Mastering Sophocles’ Oedipus the King
Oedipus the King; on the surface, it's a play about a dude having sex with his mum. It's archaic. It's confusing. It's boring. Yet, it's one of my favourite texts to tutor. Why? Because there are virtually unlimited points of analysis to dissect. The context is rich, the themes are philosophical, and the script is laced with language features.
To help you guys out, I've put together a post with the basics. Quotes? A prompt bank? An exemplary essay? I've got you. From here, simply prepare some analysis under each theme and practice writing essays. That's it!
Here's to turning your hatred for Oedipus the King into appreciation (that your school didn't choose a Shakespeare play. Yuck!).
Authorial Intent:
Fate & The Gods-
Drawing from the philosophical ideology of determinism, Sophocles contends that all individuals have a preordained destiny that is inescapable.
Illustrating their omnipotence, Sophocles depicts the gods as all powerful beings, capable of orchestrating the lives of humanity.
Sophocles highlights the importance of piety, suggesting there are grave consequences for failing to revere the gods.
Free Will & Humanity-
Reflecting the philosophical ideology of compatibilism, Sophocles recognises that human beings are autonomous agents with a degree of control over their lives.
By exploring the agency of mankind, Sophocles demonstrates that human beings bare moral responsibility for their actions.
The Pursuit of Truth-
Sophocles warns against the relentless pursuit of truth, highlighting the relationship between knowledge and misery.
Sophocles portrays truth as an inevitable force that comes to light, regardless of ones’ attempt to suppress it.
Exploring the silver lining of self-reflection, Sophocles asserts that confronting the truth is the only way a person can break free from their past.
Ignorance-
Due to the destruction of self-discovery, Sophocles asserts that ignorance—though corrosive in the long-term—is blissful.
Sophocles explores how ignorance can prompt individuals to turn a blind eye to their transgressions, eroding their ethical framework.
Sophocles condemns ignorance as a toxic attribute that prevents people from recognising the anguish of those around them.
Pride & Hubris-
Sophocles demonstrates how hubris can drive individuals to arrogantly undermine the power of the gods.
Exploring the interplay between pride and ignorance, Sophocles conveys how the danger of arrogance lies in its capability to eliminate self-reflection.
Quote Bank:
Fate & The Gods-
Free Will & Humanity-
The Pursuit of Truth-
Ignorance-
Pride & Hubris-
Prompt Bank:
“Oblivion—what a blessing...”
‘Oedipus the King shows that ignorance is bliss.’ Discuss.
To what extent do the characters accept their fate in Oedipus the King?
“You pray to the gods? Let me grant your prayers.”
‘Oedipus the King depicts pride as an entirely destructive quality.’ Discuss.
How does Sophocles create sympathy for the characters in Oedipus the King?
‘Oedipus the King suggests that it is foolish to trust in the gods.’ Do you agree?
“So I honor my obligations: I fight for the god and for the murdered man.”
‘The characters in Oedipus the King are all driven by their sense of obligation.’ To what extent do you agree?
‘Oedipus the King highlights the ramifications of attempting to secure ones' legacy.’ Discuss.
How does Sophocles denounce those whose lives are governed by wrath in Oedipus the King?
‘The characters in Oedipus the King are victims of their own greed and ambition.’ To what extent do you agree?
“Apollo—he ordained my agonies—these, my pains on pains!”
‘In Oedipus the King, all characters are living in anguish.’ Do you agree?
‘Oedipus the King suggests that people have little control over their lives.’ Discuss.
“It’s perfect justice: natures like yours are hardest on themselves.”
‘Oedipus the King demonstrates that people always get what they deserve.’ To what extent do you agree?
How does Sophocles champion collective responsibility in Oedipus the King?
“You’re blind to the corruption of your life. ”
‘Oedipus the King suggests that blindness drives immorality.’ Discuss.
To what extent does Oedipus the King highlight that life is intrinsically unjust and miserable?
"I’m at the edge of hearing horrors, yes, but I must hear!"
'The characters in Oedipus the King do not possess self-control or pride.’ Do you agree?
‘In Oedipus the King, the characters are more guilty than innocent.’ Discuss.
‘Oedipus the King shows the burden of leadership.’ To what extent do you agree?
How does Sophocles use subtext in Oedipus the King to reveal the truth?
“It’s all chance, chance rules our lives. ”
‘The tragic events that unfolded in Oedipus the King were inescapable.’ Discuss.
Sample Exemplary Essay:
In Oedipus the King, all who deserve it are justly punished. Do you agree?
Should human beings critique the gods for the pain they inflict upon mankind or accept moral responsibility for behaving unvirtuously? Exploring this tension, Sophocles' tragedy Oedipus the King, first performed in 429 BCE during the Great Dionysia festival, follows a ruler as he unethically dismisses the legitimacy of prophecies and the power of Apollo, culminating in his demise. In line with the philosophical ideology of compatibilism, Sophocles suggests that while the Olympians have the power to orchestrate the fate of humanity, individuals are autonomous agents with the capacity to shape how they respond to their preordained destinies. Leveraging this autonomy, the characters in Sophocles' mythical world tend to immorally disregard the power of divine entities, defying the traditional value of reverence that permeated Ancient Greece. In this regard, the characters do indeed deserve the punishment they receive in Oedipus the King.
Sophocles conveys the compatibilist belief that individuals can influence the trajectory of their own lives, as long as they remain within the confines of their destiny. Beginning in medias res, Sophocles deviates from the traditional myth, in which Oedipus fulfils the prophecy, instead exploring its tragic conclusion. This allows him to unpack how people respond to their destinies, as exemplified in the prologue. As exposition, the Priest describes the misery that Thebes is enduring, personifying the city as a "ship" unable to "lift her head from the depths, the red waves of death." While this nautical imagery is universally considered a symbol for the gods' power, Sophocles’ depiction of Oedipus as a “helmsman” who can “steer” the “vessel” through the “storm” suggests that individuals can nevertheless shape how they respond to the divine will—they can either surrender to ruin or guide their community to safety. The existence of human agency is reflected through Oedipus' anagnorisis, in which he "digs" Jocasta's brooches "down the sockets of his eyes" as a form of punishment for being "blind in the darkness." This violent act is symbolic of his shame and, in turn, moral accountability for undermining the validity of prophecies and the capabilities of Apollo. In acknowledging this, Oedipus is indirectly conceding that he committed transgressions out of his own volition. His agency becomes explicit when he asserts, "the hand that struck my eyes was mine, mine alone." Here, the use of the personal pronoun "mine" demonstrates Oedipus' belief that he possesses responsibility for the misery he is enduring, further conveying that human beings exhibit a degree of control over their own choices in life.
Taking advantage of their agency, the characters in Oedipus the King tend to transgress the Ancient Athenian societal norm to revere the Olympians, instead opting to undermine their power. Initially, the chorus respect the gods, calling Apollo the "lord of the light," symbolising his knowledge and capacity to protect Thebes from the plague. However, as Jocasta spews her rhetoric about the inaccuracy of prophecies, they begin to criticise oracles and, by extension, the gods . For instance, the chorus claim they will "never again" revere Delphi, a word in Ancient Greece meaning "womb," as Athenians traditionally believed this sacred precinct was located at the centre of the world. Thus, by refusing to respect Delphi, the chorus are not merely questioning prophets, but the very fabric of Ancient Greek religion itself. Simultaneously, Sophocles use of the high modality word "never" in this excerpt demonstrates how the chorus are questioning their spirituality with conviction, as paralleled through their evolving perception of the gods, from omnipotent beings "towering above" Thebes, to powerless entities "go[ing] down." Here, Sophocles employs a visual metaphor of the Olympians physically descending to embody the chorus' belief in their diminishing power. At a time where religion was considered self-evident and incontestable, this would have appeared scornful, sacrilegious, and therefore subversive of social norms. In depicting the chorus' disrespect, Sophocles thus highlights the reasonable and deserving nature of their regression.
Therefore, the punishment imposed upon the characters in Oedipus the King is both warranted and fair. In the final episode, when the truth emerges, Oedipus asserts, "my darkness, drowning, swirling around me / crashing wave on wave." Here, the use of the personal pronoun "my" is italicised to indicate the transformation of the wave metaphor from a vehicle to portray the gods' capacity to destroy mankind, to a physical manifestation of Oedipus' self-annihilation. Due to this sense of pathos, whilst we might empathise with him, we simultaneously understand why he received such a severe punishment — he repeatedly undermined and rejected clues in the mystery to avoid incriminating himself, an attitude that was not ordained in the prophecy, but a product of his own hubris. In particular, following Tiresias' insight into the mystery, Oedipus figuratively likens the oracle's "eyes" to "stone," implying that he is blind to the divine truth. This, of course, is ironic as Oedipus is the one blissfully ignorant to his involvement in the prophecy. Since this scene is structured as a stichomythia, Oedipus appears irrational and short-tempered, further amplifying his tendency to reject divine wisdom without considering its plausibility. Therefore, by portraying Oedipus—a fully autonomous individual—as dismissive of divine truth, Sophocles' suggests that he deserves the eventual suffering he receives.
Ultimately, Sophocles suggests that although the Olympians govern human fate, individuals still possess a degree of autonomy. By abusing this privilege and defying the reverence central to Ancient Greek society, his characters render their eventual punishment in Oedipus the King both reasonable and deserved. Sophocles therefore instils in his ancient Athenian audience the idea that human beings possess an immutable obligation to respect divine authority, as failing to do so inevitably warrants retribution.
