Oedipus quotes Flashcards
(20 cards)
sight vs blindness quotes
“enter Oedipus, blinded, led by a boy. ha stands at the palace steps as if surveying his people once again”:
keeping in line with the traditions of greek theater, through sophicles not showing oedipus punishing himself but having the messenger read it out, the playwright reinforces the extent of how oedipus punishes himslef.
“i have a terrible fear the blind seer can see”
“unknown in his crime”
“to see with your own eyes”:
dramatic irony as the audience knows the ending of him blinding himself and also forshadowing the ending. Also linking to identity as he doesnt relly know who he is.
“to see the truth when the truth is only pain to him who sees’ - tiresius
“you mock my blindness? let me tell you this. you with your precious eyes, your blind to the corruption of your life”:
dramatic irony, saying its ironic of oesipus to say teiresias is blind because oedipus is blind to the truth and foreshadowing him going physically blind, showing oedipus is arrogent for making that judgment about tiresias.
“time alone can bring the just man to light” - creon
synonyms for “blind/see the truth”
- sightless
- mindless
- irrational
- visionless
- perceive
- recognise
-fact
-reality
fate vs free will - nautical imagery
- holy symbol in greet plays as water was holy
- ocean is representative of their fate: unknown
- “good helsman, steer us through the storm”
fate vs free will quotes
“if ever, once in the past, you stopped some ruin launched against our walls you hurdled the flame of pain far, far from thebes – you gods, come now, come down once more”:
- Greek belief the gods intervened directly in human affairs
- “if ever, once in the past” implied that the gods have directly changed the fate of Thebes before
- Said by the chorus
“now my curse on the murderer. Whoever he is, a lone man unknown in his crime or one among many, let that man drag out his life in agony”:
- “let that man drag out his life in agony” – dramatic irony because he is unknowingly speaking about himself
- He doesn’t have free will – saying the murderer shouldn’t have free will
- “a lone man unknown in his crime” – foreshadowing Oedipus’s fate because he is the murderer
- “curse” implies fate because you no longer have free will
“did you rise to the crisis? Now a word, you and your birds, your gods – nothing. No, but I came by, Oedipus the ignorant, I stopped the sphinx! With no help from the birds the flight of my own intelligence hit the mark”
“what will come will come”
Fate —> there is no way he can escape or change his future and it doesn’t matter when he does, it will happen
-tiresius
“time alone can bring the just man to light”
-Oedipus is being rushed at trying to work it out but Creon is saying patience is needed
-creon
“what should a man fear? its all chance, chance rules our lives”
- Confirms Jocasta’s rejection of fate, different reactions to fate
- Jocasta didn’t believe fate and she got punished because she didn’t believe it
“the curse, the corruption of the land”
-oedipus
“fated to couple with (his) mother… being a breed of children into the light”
“you were born for pain”
-confirming Oedipus’ fate and proving that he cannot contol it
-shepard
“Apollo ordained my agonies—but the hand that struck my eyes was mine, mine alone.” - free will
the role of the gods theme
- powerfull, can detirmine what happends but not necissarily fair
- control fate through prophecies and oricals
- humans dont have free will because of the gods
- punish peop
le when they don’t behave how they want them to
The role of the gods?attitutes toward the gods quotes
“you pray to the gods, let me grant your prayers”
-Saying he is better than the god which is not true, making it ironic and showing his hubris
-his disrespect for the gods may have lead to his suffering
“the gods go down”
-chorus
“a stone alter standing at the centre of the stage” - stage directions?
“apollo’s oracle”
Oedipus quotes
“i am agony”
“man of agony”
you pray to the gods, let me grant your prayers”
“i am Oedipus”
“i have a terrible fear the blind seer can see”
“oh my children”
“not one as sick as i” - arrogence
Tiresias
- although physically blind tiresious sees the truth more than anyone else
- speaks on behalf of the gods
- “you are the merderer you seek”
- “you mock my blindness? let me tell you this. you with your precious eyes, your blind to the corruption of your life”
Jocasta
- Jocasta’s attempts to dismiss prophecy highlight the human desire for control and denial of destiny. Yet her actions, trying to avoid fate, actually contribute to fulfilling it.
- ends in suffering
- “nothing human can penetrate the future”
- “chance rules our lives”
the chorus
- represents the people of thebes
- average people
- shape the viewers opinions
- commentary on the play
Creon
creon acts decisively → at the start oeddipus ordes him to get the prophecy to try and solve the plague and creon says that he has already done it. acting decisively is a good quality that is valued in leaders of Anciety Greek society
- not hubris
- jocastas brother
- trusted leader
- portrayed as a loyal servent of the gods
- remains calm logical and respectfull
“not if you look at things rationally”
“time alone can bring the just man to light”
apostrophe
used to call something far (in greek tragedy, typically mortals to the gods or lost loved ones) as a plea, lament or celebration. sophecles uses this device at various places in this play. For example, “o lord appollo, let it be your favored blessing on us”
catharsis
the emotional release or purification experiences by the audience at the end of the tragedy
hamartia
the tragic flaw or mistake that leads to the downfall of the tragic hero
hubris
excessive pride, arrogence or overconfidence which often leads to the trajic heros downfall
peripeteia
a sudden reversal of fortune for the tragic hero, often leading to their downfall
anagnorisis
a moment of realisation or discovery by the tragic hero, leading to a deeper understanding of their plight
