In his article "On Misunderstanding Oedipus" E.R. Dodds states that readers misunderstand the meaning of Oedipus Rex, because they are too focused on its stifling and oppressive atmosphere, failing to see Oedipus' heroines as a symbol of truth, strength to endure such truth and human intelligence to solve life's riddles. Dodd's first points are obvious; Oedipus continues to open the wound that is his past, ultimately killing his future, making him a martyr to truth and justice; however, the latter is slightly less apparent and a little underdeveloped.
By making Oedipus come to the thrown by solving a riddle, Sophocles has placed intelligence over lineage and has made Oedipus, being the only one who can solve this riddle, the embodiment and epitome of intelligence. But, as in all Greek tragedies, the Gods make a mockery of the mortals, and even though Oedipus has the ability to piece the puzzle that is his downfall together, he does not have the ability to see of of the pieces, and has to rely on the gods to shine light on his dark project. However, Oedipus is placed above the other mortals because he is a strong believer in fate. His efforts to avoid his tragic fate only humanizes him and makes him a universal character that the reader is able to connect with and draw from his tale. Dodds argues that Oedipus represents human intelligence's strive to solve all life's riddles and that Oedipus finally accomplishes a higher state of being with his realization that "human happiness is built on an illusion." We have the illusion of happiness based on trifles of life, living each day interdependent of one another, because we do not have the vision of a higher power. Walking blindly into our fate, our happiness is based on the mentality that ignorance is bliss, and ultimately, after establishing Oedipus as the epitome of intelligence, he is reduced to ignorance, subordinate to the gods.
I think that Dodds over generalizes Oedipus and is too quick to sing his praises by saying the play is about human greatness and failing to recognize his flaws, which make him mortal in the first place. Yes, Oedipus exhibits extreme devotion to his kingdom by taking full responsibility for his unconscious actions; however, Dodds fails to illuminate his quick temper, rash judgement, and attempts to be a good king over a moral being. At one point, Oedipus accuses Creon of treason, and sentences him to banishment, but when Creon retaliates asking Oedipus, "suppose you are wrong?" Oedipus simply answers, "Still I must rule." Can one really generalize Oedipus as the alpha human in this scene? I would agree that his actions make him a great leader, but not human. Where does he use reason and show compassion as Iocaste does? He loves his kingdom and lives for truth and justice, but that is not true for all of mankind. (576)
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2 comments:
This is a good response to the article "On Misunderstanding Oedipus." Your analysis of the article, especially of the more complex of its ideas, is very thorough and provocative, and I like your application of Oedipus's realization to our own lives. Also, your own thoughts on Dodds' article raise a very good point concerning his assumption of greatness in the presence of human flaw; however, I think that the evaluation of human greatness should be taken in a broader sense that does not merely rest on a critique of Oedipus's peccadillos.
Bandro--I like the reading of Oedipus as a symbol of the human intellect, a seeker of truth no matter where it leads him. Also I think that one of the reasons the play continues to be popular today is related to that, because it reinforces a belief that has been prevalent throughout much of history but especially throughout the twentieth century that intellect has its limits and that the deepest currents of human life are so mysterious that they cannot be apprehended through reason alone. In that way, Sophocles and, say, Flannery O'Connor have something in common.
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