Sophocles
originally performed around 429 BC
(ebook read)
Oedipus also referred to as Oedipus Rex is a famous Greek tragedy and the story of a King who unknowingly fulfills the prophecy of killing his own father and marrying his mother. Often referred to as the greatest of Greek tragedies, the play ends with the father (King Liaus) murdered by his son, Oedipus and the mother (Queen Jocasta) killing herself. Recognising his role in the tragic turn of events, the son (King Oedipus) gorges out his own eyes.
In reading the play, I have realised the difficulty in reading a Greek tragedy. If I were unfamiliar with the story, I would have probably life it mid way for the language failed to capture my attention. Since I was already familiar with the story, I lost interest in the language soon and finished the book just because I had started out to read it. I don’t know if I would be reading another Greek tragedy after this without adequate footnotes, which are distracting in themselves.
Having said that, reading this has led me to wonder how Freud developed his theory based on this play. Or if Sophocles indeed did have a similar line of thought when he was originally writing it. If I hadn’t read enough Psychoanalysis, I am not sure I would have used this to draw psychological inferences. I am also wondering what inferences can be drawn from other Greek tragedies!