Michelle Kordov PD7 12/19/22

 Literacy & Learning

• Write about your thoughts regarding any of the fiction or nonfiction covered in class.

• Reflect on any new information you have learned in English class by considering how that learning influences your critical perception.

• How is what you’re learning applied to any other classes/the world around you?

Oedipus Rex is a tragic tale that beautifully illustrates the concept of Greek catharsis. Oedipus Rex, also known as Oedipus the King, is a play written by the ancient Greek playwright Sophocles. The play tells the story of Oedipus, a man who becomes king of Thebes after solving the riddle of the Sphinx and ending a plague afflicting the city. However, Oedipus soon learns that he has unknowingly fulfilled a prophecy that he would kill his father and marry his mother, leading to tragic consequences for him and those around him. One of the central themes of the play is the idea of fate versus free will. Oedipus is doomed to fulfill the prophecy that he will kill his father and marry his mother, but he makes choices throughout the play that ultimately lead him to this fate. This conflict between fate and free will is further complicated by the fact that Oedipus is unaware of the prophecy until it is too late to change his actions. Another important theme in the play is the role of truth and knowledge. Oedipus is determined to uncover the truth about his past and the identity of his true parents, and he is willing to go to great lengths to discover the truth. However, this quest for knowledge ultimately leads to his downfall, as he realizes that he has unknowingly fulfilled the prophecy. The play also explores the dangers of hubris, as Oedipus' pride and desire to solve the riddle of the Sphinx ultimately lead to his tragic fate. Overall, Oedipus Rex is a powerful and tragic play that explores complex themes of fate, free will, truth, and hubris. Its enduring popularity and relevance is testament to its timeless themes and the enduring appeal of its central character, Oedipus. 

I was really excited to go over and read this play. I had already been familiar with Signmund Freud’s infamous Oedipal complex; I even emphasized it in the earlier Cinderella project in which my group chose to discuss the psychoanalytic critical lens of the old Cinderella fairy tales. This complex is definitely one of the most popular ones of Freud’s, and it has become a household name within the internet sphere, especially as the younger generations become more enthralled with psychology and sociology. However, I never sat down and took the time to read the origin story. As confusing as it was, I really appreciated the complexity of the plot. Sophocles created an elegantly twisted story intertwined with gruesome, uncomfortable themes and I believe that it should be respected. It took me a few times to fully understand how in the end Jocasta was able to figure out the truth, but Natalie Haynes’ Pandora’s Jar was a great afterread that allowed me to decipher complicated syntax and diction in the play. Furthermore, I was blown away by Mrs. Fusaro’s and Haynes’ analysis of Jocasta and motherhood. In the story, Oedipus is the main character and the whole story focuses around him. When Jocasta is introduced, her character goes through the notions of the tragedy fairly quickly and isn’t given as much time in the story. The reader is presented with Jocasta as if she is just a side character, when in reality there is a whole layer left unacknowledged. Jocasta went through the joys and pains of motherhood; 9 months that culminated in the formation of a bond with her child, her son. Jocasta is already a mother even before the child is physically born, and the connection that a mother feels with her unborn child is so powerful that only a mother can truly understand it. And after all that, her son is ripped away from her and left for dead, just so his father Laius can protect himself from his fate of death. Then, as Jocasta realizes that after all this time her second husband and father of her children was her own son, Oedipus, she is spiritually reunited with him and his existence, yet Oedipus is once again ripped away from her with the understanding that she has fallen victim to the dreadful prophecy and had offspring as a product of incest; are these kids even truly hers? Or just an amalgamation of her worst nightmare? She loses her son, children, and motherhood so quickly, just as Oedipus “goes from king, husband, father and son, to widower, murderer, ruin, exile.” I am just so captivated by these nuances of the story, and I absolutely love how Pandora’s Jar elaborates on them. Jocasta truly is the cleverest in the play, as she goes back into the palace, makes the decision to kill herself and carries it out all before Oedipus himself works out what she realizes immediately. The suicidal hanging being a symbol of virginity (as in Greek myth it was employed by virginal girls) is so undeniably powerful as Jocasta wishes of a time where she was innocent and never conceived Oedipus. I am not sure what it is about Natalie Haynes’ analysis of Jocasta, perhaps it's my own feelings of catharsis, but it strikes a chord in me. I am fascinated and inspired by the dissection of such details and the meaningful connections that are created. Did Sophocles expect his work to be so thoroughly examined? Or did he want for play-goers in ancient Greece to just feel bad for a moment about someone else’s problems so that they could feel better about themselves? 

Learning these new perspectives of the play opened up a new world of emotions for me; emotions of a character that I haven’t acknowledged as a reader. This conveys the significance of analyzing different viewpoints, as once you truly put yourself in the shoes of someone else, you can critically dissect a situation. People are formed by their experiences, so by failing to take a moment to look into those unfamiliar foundations, we are ignorant and cannot grasp the objectivity of an issue.