Oedipus and the Sublime - Jacob Hamilton
Oedipus the King and Oedipus at Colonus by Sophocles are tales fundamentally about the Sublime and terrible truth that lay behind the surface of things. Oedipus is a contradiction. He saved Thebes from the horrible sphinx by cracking its riddle and becomes a king. Yet, he is also the infection which plagues the Thebans. Through his wisdom, Oedipus ascended to great heights yet it was also his wisdom which led to his downfall. A major theme within these plays is how the appearance of things can be deceptive. The woman who shared Oedipus’ bed was his mother. The man he killed was his father. Yet, these were truths he could not see with his eyes. At the end of Oedipus the King, he blots out his eyes because they are ultimately so misleading. In Oedipus at Colonus, he is exiled as the impurity that plagues Thebes but comes to be a blessing for the Athenians.
A major theme within the Greek Tragedy is the erosion of the order of the city by the sublime forces which lay beyond. There are terrible and strange powers that lie behind the surface. Oedipus, in his wisdom, comes to understand the terrible contradiction of humankind. He comes to realize that he did not know who he was nor the monsters that lay in his past. Yet, there is also a hopeful message found within these stories. One must make room for the sublime powers lest one becomes its victim. The cursed Oedipus finds some acceptance among the Athenians and ultimately becomes a blessing.
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