaws. His biggest flaw would be his arrogance. When he disrespects the gods and tries to out smart them he is punished badly and his fate becomes true. His mother is also his wife and they had 4 children together. His mistake in judgement is the mistake of thinking he can outsmart the gods. In the end he doesn't have to kill his father, which is good. After his mistake he realized that his fleeing of Corinth has also resulted in punishment because in the end the gods have gotten what they wanted and Oedipus has lost.
ReplyDeleteOedipus' biggest flaw is his inflated sense of pride. This comes into play when after mocking Tiresias for his blindness, he still cannot accept the possibility that he is the murderer. Even through all of the things he went through, Oedipus stayed relatively strong. Not many people could endure such hardships and remain sane, let alone punish themselves as they see fit. Oedipus' downfall comes when he argues with Creon after mocking Teiresias and continues to deny the possibility that he is the murderer. He continues to search down a path and find out the truth in a much harder way. He starts to realize that he has already fulfilled his own prophecy when the servant brings up the subject of his bound ankles and makes Iocaste run away. If his sense of pride had not been so bloated, he could have lifted the plague much faster and exiled himself.
ReplyDeleteI think oedipus' flaw is his rage. This rage causes him to kill the king, get mad at tireseas and not hear what the prophet has to say, and threaten the life of a messenger. The real mistake he makes because of his rage is that he kills laios. This fulfills the prophecy and leads to him marrying his mother and then finding that out later and finally causing him to learn his lesson. So to recap his flaw is that he becomes easily enraged which causes him to kill king laios which causes him to fulfill the rest of the prophecy and suffer
ReplyDeleteOedipus' flaw is his arrogance. Ultimately it is his arrogence that leads him to doject being pushed off the road. When he objects being kicked off the road whilst fleeing Corinth, he hit and killed all the people in/around the Chariot. His biggest mistake and a mistake that his parents made was, trying to outsmart the gods. When he flees Corinth to Thebes his arrogance give his the delusion he can outsmart the gods. This flaw causes him to fulfill the prophecy.
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