Oedipus Rex was written by Sophocles. In this play, various themes are discussed that are interpreted with respect to modern psychological concepts here. These major themes are:
Guilt and shame:
Oedipus felt guilt and shame due to his foul acts. He didn’t know the person he murdered was his father. Plus, he was also unaware that he had married his mother and had illegal children. After knowing the truth, he felt severe guilt and shame for his actions. The theme of guilt and shame is dominant near the end of the play. Plus, his mother, Jocasta, was also ashamed of her marriage to Oedipus, so she committed suicide in the play.
One has to say that Oedipus was a noble person who because of his fate faced devastating outcomes. He became blind after piercing his eyes and was exiled from Thebes. The basic points of the guilt and shame theme also show that the king lacked emotional intelligence at an extreme level; otherwise, he would not have faced such a harsh fate as he could have stopped himself from hurting his eyes and letting his true identity known to the public. He should have left the city by stating invalid reasons to the public to save the city from the plague. Besides, the same lack of emotional intelligence also caused the murder of the king, Laius, that initiated his tragedy.
Fate versus free will:
Oedipus could have avoided his tragedy if he had controlled his anger and stubbornness caused by his pride. He murdered Laius because of his extreme anger. Then, he found the truth for being stubborn. So Oedipus’ free will influenced the incidents that he wanted to avoid.
Sometimes, fate is unavoidable. However, with regard to the sad events which occurred in the play, it is estimated that Oedipus could have avoided his tragic condition if he had stopped himself from committing the murder or at least stopped himself from harming his eyes in the palace and image in front of the public.
Sight versus blindness:
Throughout the play, before the revelation of the truth, Oedipus believed that he knew very well what he was doing. He was a proud king. And he also taunted Tiresias for his blindness. But in reality, the prophet was the seer because he knew why the city (Thebes) was suffering from the plague. Therefore, despite his blindness, he knew the real identity of Oedipus that the king was unaware of or couldn’t see.
This theme, sight versus blindness, shows that pride affects a person’s ability to comprehend things clearly and leads to destructive outcomes for them. Therefore, the play is a great example of a tragic destiny that the human flaw, pride, can cause for a powerful person.
Conclusion:
So that is all about Oedipus Rex/Oedipus the King themes. It is hoped that you liked the content. If you have any questions or concerns, let the author know via the contact form or email address on the website.