Recently we read Oedipus in class, and it lead me to make a few connections between the story and my Big Blog Question. The big blog question deals with defining our identity, and not allowing others to shape who we are. The question connects to the story of Oedipus because it seems that the Gods have decided Oedipus’ fate, and the more Oedipus tries to run from his destiny and decide his own fortune, the faster he “falls”. Jocasta repeats Oedipus’ destiny on page 10, line 671, “An oracle would be death at the hands of his own son- His son, born of flesh and of mine!” So a question that should be considered is: Does Oedipus even have the option to define himself and choose his own path? The oracle did in fact come true, but it could be argued that he has freedom from his fate at the end of the story when he blinds himself and asks to be abandoned. Maybe now he sees his true self, and has some control over his life. After all, “Those without sight often see what those with sight cannot”.
Kac- I love your Big Question, and the fact that you continue to pose questions throughout your posts. I do think that Oedipus had some control of his fate and defining who he is. I believe that after he marries his mother, the rest of the story has nothing to do with the oracle controlling Oedipus' life.
ReplyDeleteYour posts are thought provoking and very relatable and insightful. Keep up the good work!
Hi Kacie--
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry it's taken me so long to respond to your first post. In fact, I had written a long response, but when I tried to post at home, I was denied access and lost the original response.
So--I want to respond to your second post, which poses a second question about our freedom to define ourselves. I'm so glad you chose a cartoon to begin your post because surely humor is critical in helping us learn not to take ourselves too seriously--and it's so important to be able to laugh at ourselves, especially if we let others define who we are. We are all guilty of allowing outside influences to define us, but you focus on how we can change the direction of our fate and identity once we have been labeled. I really like the direction your thoughts are going because so often we face obstacles in life we can't control. Continue to pursue this train of thought, and good luck!