What does Sophocles intend to prove in Oedipus Rex

The journal of Literature will always pay a golden tribute to Sophocles for his remarkable dramatic genius and his contribution to the art of drama. Undoubtedly drama gets its refined shape in the hand of the Greeks but Sophocles is the one to whom drama will always indebted and thankful.

Sophocles enrich the drama with his versatile genius and lent it the granger as showpiece in form of Oedipus Rex with all its magnificent, which forced the scholar like Aristotle to be an admirer of Sophocles and consequently Aristotle in his “Poetics” quotes “Oedipus Rex” as a model tragedy and Sophocles as model tragedy writer.

Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex, according to the critics, is the greatest play ever written in respect of all dramatic convictions. It reflects the multiple philosophical contents. Generally Greek tragedy is considered to be the tragedy of fate unlike the Shakespearian tragedies, which are known as the tragedies of character. But in case of Oedipus Rex, we can say with certainty that both the elements are present in it. When we analyse Oedipus Rex, he totally seems a puppet in the hand of fate. He does his level best to evade his fate but in spite of all his efforts and wisdom, he becomes a victim of adverse chances and in this sense fate plays a wider role in his doom and downfall. On other hand, Oedipus’ own actions are also responsible for his downfall.

Sophocles, likes other Greek writers, has firm faith in oracles and Oedipus the King, he proves the sanctity of Oracle’. Both king Laius and Oedipus Rex tries to evade the Prophecy of Oracles especially Oedipus Rex, who, to save himself from this sin, leaves his country and moves to unknown city but oracle prophecy proves absolute because these prophecy are determined by gods and no one can escape them.

His innate urge to investigate the murder of king Laius and the search of his own identity bring about all calamities upon Oedipus Rex. Sophocles in this regard intends to show that gods’ ways are mysterious and a human being can’t understand them. King Oedipus wisdom and over confidence fails rather these qualities make him fall into errors.

Sophocles in Oedipus Rex displays his philosophy that man in this universe is just a man and he can’t equal to gods. Sophocles’ play, Oedipus Rex, contains deep philosophic contents. He advises that man must concern himself with his own actions and remain within his own spheres of life. He must not try to be equal to gods in any respect. Excessive desires even for good things such as knowledge, angers and the gods bring men to ruin. It is also inscribed above the temple of Apollo of Delphi “Know thyself” means “know that you are not a god, that you have human limitations.” According to Sophocles, every deed has its consequences which no one can escape.

“No man in the worldCan make the god more than the god will”

Men go through tragedies in plays of Sophocles. They suffer a lot by their own mistakes and revolting against the deity, causing angers to gods. In Sophocles plays, it is the characters themselves who are the architect of their fate, and bring good or bad fortune on themselves by their own actions. As Oedipus says;

“….The god was ApolloHe brought my sick, sick upon me”

Man’s excessive desires and his attempt to raise himself to the status of god often bring ruin to him. Same is the case with Oedipus who after entering the city of Thebes and destroying Sphinx by answering his

riddle, become arrogant. He very openly proclaims his intelligence and wisdom when he taunts the blind Prophet Teiresias,

“And yet the riddle was not to be solvedbut _I_ came,

The simple Oedipus; _I_ stopped her mouthBy mother wit, untaught of auguries”

And in the end we see in spite of all his intelligence and wisdom he fails rather his wisdom ironically becomes the cause of his plight.

“Men of Thebes: look upon OedipusThis is the king who solved the famous riddle…

Yet in the end ruin swept upon him”

Another significance which Sophocles intends to show is human intelligence which can’t rest until every riddle is solved. His thirst to seek knowledge and truth brings calamity upon Oedipus but we feels sympathy for him because we all know that this psychological sense is the common trait of every man. Therefore, we feel as Freud says “Oedipus is every man and potentially everyman is Oedipus”. Likewise, Chorus feels remorse on the self blinding of King and says,

“you were better dead than alive and blind”

Sophocles does not end the play as one would expect him to do, i. e. with Oedipus’ discovery of his identity and the awareness of monstrous crime with which this identity implies. On the other hand, we are shown Oedipus in conversation with the chorus, bidding farewell to his children, and making some requests to Creon. We also see Creon behaving as the new king, and the last chorus refers to the situation of Oedipus and what the spectators may learn from it. Oedipus first expresses his grief and paid over his blindness. He also explains the reason which drove him to blind himself.

And other profound dimension which Sophocles intends to prove is avoid rashness impulsiveness. This particular trait on the part of Oedipus has given a chance to blame Oedipus himself responsible for his destruction. At many instances, Oedipus blurts out in anger. Had Oedipus not been rash and arrogant he would have succeeded in avoiding the catastrophe. For example when he was coming from Delphi and was aware of the prophecy he should have avoided a quarrel with an man, his father age, and marry an old lady, of his mother’ age. Accusing Teiresias and Creon’ conspiracy was another thing a weight upon his blunders which leads Oedipus astray. In his anger, he rushes upon Teiresias and calls him “blind old man”.

Therefore we can safely conclude that this particular play Oedipus Rex is a by Sophocles is a remarable piece of Literature with multiple philosophical intentions to educate the people. Throughout the play, Sophocles intends to prove that man is essentially ignorant, and one who is proud of his intelligence would only turn out to be more ignorant than others.