Odepius Rex Demonstrates Success Leads to Folly Essay

â€Å"Oedipus Rex demonstrates that success leads to folly, arrogance and mistakes in behaviour.† Discuss. Oedipus the King is a play that recognises the importance of humility and recompense. Oedipus’ acknowledgement of the Gods’ superiority is evident in his fear of the prophecy coming true, indeed, he flees from Corinth for precisely this reason. But at the same time through Oedipus’ self-blinding (where he â€Å"alone† is responsible for his fate) there is a sense of wilful defiance in the face of the omniscient gods. The sane voice of the Chorus sheds light on the people’s fear and awe of the gods. And what of those who foolishly question prophets and fate? As we see in Jocasta, providence does not provide. Certainly, the success of humanist†¦show more content†¦Success is subsidiary to an immovable fate, and Oedipus’ past success leads him into an honourable search for Laius’ killer, a search that gradually intertwines with his own past. Promising the citizens of Thebes he will â€Å"fight† for Laius â€Å"as if he we re my [his] father†, Oedipus gains inspiration from his past success and believes finding Laius’ killer is another opportunity to demonstrate his intellectual ability. In this sense, success does contribute to Oedipus’ downfall, but one must be careful to measure this aspect of the play against the will of the gods. Unlike Oedipus, Jocasta arguably lacks the courage to deal with the consequences of their incestuous relationship, opting for suicide rather than Oedipus’ self-inflicted punishment. As Jocasta questions the infallibility of the gods’ manifestation on earth however (by mocking prophets and oracles), her humanist character is equally strong. But Oedipus is the arbitrator searching for an objective truth. Conversely Jocasta does not desire the truth, pleading with Oedipus to â€Å"Stop – in the name of god, if you love your own life, call off this search!† For Jocasta ostensible success in thwarting prophecy by sending her only son Oedipus to die on Mount Cithaeron has led her to question the reliability of prophets and oracles, a position that would be seen as perilous by Greek audiences at the time. Her