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The Theban Plays #2
Oedipus at Colonus
The latest title to join the acclaimed Greek Tragedy in New Translations series, Sophocles' Oedipus at Colonus tells the story of the last day in the life of Oedipus. It was written at the end of the fifth century BCE in Athens, in the final years of the "Golden Age" of Athenian culture, and in the last year of Sophocles' own life. At the center of the play is the mysterious transformation of Oedipus from an old and blind beggar, totally dependent on his daughters, to the man who rises from his seat and, without help, leads everyone to the place where he is destined to die. In the background of this transformation stands the grove of the Furies, the sacred place of the implacable goddesses who pursue the violators of blood relationships. Although Oedipus, who killed his father and married his mother, is an obvious target of the Furies' vengeance, he enters their grove at the beginning of the play, sure that it is the resting place Apollo has predicted for him. The reversals and paradoxes in the play speak to the struggle that Oedipus' life and the action of the play bring vividly before how do we as humans, subject to constant change, find stable ground on which to stand and define our moral lives? Sophocles offers his play as a witness to the remarkable human capacity to persevere in this struggle.
144 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 402
About the author
Sophocles
2,236 books2,440 followersSophocles (497/496 BC-406/405 BC), (Greek:
Σοφοκλής
; German:
Sophokles
, Russian:
Софокл
, French:
Sophocle
) was an ancient Greek tragedian, known as one of three from whom at least one play has survived in full. His first plays were written later than, or contemporary with, those of Aeschylus; and earlier than, or contemporary with, those of Euripides. Sophocles wrote over 120 plays, but only seven have survived in a complete form: Ajax, Antigone, Women of Trachis, Oedipus Rex, Electra, Philoctetes, and Oedipus at Colonus. For almost fifty years, Sophocles was the most celebrated playwright in the dramatic competitions of the city-state of Athens which took place during the religious festivals of the Lenaea and the Dionysia. He competed in thirty competitions, won twenty-four, and was never judged lower than second place. Aeschylus won thirteen competitions, and was sometimes defeated by Sophocles; Euripides won four.
The most famous tragedies of Sophocles feature Oedipus and Antigone: they are generally known as the Theban plays, though each was part of a different tetralogy (the other members of which are now lost). Sophocles influenced the development of drama, most importantly by adding a third actor (attributed to Sophocles by Aristotle; to Aeschylus by Themistius), thereby reducing the importance of the chorus in the presentation of the plot. He also developed his characters to a greater extent than earlier playwrights.
The most famous tragedies of Sophocles feature Oedipus and Antigone: they are generally known as the Theban plays, though each was part of a different tetralogy (the other members of which are now lost). Sophocles influenced the development of drama, most importantly by adding a third actor (attributed to Sophocles by Aristotle; to Aeschylus by Themistius), thereby reducing the importance of the chorus in the presentation of the plot. He also developed his characters to a greater extent than earlier playwrights.
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July 10, 2022
“Not to be born at all
Is best, far best that can befall,
Next best, when born, with least delay
To trace the backward way.
For when youth passes with its giddy train,
Troubles on troubles follow, toils on toils,
Pain, pain forever pain;
And none escapes life's coils.
Envy, sedition, strife,
Carnage and war, make up the tale of life.”
With Oedipus at Colonus I finished the Theban cycle, Oedipus at Colonus being second in the chronological order, but last to be written by Sophocles, and Antigone, the last in the cycle, being written first. Oedipus at Colonus seems to be the least popular play, and I would say it is the most complex to grasp and understand, both in meaning and language. In Oedipus at Colonus, we follow old and blind Oedipus that comes to the small village of Colonus outside of Athens with his daughter Antigone. Oedipus is now at the end of his life, comes to terms with his fate and he even evokes his death. He has a sort of ambiguous perspective on his acts done in youth, as he gives the justification of his acts by pointing out the prophecy and his parent's faults, but even though he believes in his innocence in one dimension, he still belives he is polluted.
Jean-Joseph Goux in his book Oedipus, Philosopher, argues that King Oedipus and Oedipus at Colonus must be read as a diptych because between these two characters, young and old Oedipus, a philosophical destiny takes place.
The aged Oedipus is a character immersed in misery and utter poverty. Oedipus has nothing left. He lost everything. He lost his youth, his power, his homeland, his eyes, his strength, his pride. Here he is now: old, blind, exiled, miserable, tired, dependant, dirty wanderer, the object of the curse of gods and men. Contrary to the victory and ruling power of Oedipus the King, this is a complete reversal. As young Oedipus reached the climax, so Oedipus on the Column is at his lowest, as he touches the bottom of human misery.
Goux explains that the rationalist philosopher Oedipus, and hence the title of the book, defeating the Sphinx with pure reason, denied the importance of the other two components of the Platonic soul - besides rational, appetitive, and spirited as stated by Plato in The State. The Platonic mental trinity is reduced to the young Oedipus to mind, the arrogance of thought - that is why revenge on Oedipus comes from Apollo, the god whose reign he partially claims right to. Young Oedipus completely denied the power of Dionysus, of the irrational, unconscious, and instinctual, the things that ultimately overwhelmed him and brought him to his demise.
Excessive confidence in the power of one's own mind and self-establishment of Oedipus as a rational subject without its connection with the irrational, and mythical, leads to a reversal in the story of Oedipus, and in Oedipus at Colonus in his old age and blindness he is left to the mercy of mythical forces he denied in his youth.
Between the extreme individual freedom glorified by the rationalist subject - King Oedipus - and the ultimate collective imprisonment - Oedipus on the Column, there is a shift from logos to mythos, or from a radically conscious subject to a radically unconscious subject, so the integration of the two we witness in the end Oedipus on the Column, rests in the establishment of a dialectical relationship of logos and mythos.
Through his own life and suffering, Oedipus was forced to learn the power of the sacred and the power of the gods he initially refused, it was only late that he found a dimension of truth that could contain the knowledge of a true Wiseman - a knowledge that does not come from logic and reason, but from life experience and suffering, and creating learning the truth and creating the meaning through pain.
The young Oedipus was an ignorant man that idolized intellect, but old Oedipus now mirrors the blind prophet Tiresias, the prophet that has a wisdom that comes from gods, from the transcendental and existential, not logic and reason. This shift in Oedipus brings him his “resurrection” and apotheosis, as the theme of the ascension after humiliation is at the heart of the drama. "Because now the gods are raising you, and before they were tearing you down," says Ismene to her father and Oedipus answers in his famous line: "Yes, now that I'm gone, I'm a man now.”
Oedipus is the only one who has simultaneously experienced the magnificent experience of the philosophical mind and the deceptive reach of its limits. The ultimate reach of Oedipus is that Oedipus the knowledge of the young philosopher and the wisdom of the old prophet is united.
Thus, in fact, the Oedipal curse, the prophecy that governs the fate of young Oedipus is opposed to the ultimate confidence of young Oedipus in his autonomy, self-foundation in reason so that prophecy can be linked to Lacan's emphasis on the determining power of prophetic words at our birth - self-fulfilling prophecies, prophecies that are fulfilled precisely or simply because they are prophesied — our unconscious that is defining our lives. Oedipus's declaration of the power of gods is the declaration of the power of the unconscious - the gods are only our interior. Oedipus’ drama of searching for himself leads him to his own inner conflict - placing the unconscious as an indelible opposite side to the aspirations of the ego and self-awareness.
The blindness of the unconscious was already mentioned by Freud in his interpretation of Oedipus, about how Oedipus does not know what he is doing, but the acts are his. Namely, he kills his father, not knowing that his father's act of murder is his, that is, it would be more correct to say that he has yet to become his own. In this way, Freud gave the unconscious the status of extreme obscurity and opacity, because it directs our actions, which we are completely unaware of and which only compensate for, but we must accept as our own, that is, internalize. This is a crucial question of our determination by unconscious forces and of our subjectivity falsely guided by the belief in the reasonable foundation of our actions - the state of young Oedipus. Just as young Oedipus is blind to healthy eyes, old Oedipus' self-blindness is in a way internalizing the blindness of the unconscious, blind Oedipus sees what young Oedipus denied, sees his own subjectivity written in the instructions of the curse and hence the painful exclamation: "Oh, at least I'm guilty! “
Here we can think about Lacan's claim that "the unconscious is the discourse of the Other" and in terms of the myth of Oedipus as Sophocles structured it, that Other is Apollo's prophecy in Delphi. King Oedipus is a spectacular expression of Lacan's formula - the unconscious is the discourse of the Other because Oedipus' unconscious is almost literally contained in the discourse of the Prophecy. Oedipus does not become an archetypal figure for Lacanian psychoanalysis because he pursues his repressed desires for patricide and incest, but because he becomes able to utter the hidden truth revealed by the prophecy with a full understanding of its meaning.
In psychoanalysis, in order to achieve psychological integration, the subject must, like Oedipus, recognize what he does not recognize, namely his desire and his history, to the extent that both unconscious or more simply, and in the process of analysis must necessarily pass a difficult journey from the position of King Oedipus to the position of Oedipus on the Column, in order to integrate its denied components. Our unconscious is often visible in our lives to others - written in our behavior, symptoms, and relations - much sooner than it is visible to us.
Oedipus' humanity is taking over the Other - in himself, he takes over his own relationship to the discourse of the Other. He takes over, in other words, the ultimate decentralization from his own ego, his own self-image (King Oedipus), and his own consciousness begins. And it is precisely this ultimate acceptance and acceptance of one's own self-denial that, for Lacan, contains the ultimate meaning of Oedipus' analysis as well as the deep Oedipal meaning of analysis as such.
Lacan pointed;
”The unconscious is that chapter of personal history which is filled with emptiness, or over which lies: it is a censored chapter. But the truth needs to be revealed, and it is already written down somewhere. Where: on the body, hysterical symptoms are physical symptoms. In archival documents: my childhood memories, and I don't know where they come from ... What we teach the subject to recognize as his unconscious is his history - that is, we help him complete the actual historization of facts that have already determined a number of historical "reversals" in his life ... Thus, any fixation on the so-called libidinal stage is first and foremost a historical scar: a page of shame that has been forgotten or annulled, or a page of glory that binds.”
“A man's anger can never age and fade away, not until he dies. The dead alone feel no pain.”
The is a difference between the pre-Christan morality embodied in this play and Christian morality that acquires love and reconciliation. Oedipus did not forgive, even approaching his death the was bitter towards both Creon and his son Polynices. King Oedipus does not truly take over his desire and his history while appointing them; at the end of King Oedipus, Oedipus accepts his destiny, but does not fully accept himself and does not forgive himself. But, that did not deny him of having the death full of dignity, bringing the blessing to the land of Athens in which he is buried.
“Death the deliverer freeth all at last.”
Drama gives both a nihilistic and optimistic outlook on life, as Oedipus is being cleansed in his pessimism, leading to his liberation and apotheosis in death.
In The Birth of Tragedy, Nietzsche wrote;
”We encounter this same serenity in Oedipus at Colonus, but here it is elevated into infinite transfiguration; in this play the old man, stricken with an excess of suffering, and exposed, purely as a suffering being, to all that affects him, is contrasted with the unearthly serenity which comes down from the sphere of the gods as a sign to us that in his purely passive behavior the hero achieves the highest form of activity, which has consequences reaching far beyond his own life, whereas all his conscious words and actions in his life hitherto have merely led to his passivity. Thus the trial-knot of the story of Oedipus, which strikes the mortal eye as inextricably tangled, is slowly unravelled - and we are overcome by the most profound human delight at this matching piece of divine dialectic.”
Oedipus shows us that in some way, we cannot alter, change or defeat our nature - still we can bring it to transcendence through openly carrying out the conflicted character of opposites - making them conscious, living through them, and embodying them - that alone can bring great hope and comfort to everyone. Oedipus by his mere existence destroyed the essence of destructive polarization, the splitting of ego - that a person is good or bad, sexual or spiritual, guilty or innocent, only by allowing the full authentic expression of his most shameful aspects and therefore suffering the rejection of the society that purified him.
Oedipus is the eternal image of a hero of self-knowledge, a symbol of embodied paradox - being both holy and cursed, king and beggar, body and spirit, freedom and determinism, transience and eternal knowledge, a polyvalent archetype - a man that lived through the fullness of pain of embodying the darkest and most forbidden parts of his Self and showed that even the deepest intimate conflicts can be a source of blessing and salvation to the world.
May 24, 2017
Oedipus has been cursed by fate. After unwittingly killing his farther and marrying his own mother, he was cast out of his own land: he was banished by fate. He is now blind, old and has but only one wish: death.
His sister-daughters (children born of incest with his mother) wish to help in this but his son-brothers want him to return to the land of Thebes alive and well. They have heard a new prophecy concerning his fate, and they have grown to fear it. However, as readers of Oedipus the King learnt, trying to change fate only leads to destiny changing the path; ultimately, the destination will always remain the same: there is no escape. Oedipus is resigned to let the wind take him wherever it may go. He has learnt that he has no power. His past remerges, a dangerous past that the world considers criminal. It is one he tried to avoid, but, again, he could never escape from it. King Creon, Oedipus’ taciturn brother in law is especially angry at Oedipus for the death of Jocasta hurt him severely. It's very easy to judge others in such a situation, but as Oedipus retorts:
"One thing, answer me just one thing. If,
here and now, a man strode up to kill you,
you, you self-righteous --- what would you do?
investigate whether the murderer were your farther
or deal with him straight off? Well I know,
as you love your life, you’d pay the killer back,
not hunt around for justification. "
As a sequel to Oedipus the King and a prequel to Antigone this play is very much the middle of The Three Theban Plays. Oddly, it seems to be read far less than the other two plays, which I think is a bit of a shame. Granted, it lacks the autonomy of the others, but it is just as important in understanding the trilogy. And this is the crux of the play; it is Oedipus’ moment to defend himself, and give voice to his actions which he was not responsible for. At the same time, the plot foreshadows and leads straight into Antigone and explains much about King Creon's choices.
In terms of action- I speak of the technical connotations of the word as defined by Aristotle in Poetics- the play is lacking. There is very little in the way of tragic elements. It was only performed after Sophocles’ death when the glory days of Athens had set. The play was a reminder to its audiences of what had been lost, Oedipus served as a reminder of an age gone by, one that would never return. Reading the play today, I see the same sense of departure. This line for example as spoke by the Chorus:
“Then it’s the end of Athens, Athens is no more!"
I love reading Ancient Greek drama; it is so well crafted; it is straightforward yet complex; it is sophisticated yet bold and bloody. Sort of odd really when considering the fact that all deaths were off stage, but you still get the idea from it. I’d love see some modern reproductions of it live.
His sister-daughters (children born of incest with his mother) wish to help in this but his son-brothers want him to return to the land of Thebes alive and well. They have heard a new prophecy concerning his fate, and they have grown to fear it. However, as readers of Oedipus the King learnt, trying to change fate only leads to destiny changing the path; ultimately, the destination will always remain the same: there is no escape. Oedipus is resigned to let the wind take him wherever it may go. He has learnt that he has no power. His past remerges, a dangerous past that the world considers criminal. It is one he tried to avoid, but, again, he could never escape from it. King Creon, Oedipus’ taciturn brother in law is especially angry at Oedipus for the death of Jocasta hurt him severely. It's very easy to judge others in such a situation, but as Oedipus retorts:
"One thing, answer me just one thing. If,
here and now, a man strode up to kill you,
you, you self-righteous --- what would you do?
investigate whether the murderer were your farther
or deal with him straight off? Well I know,
as you love your life, you’d pay the killer back,
not hunt around for justification. "
As a sequel to Oedipus the King and a prequel to Antigone this play is very much the middle of The Three Theban Plays. Oddly, it seems to be read far less than the other two plays, which I think is a bit of a shame. Granted, it lacks the autonomy of the others, but it is just as important in understanding the trilogy. And this is the crux of the play; it is Oedipus’ moment to defend himself, and give voice to his actions which he was not responsible for. At the same time, the plot foreshadows and leads straight into Antigone and explains much about King Creon's choices.
In terms of action- I speak of the technical connotations of the word as defined by Aristotle in Poetics- the play is lacking. There is very little in the way of tragic elements. It was only performed after Sophocles’ death when the glory days of Athens had set. The play was a reminder to its audiences of what had been lost, Oedipus served as a reminder of an age gone by, one that would never return. Reading the play today, I see the same sense of departure. This line for example as spoke by the Chorus:
“Then it’s the end of Athens, Athens is no more!"
I love reading Ancient Greek drama; it is so well crafted; it is straightforward yet complex; it is sophisticated yet bold and bloody. Sort of odd really when considering the fact that all deaths were off stage, but you still get the idea from it. I’d love see some modern reproductions of it live.
July 19, 2024
It was read before the wise men of Athens by the old Sophocles himself, very old and whose children, these raptors, wanted to question his intellectual faculties to seize the management of his goods.
Superbly, the old playwright, by way of pleading, only read, it is said, his tragedy, Oedipus at Colonus, the last of his plays, which has as its subject the apotheosis of an exile. And a cursed Oedipus, who finally gains rest on the threshold of his life and regains lost grandeur and glory.
That alone would inspire respect, but respect for Oedipus at Colonus is not enough: you must also love this magnificent tragedy! And how strong are the reasons for loving him?
The Greek landscape, cities, sanctuaries, and temples are so intensely present in no other tragedy.
Oedipus ran worldwide, chased everywhere after his incest and involuntary parricide. Only little Antigone, with a dark destiny, accompanied him. She is his eyes, which he put out to punish himself; she is his stick of old age. And now they are both at the gates of Athens, a young city then governed by a young king, still unknown. His name is Theseus. In the Athens suburbs, a sanctuary is forbidden to incursion by the fierce law of the Erynnies. So, no one would dare set foot there.
Not Oedipus: he enters. He knows that it is there that the gods, finally appeased, will carry him off and remove him far from the hateful or horrified gazes of men. He feels that it is there that he will eventually find peace, that of death, which is limitless.
The places are of exceptional strength: we see the sanctuary. We see through the eyes of the messenger the apotheosis of Oedipus in a tremendous clap of thunder.
The characters also have a seriousness, a strange aura: Oedipus, Antigone, and Theseus are legendary beings whose true mythical greatness is measured here by comparison with the too-human smallness of an Ismene, a Polynice, or even a Creon.
The third reason to love Oedipus at Colonus resides in a language of strength and purity, almost detached from all contingencies, ethereal and yet profound like Greek wisdom.
Oedipus at Colonus is a poetic and inspired song throughout, with almost no more rupture between episodes and stasima—the alternating action and choral singing phases of Greek tragedy.
It's a swan song to be read and reread. And for the Hellenists, in the text, so wonderful is the language.
Superbly, the old playwright, by way of pleading, only read, it is said, his tragedy, Oedipus at Colonus, the last of his plays, which has as its subject the apotheosis of an exile. And a cursed Oedipus, who finally gains rest on the threshold of his life and regains lost grandeur and glory.
That alone would inspire respect, but respect for Oedipus at Colonus is not enough: you must also love this magnificent tragedy! And how strong are the reasons for loving him?
The Greek landscape, cities, sanctuaries, and temples are so intensely present in no other tragedy.
Oedipus ran worldwide, chased everywhere after his incest and involuntary parricide. Only little Antigone, with a dark destiny, accompanied him. She is his eyes, which he put out to punish himself; she is his stick of old age. And now they are both at the gates of Athens, a young city then governed by a young king, still unknown. His name is Theseus. In the Athens suburbs, a sanctuary is forbidden to incursion by the fierce law of the Erynnies. So, no one would dare set foot there.
Not Oedipus: he enters. He knows that it is there that the gods, finally appeased, will carry him off and remove him far from the hateful or horrified gazes of men. He feels that it is there that he will eventually find peace, that of death, which is limitless.
The places are of exceptional strength: we see the sanctuary. We see through the eyes of the messenger the apotheosis of Oedipus in a tremendous clap of thunder.
The characters also have a seriousness, a strange aura: Oedipus, Antigone, and Theseus are legendary beings whose true mythical greatness is measured here by comparison with the too-human smallness of an Ismene, a Polynice, or even a Creon.
The third reason to love Oedipus at Colonus resides in a language of strength and purity, almost detached from all contingencies, ethereal and yet profound like Greek wisdom.
Oedipus at Colonus is a poetic and inspired song throughout, with almost no more rupture between episodes and stasima—the alternating action and choral singing phases of Greek tragedy.
It's a swan song to be read and reread. And for the Hellenists, in the text, so wonderful is the language.
June 16, 2024
Years after graduating with a liberal arts degree in English, I wanted to dive back into some college course material that I enjoyed but never finished. Between high school and college, I'd read the first and third of Theban plays, more commonly known as Oedipus and Antigone. I realized that while I enjoyed the plays and the elaborate schemes of these soap opera-esque Greek families, my reading taste became more contemporary, popular and modern... probably the least favorite or known of them, this still offers great lessons and a curious look at the nature of man and woman, family, parenting, and greed.
October 29, 2022
3.5
"We long to have again the vanished past, in spite of all its pain."
Oedipus at Colonus begins with Oedipus and Antigone's arrival at Colonus, a sacred area outside of Athens. Oedipus has lived for years as a poor wandering blind beggar, his self-inflicted punishment for unknowingly killing his father and marrying his mother. He wishes for admission to Cololus, which leads to the tragedy's central philosophical debates on morality and fate. Since the Gods decreed Oedipus's actions and he did not know the identity of his biological parents, were his actions immoral? Furthermore, if he did not know that the man who attacked him on the road was his father and thought he was acting in self-defense, does that make him a monster?
These arguments are embedded cleverly in a multilayered plot which I appreciate more as I struggle to capture my feelings about the play. It is slower and more philosophical than the other Theban plays, Antigone and Oedipus Rex, and while I loved those plays, this did not resonate with me in quite the same way. I don't know why. Perhaps it was the pacing or that I don't believe in fate. However, I admire Sophocles's skill as a playwright and innovator in the emerging genre of tragedy.
"We long to have again the vanished past, in spite of all its pain."
Oedipus at Colonus begins with Oedipus and Antigone's arrival at Colonus, a sacred area outside of Athens. Oedipus has lived for years as a poor wandering blind beggar, his self-inflicted punishment for unknowingly killing his father and marrying his mother. He wishes for admission to Cololus, which leads to the tragedy's central philosophical debates on morality and fate. Since the Gods decreed Oedipus's actions and he did not know the identity of his biological parents, were his actions immoral? Furthermore, if he did not know that the man who attacked him on the road was his father and thought he was acting in self-defense, does that make him a monster?
These arguments are embedded cleverly in a multilayered plot which I appreciate more as I struggle to capture my feelings about the play. It is slower and more philosophical than the other Theban plays, Antigone and Oedipus Rex, and while I loved those plays, this did not resonate with me in quite the same way. I don't know why. Perhaps it was the pacing or that I don't believe in fate. However, I admire Sophocles's skill as a playwright and innovator in the emerging genre of tragedy.
March 31, 2021
“… and the wretched, suffering Oedipus?”
The story begins several years after the exile of Oedipus from the kingdom of Thebes, and involves his arrival at Athens with his daughter Antigone, whereupon he gets fortunate enough to make acquaintance with Theseus, the then king of Athens. But the notoriety he had earned over the years, obtrusively hinders his way more frequently than they could’ve imagined...
Unfortunately, the play turns a bit underwhelming mid-way. Probably it doesn’t, but given that most of us are far more familiar with the legend of Theseus than all other characters of the play, it’s not wrong, perhaps to expect a bit more of involvement on his part. It’s like we’re given a mere glance into his entire persona, and Sophocles forces us to look away the exact moment it begins to turn enthralling over the ordinary.
““One word frees us of all the weight and pain of life: That word is love.” ”
However the play excels in its philosophical conversations. Rather, it triumphs over both the other plays in this specific aspect. There is significantly less action involved in this play than the both, and for some reason, Oedipus hear sounds a bit like the ancient Greek philosopher Seneca. The way in which the man talks about his nearing demise, sometimes cheerfully, often in a matter-of-fact way… his persona seems even more awestriking than it did in the introductory play. An amazing journey from a reclusive and defeated weak voice at the beginning, through a fiery passion reminiscent of youth mid-way, to a serene, and dignified calm tone at the end.
“For all his kindness, all he did for me,
Now I would give that gift I promised him.”
The story begins several years after the exile of Oedipus from the kingdom of Thebes, and involves his arrival at Athens with his daughter Antigone, whereupon he gets fortunate enough to make acquaintance with Theseus, the then king of Athens. But the notoriety he had earned over the years, obtrusively hinders his way more frequently than they could’ve imagined...
Unfortunately, the play turns a bit underwhelming mid-way. Probably it doesn’t, but given that most of us are far more familiar with the legend of Theseus than all other characters of the play, it’s not wrong, perhaps to expect a bit more of involvement on his part. It’s like we’re given a mere glance into his entire persona, and Sophocles forces us to look away the exact moment it begins to turn enthralling over the ordinary.
““One word frees us of all the weight and pain of life: That word is love.” ”
However the play excels in its philosophical conversations. Rather, it triumphs over both the other plays in this specific aspect. There is significantly less action involved in this play than the both, and for some reason, Oedipus hear sounds a bit like the ancient Greek philosopher Seneca. The way in which the man talks about his nearing demise, sometimes cheerfully, often in a matter-of-fact way… his persona seems even more awestriking than it did in the introductory play. An amazing journey from a reclusive and defeated weak voice at the beginning, through a fiery passion reminiscent of youth mid-way, to a serene, and dignified calm tone at the end.
“For all his kindness, all he did for me,
Now I would give that gift I promised him.”
February 16, 2016
A Theban Addendum
5 May 2012
This is a rather unusual play in that while it is connected with the main Theban epic, it does not seem to sit well within the epic cycle. Rather it seems to be an attempt by Sophocles to explore some of the unanswered questions that arose within both the Antigone and Oedipus Tyrannos, particularly as whether Oedipus was truly guilty of his actions (he was not as they were done in ignorance) as well as how Creon basically became a jerk. I say that because in Oedipus Tyrannos he seems to be a rather decent person, but in the Antigone he is a brutal tyrant. We also have interactions with Polynicies, one of Oedipus' sons and the one who fled Thebes after his brother Etocles took the throne, and then returned with an army in an attempt to retake it.
The play sits between Oedipus Tyrannos and the Antigone, though it was probably the last play that Sophocles wrote. In fact he never saw it performed as he had died, though I suspect that since it was written around the time that Athens finally fell to the Spartans that the annual Dionysia was probably cancelled. However it was performed, and it also became one of the seven plays of Sophocles that have survived down to modern times. A friend of mine considers this to be her favourite Greek play, however I am still a little confused with it because it really does not seem to deal with any particular legend, and I got the impression that my Classical Studies lecturer didn't particularly think much of it either.
The play is set in Colonus, which was a small village outside of Athens (though I did a Google Maps search and found that it is now a suburb of Athens that lies to the Northwest of the Acropolis, just slightly to the west of the main Athens Railway station, though I doubt you will find any ancient ruins there). The village itself is located in Attica which means that it comes under the jurisdiction of Athens, though quite possibly during the Peloponesian War it was located outside of the Long Walls and as such would have been overrun by the Spartans.
When Oedipus arrives he is chided by the inhabitants for despoiling a sacred site, and this sets the tone of the entire play. Oedipus has been tainted with sin in that he had committed patricide (the murder of one's father) and incest, and even mentions that his daughters are also his sisters, and his sons are equally his brothers. It sort of creates a really strange, and somewhat unnatural, relationship with his children/siblings. However one of the ideas that I get out of this play is the that the Greeks considered incest (and to an extent patricide) wrong. Still, I am personally not convinced that Oedipus did anything wrong, though I have discussed this in detail previously under Oedipus Tyrannos, so there is no need for me to go over old ground here. However, there is still the idea of incest, which seems to play a significant role in this play, and that is because both Ismene and Antigone are major characters. However for some reason Creon arrives at Colonus to take them back, and forcefully that that.
I guess this is about Oedipus' coming to terms with his fate, and in a way allowing him to be cleansed. He does begin to go through a cleansing ritual, but unfortunately this is interrupted when Creon arrives and forcefully removes Ismene, who is going out to collect the pure spring water that is required in the ritual. Theseus also makes an appearance in this play as king of Athens. This confuses me a bit since in other plays (by Euripides) he is king of Athens during Heracles' reign in Thebes. However I guess that is not the point, but rather, like in Heracles Furens, Theseus once again plays the role of the psychologist and friend who helps Oedipus come to terms with his past. Unlike Herakles, who suffered from combat trauma and PTSD, Oedipus suffers from guilt and a persecution complex. This, honestly, is not surprising. Simply put, somebody in heaven must seriously hate this guy because as I have repeatedly said: he has done nothing wrong, he was only a victim of destiny.
Polynicies also makes an appearance in this play. He was kicked out of Thebes when his brother Etocles took the throne. Both Creon and Polynicies want Oedipus to return to Thebes, most likely to settle the dispute between the two brothers, and both become incredibly hostile and agitated when he refuses to do so. Creon even goes to the extent of kidnapping his daughters to attempt to bring him back. We see a very nasty Creon in this play, and this extends much further when we get to Antigone. We obviously know what happens: Polynicies raises and army and attacks Thebes, and in the ensuring battle, loses and dies, but not before killing Etocles. What happens afterwards I shall leave for when I finish Antigone (and you can also refer to Seven Against Thebes).
The play ends with Oedipus' death and his ascension to the Blessed Realms. Oedipus' death is actually incredibly dignified, and deserving of a man who fate has simply turned around and slapped him in the face. One thing I noted is that even Creon, for as much of a prick that he is, recognises Oedipus' benevolent rule in Thebes. Unfortunately nothing like that comes about again. I am doubtful that it is Oedipus that is cursed, but rather the city itself (and it has probably something to do with the father of Laertius feeding human flesh to his enemy: another very, very, bad thing in Greek society). One thing I am not willing to do is to link this tragedy to Athens' hatred of Thebes, and vice versa. Okay, Creon and Theseus come to blows, and it is ordained there that Thebes and Athens were to become enemies, but this is what they call rewriting the past. It is very interesting that Oedipus went to the Blessed Realms, since that is a reward set aside for only the greatest of heroes (Achilles being one of them), so I guess for a man who suffered as much as Oedipus did, it is probably the gods (and in particular Zeus) turning around and saying, 'hey, this didn't happen because of anything you did, but rather the actions of your ancestors, so because you suffered so in life you will be rewarded in death'.
5 May 2012
This is a rather unusual play in that while it is connected with the main Theban epic, it does not seem to sit well within the epic cycle. Rather it seems to be an attempt by Sophocles to explore some of the unanswered questions that arose within both the Antigone and Oedipus Tyrannos, particularly as whether Oedipus was truly guilty of his actions (he was not as they were done in ignorance) as well as how Creon basically became a jerk. I say that because in Oedipus Tyrannos he seems to be a rather decent person, but in the Antigone he is a brutal tyrant. We also have interactions with Polynicies, one of Oedipus' sons and the one who fled Thebes after his brother Etocles took the throne, and then returned with an army in an attempt to retake it.
The play sits between Oedipus Tyrannos and the Antigone, though it was probably the last play that Sophocles wrote. In fact he never saw it performed as he had died, though I suspect that since it was written around the time that Athens finally fell to the Spartans that the annual Dionysia was probably cancelled. However it was performed, and it also became one of the seven plays of Sophocles that have survived down to modern times. A friend of mine considers this to be her favourite Greek play, however I am still a little confused with it because it really does not seem to deal with any particular legend, and I got the impression that my Classical Studies lecturer didn't particularly think much of it either.
The play is set in Colonus, which was a small village outside of Athens (though I did a Google Maps search and found that it is now a suburb of Athens that lies to the Northwest of the Acropolis, just slightly to the west of the main Athens Railway station, though I doubt you will find any ancient ruins there). The village itself is located in Attica which means that it comes under the jurisdiction of Athens, though quite possibly during the Peloponesian War it was located outside of the Long Walls and as such would have been overrun by the Spartans.
When Oedipus arrives he is chided by the inhabitants for despoiling a sacred site, and this sets the tone of the entire play. Oedipus has been tainted with sin in that he had committed patricide (the murder of one's father) and incest, and even mentions that his daughters are also his sisters, and his sons are equally his brothers. It sort of creates a really strange, and somewhat unnatural, relationship with his children/siblings. However one of the ideas that I get out of this play is the that the Greeks considered incest (and to an extent patricide) wrong. Still, I am personally not convinced that Oedipus did anything wrong, though I have discussed this in detail previously under Oedipus Tyrannos, so there is no need for me to go over old ground here. However, there is still the idea of incest, which seems to play a significant role in this play, and that is because both Ismene and Antigone are major characters. However for some reason Creon arrives at Colonus to take them back, and forcefully that that.
I guess this is about Oedipus' coming to terms with his fate, and in a way allowing him to be cleansed. He does begin to go through a cleansing ritual, but unfortunately this is interrupted when Creon arrives and forcefully removes Ismene, who is going out to collect the pure spring water that is required in the ritual. Theseus also makes an appearance in this play as king of Athens. This confuses me a bit since in other plays (by Euripides) he is king of Athens during Heracles' reign in Thebes. However I guess that is not the point, but rather, like in Heracles Furens, Theseus once again plays the role of the psychologist and friend who helps Oedipus come to terms with his past. Unlike Herakles, who suffered from combat trauma and PTSD, Oedipus suffers from guilt and a persecution complex. This, honestly, is not surprising. Simply put, somebody in heaven must seriously hate this guy because as I have repeatedly said: he has done nothing wrong, he was only a victim of destiny.
Polynicies also makes an appearance in this play. He was kicked out of Thebes when his brother Etocles took the throne. Both Creon and Polynicies want Oedipus to return to Thebes, most likely to settle the dispute between the two brothers, and both become incredibly hostile and agitated when he refuses to do so. Creon even goes to the extent of kidnapping his daughters to attempt to bring him back. We see a very nasty Creon in this play, and this extends much further when we get to Antigone. We obviously know what happens: Polynicies raises and army and attacks Thebes, and in the ensuring battle, loses and dies, but not before killing Etocles. What happens afterwards I shall leave for when I finish Antigone (and you can also refer to Seven Against Thebes).
The play ends with Oedipus' death and his ascension to the Blessed Realms. Oedipus' death is actually incredibly dignified, and deserving of a man who fate has simply turned around and slapped him in the face. One thing I noted is that even Creon, for as much of a prick that he is, recognises Oedipus' benevolent rule in Thebes. Unfortunately nothing like that comes about again. I am doubtful that it is Oedipus that is cursed, but rather the city itself (and it has probably something to do with the father of Laertius feeding human flesh to his enemy: another very, very, bad thing in Greek society). One thing I am not willing to do is to link this tragedy to Athens' hatred of Thebes, and vice versa. Okay, Creon and Theseus come to blows, and it is ordained there that Thebes and Athens were to become enemies, but this is what they call rewriting the past. It is very interesting that Oedipus went to the Blessed Realms, since that is a reward set aside for only the greatest of heroes (Achilles being one of them), so I guess for a man who suffered as much as Oedipus did, it is probably the gods (and in particular Zeus) turning around and saying, 'hey, this didn't happen because of anything you did, but rather the actions of your ancestors, so because you suffered so in life you will be rewarded in death'.
September 9, 2017
"It was of mortal exits the most marvelous."
4.5 stars. What a surprise this was. It's the least read of the Oedipus cycle (and probably the last of the 123 plays that Sophocles ever wrote, of which only 7 survive), but it's now my favorite of those three connected plays. Part homage to Athens (which was falling to Sparta at the time this was written), part portrait of old age, at its heart this is a play about the duel faces of life -
betrayal and loyalty, pain and love, disillusionment and redemption. And, as a bonus, it has the greatest smackdown of a speech ever given by a father (Polyneices gets WRECKED, and I'm tabbing this speech in the event that I have a son who disappoints me). People tend to skip over this one in favor of Oedipus Rex and Antigone, but it's so deserving of more love.
4.5 stars. What a surprise this was. It's the least read of the Oedipus cycle (and probably the last of the 123 plays that Sophocles ever wrote, of which only 7 survive), but it's now my favorite of those three connected plays. Part homage to Athens (which was falling to Sparta at the time this was written), part portrait of old age, at its heart this is a play about the duel faces of life -
betrayal and loyalty, pain and love, disillusionment and redemption. And, as a bonus, it has the greatest smackdown of a speech ever given by a father (Polyneices gets WRECKED, and I'm tabbing this speech in the event that I have a son who disappoints me). People tend to skip over this one in favor of Oedipus Rex and Antigone, but it's so deserving of more love.
January 24, 2019
Kehanetler yüzünden başına gelen onca felaketin üzerine bir de oğlu tarafından memleketinden sürgün edilen, gözleri artık görmeyen, bir ayağı çukurda eski kral Oidipus, onun gören gözü olan fedakar kızı Antigone ile sefalet içinde diyar diyar dolaşmaktadır.
Yeni kehanetlerin gerçekleşmesi için Kolonos'a gelir ve kral ile görüşmek ister. Atina Kralı Theseus, Oidipus'un gençliğinde olduğu gibi dürüst, kendine sığınanlara hakkıyla davranan adil bir kraldır. Oidipus'u dinler, kızları Antigone ve İsmene'ye yardımcı olur, halkının gelecekte de sıkıntı yaşamaması için uğraşır.
Seçme şansı olmadan başına türlü talihsizlikler gelen Oidipus'un, yaptıklarını sürekli yüzüne vuran laf cambazı dayısı (Kreon) ile hesaplaşması oldukça etkileyiciydi.
Yeni kehanetlerin gerçekleşmesi için Kolonos'a gelir ve kral ile görüşmek ister. Atina Kralı Theseus, Oidipus'un gençliğinde olduğu gibi dürüst, kendine sığınanlara hakkıyla davranan adil bir kraldır. Oidipus'u dinler, kızları Antigone ve İsmene'ye yardımcı olur, halkının gelecekte de sıkıntı yaşamaması için uğraşır.
Seçme şansı olmadan başına türlü talihsizlikler gelen Oidipus'un, yaptıklarını sürekli yüzüne vuran laf cambazı dayısı (Kreon) ile hesaplaşması oldukça etkileyiciydi.
July 29, 2019
But nothing else escapes all-ruinous time.
Earth's might decays, the might of men decays,
Honor grows cold, dishonor flourishes,
There is no constancy 'twixt friend and friend,
Or city and city; be it soon or late,
Sweet turns to bitter, hate once more to love.
Unlike the other two plays in the Trilogy this one lacks a sweeping gesture; there isn't a fixed idea but rather a series of reactions. Incredible Oed is bad news, he's shunned and has taken to the road with cher Antigone to lead and protect him. Apparently his grave bodes well with the Fates and suddenly everyone wants him to be buried in their post code. Imagine how this relates with the crucial argument of the concluding play Antigone. Subsequent speeches abound from Theseus of Athens and our creepy uncle Creon. Civil war looms and Antigone is wise beyond her years.
Earth's might decays, the might of men decays,
Honor grows cold, dishonor flourishes,
There is no constancy 'twixt friend and friend,
Or city and city; be it soon or late,
Sweet turns to bitter, hate once more to love.
Unlike the other two plays in the Trilogy this one lacks a sweeping gesture; there isn't a fixed idea but rather a series of reactions. Incredible Oed is bad news, he's shunned and has taken to the road with cher Antigone to lead and protect him. Apparently his grave bodes well with the Fates and suddenly everyone wants him to be buried in their post code. Imagine how this relates with the crucial argument of the concluding play Antigone. Subsequent speeches abound from Theseus of Athens and our creepy uncle Creon. Civil war looms and Antigone is wise beyond her years.
June 20, 2020
Onward through Sophocles! As THE SUPPLIANT MAIDENS by Aeschylus was a "Me Too" play for our time, so too it felt remarkably providential to read OEDIPUS AT COLONUS while our nation — and world — confronts the dark heart of police brutality. For indeed Creon — Oedipus's uncle and brother — comes to take away those he has no right to take.
We also have the seedbed of Antigone here: the worry over her father living out his days in peace while her brothers — his sons — squabble over the realm. We see a sort of sacred grace to her posture: to see the lesson of suffering as the virtue of patience, to have — generally — a hopeful disposition for everything that has happened.
One of the most remarkable things we discover is just how WISE Ed's become since the arrogance of his beginning: now, for him, the wise speech _is_ sight. And for a man who clawed himself to blindness in shame, that's saying something. But even the wise speech foretells of foresight itself: of the ways that he may close his weary life far from the strifes of power. In shelter and succor for such a vexed man.
But his sons won't leave him alone and come — those who betrayed him, their father — to appeal for his ruling in their squabbles. He abstains and, still penitent from the regret of the shames he could not control or know, he grows wiser still in the quests for power, money, pleasure, fame that men so foolishly seek. And rid of all, he becomes something like a Obiwan character (or, honestly, vice versa considering the Star Wars mythos) — taken like Enosh in Genesis for his deference (not my will, but thine), in his yearning to be cast away from the secondary desires of men, who wants not the boons of Creon and others all too late in his exile, "As if a man should give thee no gift, bring thee no aid, when thou was fain of the boon; but after thy soul's desire was sated, should grant it then, when the grace could be gracious no more: wouldst thou not find that pleasure vain? Yet such are thine own offers unto me — good in name, but in their substance evil."
And in refusing to accept evil offer after evil offer, he affirms the negative introverted side of the transformation he began in the positive extroverted side of him.
Antigone is seized, unjustly, by Creon and Theseus of Athens shows up in force. And even when Creon tries to show Oedipus's patricide in the prior book as just cause for the kidnapping, Oedipus calls him out: would you stop and ask for a genealogy of a man who attacked you? Oedipus points out that these proximate goods (not even great gains by his post-fall assessment) gotten by wrongful arts are soon lost anyways. So he has no need of them and basically calls down curses on his uncle.
In the end, we find even his faults — his FATAL FLAW — can be healed, subverting Aristotle and many besides. No one should crave to live longer than they do, we find, but rather seek a "fitting" span of life as opposed to, say, a Bilbo who ends up feeling like butter spread over too much bread. Oedipus is taken not in tragedy, not swallowed by the earth or stricken by lightening, but whisked off so gently and wonderfully by the gods that we in modern times might well call him a saint by the end: one who walked with God.
OTHER QUICK NOTES:
1. The women, his daughters, are called "men, not women, in true service" and the sons are called "aliens, not sons of mine." It's yet another instance in antiquity of the word "man" being genderless and of "woman" being specific — mankind is always a diverse and inclusive term, womankind is always a restrictive term. And therefore daughters can rise to the virtue of manfulness and men can fall short. Because manfulness is a virtue and manliness is an aesthetic. This is repeated over and over again. And recalls the line from Walking on Water: Reflections on Faith and Art:
Reminds me of St. Catherine of Siena:
2. The phrase "shalt thou hold this city unscathed from the side of the Dragon's blood" is so evocative.
3. We meet the watcher — the hound of hell.
4. Antigone leaves to go to her homeland, setting up the retaliatory killing and burial rights of the next play.
Enjoyable, but hard at times. Having trouble focusing, but the crepuscular sleep patterns is making for a solid hour of focus between first and second sleep at about 3am - 4am by candlelight. Gets me in the mood.
Call me a romantic, if you'd like, and I'll just nod. Cheers folks.
We also have the seedbed of Antigone here: the worry over her father living out his days in peace while her brothers — his sons — squabble over the realm. We see a sort of sacred grace to her posture: to see the lesson of suffering as the virtue of patience, to have — generally — a hopeful disposition for everything that has happened.
One of the most remarkable things we discover is just how WISE Ed's become since the arrogance of his beginning: now, for him, the wise speech _is_ sight. And for a man who clawed himself to blindness in shame, that's saying something. But even the wise speech foretells of foresight itself: of the ways that he may close his weary life far from the strifes of power. In shelter and succor for such a vexed man.
But his sons won't leave him alone and come — those who betrayed him, their father — to appeal for his ruling in their squabbles. He abstains and, still penitent from the regret of the shames he could not control or know, he grows wiser still in the quests for power, money, pleasure, fame that men so foolishly seek. And rid of all, he becomes something like a Obiwan character (or, honestly, vice versa considering the Star Wars mythos) — taken like Enosh in Genesis for his deference (not my will, but thine), in his yearning to be cast away from the secondary desires of men, who wants not the boons of Creon and others all too late in his exile, "As if a man should give thee no gift, bring thee no aid, when thou was fain of the boon; but after thy soul's desire was sated, should grant it then, when the grace could be gracious no more: wouldst thou not find that pleasure vain? Yet such are thine own offers unto me — good in name, but in their substance evil."
And in refusing to accept evil offer after evil offer, he affirms the negative introverted side of the transformation he began in the positive extroverted side of him.
Antigone is seized, unjustly, by Creon and Theseus of Athens shows up in force. And even when Creon tries to show Oedipus's patricide in the prior book as just cause for the kidnapping, Oedipus calls him out: would you stop and ask for a genealogy of a man who attacked you? Oedipus points out that these proximate goods (not even great gains by his post-fall assessment) gotten by wrongful arts are soon lost anyways. So he has no need of them and basically calls down curses on his uncle.
In the end, we find even his faults — his FATAL FLAW — can be healed, subverting Aristotle and many besides. No one should crave to live longer than they do, we find, but rather seek a "fitting" span of life as opposed to, say, a Bilbo who ends up feeling like butter spread over too much bread. Oedipus is taken not in tragedy, not swallowed by the earth or stricken by lightening, but whisked off so gently and wonderfully by the gods that we in modern times might well call him a saint by the end: one who walked with God.
OTHER QUICK NOTES:
1. The women, his daughters, are called "men, not women, in true service" and the sons are called "aliens, not sons of mine." It's yet another instance in antiquity of the word "man" being genderless and of "woman" being specific — mankind is always a diverse and inclusive term, womankind is always a restrictive term. And therefore daughters can rise to the virtue of manfulness and men can fall short. Because manfulness is a virtue and manliness is an aesthetic. This is repeated over and over again. And recalls the line from Walking on Water: Reflections on Faith and Art:
Nor do I want to be stuck in the vague androidism which has resulted from the attempts to avoid the masculine pronoun. We are in a state of intense sexual confusion, both in life and language, but the social manipulation is not working. Language is a living thing; it does not stay the same; it is hard for me to read the language of Piers Plowman, for instance, so radical have the changes been. But language is its own creature. It evolves on its own. It follows the language of its great artists, such as Chaucer. It does not do well when suffering from arbitrary control. Our attempts to change the words which have long been part of a society dominated by males have not been successful; instead of making language less sexist they have made it more so. Indeed, we are in a bind. For thousands of years we have lived in a paternalistic society, where women have allowed men to make God over in their own masculine image. But that's anthropomorphism. To think of God in terms of sex at all is a dead end. To substitute person for man has ruined what used to be a good theological word, calling up the glory of God's image within us. Now, at best, it's a joke. There's something humiliating and embarrassing about being a chairperson. Or a chair. A group of earnest women have put together a volume of desexed hymns, and one of my old favourites now begins: “Dear Mother-Father of personkind.” No. It won't do. This is not equality. Perhaps we should drop the word woman altogether and use man, recognizing that we need both male and female to be whole. And perhaps if we ever have real equality with all our glorious differences, the language itself will make the appropriate changes. For language, like a story or a painting, is alive. Ultimately it will be the artists who will change the language (as Chaucer did, as Dante did, as Joyce did), not the committees. For an artist is not a consumer, as our commercials urge us to be. An artist is a nourisher and a creator who knows that during the act of creation there is collaboration. We do not create alone."
Reminds me of St. Catherine of Siena:
"What made you establish man in so great a dignity? Certainly, the incalculable love by which you have looked on your creature in yourself! You are taken with love for her; for by love indeed you created her; by love you have given her a being capable of tasting your eternal Good."
2. The phrase "shalt thou hold this city unscathed from the side of the Dragon's blood" is so evocative.
3. We meet the watcher — the hound of hell.
4. Antigone leaves to go to her homeland, setting up the retaliatory killing and burial rights of the next play.
Enjoyable, but hard at times. Having trouble focusing, but the crepuscular sleep patterns is making for a solid hour of focus between first and second sleep at about 3am - 4am by candlelight. Gets me in the mood.
Call me a romantic, if you'd like, and I'll just nod. Cheers folks.
Read
January 30, 2018Yunan Mitolojisini kronolojik olarak okuduğum için zamanın yazın üzerindeki etkisini gözlemleme şansım da oluyor. Okumanın kendisi kadar, Homeros'tan Sophokles'e kadar geçen, aslında kısacık zamanda ne kadar şeyin değiştiğini görmek çok zevkli. Oidipus serisinin karakterlerini ve diyaloglarını çok daha derinlikli buldum ben. İlyada ve Odessa'da tek bir bireyden bahsederken dahi bahsedilen bireyi toplumdan bağımsız düşünemeyeceğiniz bir üslup varken, Oidipus'daki karakterler artık bireyselleşmiş ve hepsi kendine özgü karakterler. Benim edindiğim izlenim; Homeros* insana baktığında toplumu görüp, onu anlatırken, Sophokles toplumun içindeki insana odaklanıp, gittikçe yakınlaşarak derinleşme şansı yaklamış.
April 20, 2019
“Édipo em Colono” funciona como episódio intermédio, contribuindo para aumentar o universo dramático, nomeadamente do seu espaço, como das personagens fundamentais, pondo em cena o fim de Édipo, estando Sófocles perto da sua própria morte, e dando corpo às duas personagens centrais de “Antígona”, Antígona e Polinices.
As 5 estrelas são pelo valor histórico da peça, que é hoje mais documento, parte da nossa história, e ainda por ser um elo fundamental de uma das trilogias ficcionais mais relevantes da nossa civilização.
A composição da Trilogia Tebana
Parte 1: “Rei Édipo” (-427) (análise)
Parte 2: “Édipo em Colono” (-406),
Parte 3: “Antígona” (-442) (análise)
As 5 estrelas são pelo valor histórico da peça, que é hoje mais documento, parte da nossa história, e ainda por ser um elo fundamental de uma das trilogias ficcionais mais relevantes da nossa civilização.
A composição da Trilogia Tebana
Parte 1: “Rei Édipo” (-427) (análise)
Parte 2: “Édipo em Colono” (-406),
Parte 3: “Antígona” (-442) (análise)
September 8, 2019
“Feryat etmeyin artık kızlar.
Günahtır, yer altındaki karanlığı
Bir lütuf gibi kabul edenin yasını tutulmaz.”(s.70)
Günahtır, yer altındaki karanlığı
Bir lütuf gibi kabul edenin yasını tutulmaz.”(s.70)
March 1, 2021
Sofokle je sa skoro 90 godina završio na sudu. Rođaci su navodno želeli da ga proglase mentalno nesposobnim, a on je doneo rukopis Edipa na Kolonu. Porota je morala da kaže da ne izgleda baš toliko izlapeo. Opet, možda ta odluka i nije bila toliko jednostavna - ovo jeste čudna tragedija. Nakon Car Edipa, psiho-trilera koji se čita bez pauze, ovde ne samo da se skoro ništa ne dešava, već i to što se desi, kao da se desilo bez razloga. A i - gde je tragedija?
Pošto je ubio oca i spavao sa majkom, Edip je prognan iz Tebe. Ovde ga vidimo starog i slepog, kako u pratnji ćerke/sestre Antigone dolazi nadomak Atine. Jednostavno želi da umre. Upoznaje Tezeja, koji mu pomaže da tu i ostane i da ga Tebanci ne vrate u njihov grad. Edip obećava njemu i Atini nekakvu korist ako ga zaštite. Ok, kaže vladar Atine, Edip umire, Tezej ostalima ne otkriva gde je sahranjen (i to ga je molio) i to je otprilike to. Kakva je korist, u čemu je fora? Nikad ne saznajemo.
Ipak, razumećemo da je glavna tema pravda. Edip nastavlja da tvrdi da nije učinio ništa loše. Ubio je čoveka koji je želeo da ubije njega. Nije znao da mu je to otac. Onda odlazi u Tebu, spasava grad prokletstva i... spava sa majkom. Ali i to je uradio zato što se zaista zaljubio, nije znao da mu je majka. Ako mu Laj u trenutku ubistva nije bio otac, već samo čovek koji je želeo da ga ubije, zašto je to zločin?
Osim što je priča pomalo nejasna, nije mi odgovarao ni prevod. Biće u komentaru nešto stručnije na tu temu, ali mislim da sa Kolomanom Racom imam tri problema. Prevod je arhaičan, što je obično loš znak. Drugo, čitam hrvatski, pa i govorim ga kad se trudim, ali stari hrvatski mi izgleda ne ide. I treće, imam osećaj da se Rac preterano trudio da sve uklopi u ritam stiha. Reči su skraćivane, produživane, redosled je menjan... Možda sve to jeste dozvoljeno da bi se dobio zadovoljavajuć rezultat, ali ovde zvuči čudno. Neke delove sam morao da pročitam dva puta da bih za početak shvatio gde rečenica počinje i gde se završava.
Festival grčke tragedije (za jednog gledaoca)
Pošto redom čitam Eshila, Sofokla i Euripida, a volim da pravim liste, pravim listu omiljenih mi tragedija. Nemam neki kriterijum, jednostavno ću gledati kako mi se dopala u tom trenutku.
Nakon pete runde, mlađi Edip je na vrhu. Ali pošto sledeća na scenu stupa Antigona, neće mu biti lako da ga i zadrži. Matori Edip preuzima fenjer.
1. Car Edip (Sofokle)
2. Agamemnon (Eshil)
3. Eumenides (Eshil)
4. The Libation Bearers (Pokajnice - Eshil)
5. Oedipus at Colonus (Sofokle)
Pošto je ubio oca i spavao sa majkom, Edip je prognan iz Tebe. Ovde ga vidimo starog i slepog, kako u pratnji ćerke/sestre Antigone dolazi nadomak Atine. Jednostavno želi da umre. Upoznaje Tezeja, koji mu pomaže da tu i ostane i da ga Tebanci ne vrate u njihov grad. Edip obećava njemu i Atini nekakvu korist ako ga zaštite. Ok, kaže vladar Atine, Edip umire, Tezej ostalima ne otkriva gde je sahranjen (i to ga je molio) i to je otprilike to. Kakva je korist, u čemu je fora? Nikad ne saznajemo.
Ipak, razumećemo da je glavna tema pravda. Edip nastavlja da tvrdi da nije učinio ništa loše. Ubio je čoveka koji je želeo da ubije njega. Nije znao da mu je to otac. Onda odlazi u Tebu, spasava grad prokletstva i... spava sa majkom. Ali i to je uradio zato što se zaista zaljubio, nije znao da mu je majka. Ako mu Laj u trenutku ubistva nije bio otac, već samo čovek koji je želeo da ga ubije, zašto je to zločin?
Osim što je priča pomalo nejasna, nije mi odgovarao ni prevod. Biće u komentaru nešto stručnije na tu temu, ali mislim da sa Kolomanom Racom imam tri problema. Prevod je arhaičan, što je obično loš znak. Drugo, čitam hrvatski, pa i govorim ga kad se trudim, ali stari hrvatski mi izgleda ne ide. I treće, imam osećaj da se Rac preterano trudio da sve uklopi u ritam stiha. Reči su skraćivane, produživane, redosled je menjan... Možda sve to jeste dozvoljeno da bi se dobio zadovoljavajuć rezultat, ali ovde zvuči čudno. Neke delove sam morao da pročitam dva puta da bih za početak shvatio gde rečenica počinje i gde se završava.
Festival grčke tragedije (za jednog gledaoca)
Pošto redom čitam Eshila, Sofokla i Euripida, a volim da pravim liste, pravim listu omiljenih mi tragedija. Nemam neki kriterijum, jednostavno ću gledati kako mi se dopala u tom trenutku.
Nakon pete runde, mlađi Edip je na vrhu. Ali pošto sledeća na scenu stupa Antigona, neće mu biti lako da ga i zadrži. Matori Edip preuzima fenjer.
1. Car Edip (Sofokle)
2. Agamemnon (Eshil)
3. Eumenides (Eshil)
4. The Libation Bearers (Pokajnice - Eshil)
5. Oedipus at Colonus (Sofokle)
August 29, 2019
PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: THIS IS FAKE SOPHOCLES.
Fun fact: Oedipus at Colonus was actually written by Sophocles's grandson. Which sort of explains why it feels more like fanfiction than Greek tragedy.
Ah, Sophocles Junior Junior. You should have left the serious playwriting to your granddaddy.
Fun fact: Oedipus at Colonus was actually written by Sophocles's grandson. Which sort of explains why it feels more like fanfiction than Greek tragedy.
Ah, Sophocles Junior Junior. You should have left the serious playwriting to your granddaddy.
April 4, 2020
Lots of interesting themes here. Though Sophocles throws in "action scenes" with Antigone and her sister getting kidnapping, Oedipus's sons going to war, etc. it all takes place off-stage. The real drama centers on Oedipus's arguments about guilt and innocence and his desire to meet his final fate and finish Apollo's prophecy. Sure, Oedipus killed his father and slept with his mother. But, he declares himself innocent because he did not know. The gods conspired against him. And because he considers himself innocent, he feels indignation at his native city for driving him away. He won't forgive them, not even his own sons.
Theseus (of Minotaur fame) also plays an important role in the story as a faithful host. In my groundless opinion, this was probably a totally awesome crossover. At least, it made me happy.
While not as memorable as the drastic Oedipus Rex or moving as Antigone, I found this book quite wise in its own way. You might argue it has more depth than those two, because it looks past the horrors of the moment to how someone would move forward. It reminded me a little of Job.
Theseus (of Minotaur fame) also plays an important role in the story as a faithful host. In my groundless opinion, this was probably a totally awesome crossover. At least, it made me happy.
While not as memorable as the drastic Oedipus Rex or moving as Antigone, I found this book quite wise in its own way. You might argue it has more depth than those two, because it looks past the horrors of the moment to how someone would move forward. It reminded me a little of Job.
November 29, 2023
არ დაიბადო - აი, რა არის
ყველაზე კარგი და მერე ის, რომ
უკეთუ იშვი, საჩქაროდ ისევ
იქვე დაბრუნდე, სიდანაც მოხველ.
როცა გაივლის ახალგაზრდობა
უზრუნველი და ქარიფანტია,
რა ტანჯვა არის, შენ არ გეწიოს,
რა ჯაფა, შური ანდა ზვაობა,
შუღლი, ბრძოლა და ანდა მკვლელობა?
ბოლოს კი მოდის საძულველი, ძალადამცლელი,
მარტოდ მშთენელი და უამური
სიბერე, რათა სიავეთა ყველა სიავე
ერთად ამყოფოს.
***
და ოდეს გიხმობს ჰადესი, ვინაც
არც ცეკვა იცის და არც სიმღერა,
ყველას ერთურთთან გაასწორებს, ყველას დაიხსნის
ბოლოს სიკვდილი.
ყველაზე კარგი და მერე ის, რომ
უკეთუ იშვი, საჩქაროდ ისევ
იქვე დაბრუნდე, სიდანაც მოხველ.
როცა გაივლის ახალგაზრდობა
უზრუნველი და ქარიფანტია,
რა ტანჯვა არის, შენ არ გეწიოს,
რა ჯაფა, შური ანდა ზვაობა,
შუღლი, ბრძოლა და ანდა მკვლელობა?
ბოლოს კი მოდის საძულველი, ძალადამცლელი,
მარტოდ მშთენელი და უამური
სიბერე, რათა სიავეთა ყველა სიავე
ერთად ამყოფოს.
***
და ოდეს გიხმობს ჰადესი, ვინაც
არც ცეკვა იცის და არც სიმღერა,
ყველას ერთურთთან გაასწორებს, ყველას დაიხსნის
ბოლოს სიკვდილი.
April 25, 2019
This is the second of the three Oedipus plays. I hate Oedipus Rex (too disturbing and depressing for me) but love Antigone, so I had no idea what to expect.
The Bad
- You have to hear Oedipus summarize what he did in Oedipus Rex and apparently virtually everyone he's met since he was exiled has asked him about it, much to his horror. People think that he can only bring the rage of the gods upon their cities. Oedipus's past actions are something you really don't want to hear, and Oedipus talks about them in such a heartbreaking way.
- He has been a legitimate outsider, living in the woods, because pretty much all of Greece heard what happened. He hasn't dated anyone either (you can't blame him).
- His sons never forgave him and refuse to let him be buried in the city limits when he dies because that would make him a Theban citizen. They think Oedipus brought shame on their family. Polynices feels a little bad about it, but only because he got himself exiled too. He tries to elicit sympathy from Oedipus for this but doesn't succeed because his exile isn't comparable to Oedipus's exile - Polynices moved to Argos and got married.
We're off to a really depressing start.
The Good
- Oedipus has been doing alright, and he's become very sympathetic in his old age. He has forgiven himself because he understands that he had to experience a series of tragedies to get him to where he is now. He's grown kinder, he has two caring daughters who take care of him and whom he loves more than life itself, the gods have accepted his atonement and have forgiven him, and his destiny is to protect whichever city accepts him as a citizen.
You surmise that when he gouged out his eyes in Oedipus Rex, he became enlightened, but it's a little open-ended. Oedipus at Colonus shows that he did reach enlightenment. He can tell when people are lying and he knows to be extremely skeptical when dealing with people and politics. He has excellent judgement and is loyal to those who deserve it. He is a great orator and a persuasive speaker. He trusts what the gods say and propitiates them accordingly. The gods, in turn, look upon him with favor.
- King Oedipus has now reached Athens to ask for citizenship, and King Theseus is extremely empathetic and welcomes him with open arms. Oedipus asks him to be his daughters' godfather and Theseus is honored.
- The Chorus say some really depressing things about old age (Sophocles was 90 when he wrote the play!), but then they say comforting things about the afterlife. They pray to King Hades/Pluto and Queen Persephone/Proserpina of the Underworld for easy passage through the Underworld, and to Hypnos/Somnus (god of sleep and death) for rest for the weary. Oedipus prays to Hermes/Mercury (god of death, travel, friendship, etc.) to safely guide him.
The endearing parts make up for the tragic parts.
Does It Stand on Its Own?
The caveat of the play is that you have to already care about the characters, from the play Oedipus Rex and/or the play Antigone. Oedipus Rex and Oedipus at Colonus cannot stand as stand-alone works because together they paint a complete picture of what Sophocles has to say about how our personal choices (mainly our stubbornness and arrogance) affect our ever-changing Fate. Antigone works as a stand-alone play, but Oedipus at Colonus shows that Antigone learned how to live in accordance with the gods and be a fearless beacon of righteousness from her father, in his years of exile.
So What Is The Play About?
It's a soliloquy from Oedipus about accepting death and embracing the love of the gods and the love of loved ones. He is but one of many people in the cosmos. He was once a king and hero, but then he was an exile, and then an Athenian citizen. He's no more important than anyone else and he's not an isolated individual. He's part of the cosmos, and so is everyone else, and so is death. They all have their place and purpose in the universe. The play is an eloquent ode to a life well-lived (the later part of his life) and an awe of what is to come in the afterlife.
The Bad
- You have to hear Oedipus summarize what he did in Oedipus Rex and apparently virtually everyone he's met since he was exiled has asked him about it, much to his horror. People think that he can only bring the rage of the gods upon their cities. Oedipus's past actions are something you really don't want to hear, and Oedipus talks about them in such a heartbreaking way.
- He has been a legitimate outsider, living in the woods, because pretty much all of Greece heard what happened. He hasn't dated anyone either (you can't blame him).
- His sons never forgave him and refuse to let him be buried in the city limits when he dies because that would make him a Theban citizen. They think Oedipus brought shame on their family. Polynices feels a little bad about it, but only because he got himself exiled too. He tries to elicit sympathy from Oedipus for this but doesn't succeed because his exile isn't comparable to Oedipus's exile - Polynices moved to Argos and got married.
We're off to a really depressing start.
The Good
- Oedipus has been doing alright, and he's become very sympathetic in his old age. He has forgiven himself because he understands that he had to experience a series of tragedies to get him to where he is now. He's grown kinder, he has two caring daughters who take care of him and whom he loves more than life itself, the gods have accepted his atonement and have forgiven him, and his destiny is to protect whichever city accepts him as a citizen.
You surmise that when he gouged out his eyes in Oedipus Rex, he became enlightened, but it's a little open-ended. Oedipus at Colonus shows that he did reach enlightenment. He can tell when people are lying and he knows to be extremely skeptical when dealing with people and politics. He has excellent judgement and is loyal to those who deserve it. He is a great orator and a persuasive speaker. He trusts what the gods say and propitiates them accordingly. The gods, in turn, look upon him with favor.
- King Oedipus has now reached Athens to ask for citizenship, and King Theseus is extremely empathetic and welcomes him with open arms. Oedipus asks him to be his daughters' godfather and Theseus is honored.
- The Chorus say some really depressing things about old age (Sophocles was 90 when he wrote the play!), but then they say comforting things about the afterlife. They pray to King Hades/Pluto and Queen Persephone/Proserpina of the Underworld for easy passage through the Underworld, and to Hypnos/Somnus (god of sleep and death) for rest for the weary. Oedipus prays to Hermes/Mercury (god of death, travel, friendship, etc.) to safely guide him.
The endearing parts make up for the tragic parts.
Does It Stand on Its Own?
The caveat of the play is that you have to already care about the characters, from the play Oedipus Rex and/or the play Antigone. Oedipus Rex and Oedipus at Colonus cannot stand as stand-alone works because together they paint a complete picture of what Sophocles has to say about how our personal choices (mainly our stubbornness and arrogance) affect our ever-changing Fate. Antigone works as a stand-alone play, but Oedipus at Colonus shows that Antigone learned how to live in accordance with the gods and be a fearless beacon of righteousness from her father, in his years of exile.
So What Is The Play About?
It's a soliloquy from Oedipus about accepting death and embracing the love of the gods and the love of loved ones. He is but one of many people in the cosmos. He was once a king and hero, but then he was an exile, and then an Athenian citizen. He's no more important than anyone else and he's not an isolated individual. He's part of the cosmos, and so is everyone else, and so is death. They all have their place and purpose in the universe. The play is an eloquent ode to a life well-lived (the later part of his life) and an awe of what is to come in the afterlife.
July 22, 2019
We have a tendency to confuse emotions - and two most confused emotions are guilt and shame. Now guilt is sense of having committed something wrong and repenting it - it assumes that the person knew better than that. Shame is more of an emotion imposed by Sociey on those it just doesn't like - there might be cultures who would shame LGBT communities. Society uses it's shaming tools to create a wrong sense of guilt in people even if they didn't do anything wrong. In the end, we start feeling guilty just because we must hide a thing from society that would shame is from it ..... Or might knowingly commit wrong acts that society doesn't consider shameful. This while LGBTQ communities suffer from guilt for not adhering to tradional sexual norms; army soldiers feel arrogantly proud of taking human lives.
Oedipus killed his father whom he didn't know to be his father and upon learning about it (and fact of having married his mother) seemed to have suffered from shame rather than actual guilt. A shame that was added on to by wrath of gods who could have easily prevented it themselves. Oedipus oscillates between the wrong sense of guilt the shame evokes and the idea that he can't be held responsible for actions done in ignorance.
Oedipus killed his father whom he didn't know to be his father and upon learning about it (and fact of having married his mother) seemed to have suffered from shame rather than actual guilt. A shame that was added on to by wrath of gods who could have easily prevented it themselves. Oedipus oscillates between the wrong sense of guilt the shame evokes and the idea that he can't be held responsible for actions done in ignorance.
December 7, 2024
not my favorite of the Theban Cycle, but still pretty good.
"Cloaked in darkness under the earth,
not even there will you ever
be unloved by me."
"Cloaked in darkness under the earth,
not even there will you ever
be unloved by me."
October 31, 2017
لكن ما نفع النصر إن جاء متأخرًا؟
في هذه المسرحية - وهي الأخيرة في ترتيب قراءتي والثانية في الترتيب الصحيح لقصة حياة أوديب - يتأتى لأوديب أن يعيش ليرى الغفران وينعم بقليل من القبول لدى أهله قبل أن تضع الأقدار آخر تدبيراتها في قصة أوديب التعس.
هنا ومع الوحي الجديد يتمتع أوديب بنهاية هينة تليق بكل ما قاساه من مشقات وتعب وأسى في بلدته فيأويه الملك ثيسيوس الملك العادل، ويحميه من مؤامرات خاله - وأخ زوجته - كريون.
أوديب هنا، وفي الأخير، وبعد ما أشبعته الأقداى من سهام مصوبة نحو قلبه وأبناءه، يشعر بالرضا حين تأتيه نبوءة الآاهة بموعد وفاته ومكانه وعلاماته
هنا أيض وكنا سبق لأبيه أن تلقى نبوءة وفاته على يد ابنه، يتلقى أوديب أيضا نبوءة حول أبناءه الذكور، ابنيه اللذين لم يرض عنهم لسبب ما فدعى زيوس ولبى أبولون الدعاء، فنجدهم توجه إليهم هم أيضًا سهام القدر. لم تكتمل القصة بعد وتستكمل في أنتيجونا، حيث نجد الإبنين يتصارعان حول السلطة لتفني يد الحرب أحدهما، ولتستكمل مأ مآسي زيوس
مسرحية مملة نوعا ما حيث تخلو من الأحداث، ولكنها تستحق القراءة لاستكمال الرؤية، ومعرفة أن: على الرغم من أن يد القدر كالمطرقة لا ترحم، إلا أنه، وكما يبدو، يصيبها الوهن أحيانا
في هذه المسرحية - وهي الأخيرة في ترتيب قراءتي والثانية في الترتيب الصحيح لقصة حياة أوديب - يتأتى لأوديب أن يعيش ليرى الغفران وينعم بقليل من القبول لدى أهله قبل أن تضع الأقدار آخر تدبيراتها في قصة أوديب التعس.
هنا ومع الوحي الجديد يتمتع أوديب بنهاية هينة تليق بكل ما قاساه من مشقات وتعب وأسى في بلدته فيأويه الملك ثيسيوس الملك العادل، ويحميه من مؤامرات خاله - وأخ زوجته - كريون.
أوديب هنا، وفي الأخير، وبعد ما أشبعته الأقداى من سهام مصوبة نحو قلبه وأبناءه، يشعر بالرضا حين تأتيه نبوءة الآاهة بموعد وفاته ومكانه وعلاماته
هنا أيض وكنا سبق لأبيه أن تلقى نبوءة وفاته على يد ابنه، يتلقى أوديب أيضا نبوءة حول أبناءه الذكور، ابنيه اللذين لم يرض عنهم لسبب ما فدعى زيوس ولبى أبولون الدعاء، فنجدهم توجه إليهم هم أيضًا سهام القدر. لم تكتمل القصة بعد وتستكمل في أنتيجونا، حيث نجد الإبنين يتصارعان حول السلطة لتفني يد الحرب أحدهما، ولتستكمل مأ مآسي زيوس
مسرحية مملة نوعا ما حيث تخلو من الأحداث، ولكنها تستحق القراءة لاستكمال الرؤية، ومعرفة أن: على الرغم من أن يد القدر كالمطرقة لا ترحم، إلا أنه، وكما يبدو، يصيبها الوهن أحيانا
June 14, 2016
Sophocles'in "Kral Oidipus" ve "Antigone" oyunlarının arasındaki hikayeyi anlatan Theban üçlemesinin ikinci kitabı "Oedipus at Colonus / Oidipus Kolonos'ta", güçlü diline rağmen hikaye açısından yazarın ne yazık ki en zayıf oyunu niteliğinde. Oidipus'un trajik yaşamının Tanrılar katına çıkarılarak sonunda ödüllendirildiği hikayede bir nevi yazar karaktere güzel bir son bahşederek okuyucuyu ilk defa mutlu ediyor. Tabii bunu karakteri öldürerek yapması yine okuyucuda bir burukluk yaratıyor. Aynı zamanda yazarın ölmeden önceki son oyunu olma özelliği taşıyan "Oidipus Kolonos'ta"nın birçok açıdan bir vedayı andırdığını söylemek çok da yanlış olmaz. Basit hikayesine rağmen okunması gereken Antik Yunan eserlerinden biri.
10.06.2016
Burgazada - İstanbul, Türkiye
Alp Turgut
10.06.2016
Burgazada - İstanbul, Türkiye
Alp Turgut
March 19, 2021
"Όποιος περισσότερο ποθεί να ζει
αδιαφορώντας για το σωστό
πως είναι ανόητος
ολοφάνερα θα μου φαίνεται.
*
Αλίμονο, αλίμονο! Που πάμε Δία;
Σε ποια ελπίδα ακόμη
τώρα με σπρώχνει ο θεός;
*
...και λίγο ζητώ και παίρνω κι απ' το λίγο ακόμη πιο λίγο
κι αυτό μου είναι αρκετό
διότι μ' έμαθαν να το θεωρώ ικανοποιητικό
τα βάσανα, τα πολλά τα χρόνια μου και η ψυλή μου καταγωγή."
(εκδ. ΖΗΤΡΟΣ, μετάφραση Θ. ΜΑΥΡΟΠΟΥΛΟΣ)
αδιαφορώντας για το σωστό
πως είναι ανόητος
ολοφάνερα θα μου φαίνεται.
*
Αλίμονο, αλίμονο! Που πάμε Δία;
Σε ποια ελπίδα ακόμη
τώρα με σπρώχνει ο θεός;
*
...και λίγο ζητώ και παίρνω κι απ' το λίγο ακόμη πιο λίγο
κι αυτό μου είναι αρκετό
διότι μ' έμαθαν να το θεωρώ ικανοποιητικό
τα βάσανα, τα πολλά τα χρόνια μου και η ψυλή μου καταγωγή."
(εκδ. ΖΗΤΡΟΣ, μετάφραση Θ. ΜΑΥΡΟΠΟΥΛΟΣ)
October 17, 2024
"Günahtır, yer altındaki karanlığı bir lütuf gibi kabul edenenin yası tutulmaz."
May 21, 2024
محتوای نمایش: چندتا نفرین + چندتا تقدیر از دختران + مرگ مرگ مرگ
October 22, 2022
“One word frees us of all the weight and pain of life: That word is love.”
Why am I so damn in love with Oedipus?
His tragedy and devastation is something that I couldn't get enough of. I read everything I could lay my hands on but even after finishing the trilogy, I wanted more. I couldn't stop myself from thinking about Oedipus.
The thoughts that crept into my mind kept bothering me. Unlike other heroes of tragedy, Oedipus bears no responsibility for his flaw, it being his lack of knowledge about his own identity. Oedipus' story or tragedy can be best described as the victim of fate.
If any, Oedipus' greatest but only flaw was his rashness and anger. By allowing himself to be taken over by rage and killing the stranger at the road after he was struck, he sealed his fate. This culminated with him defeating the Sphinx and marrying his mother.
Oedipus in Greek mythology, is the son of Jocasta and of Laius, king of Thebes. According to Apollo's oracle at Delphi, he was doomed to kill his father and marry his mother. After the prophecy he was left to die on a mountain by Laius, the infant Oedipus was saved by a shepherd. That did not change neither the destiny of Oedipus nor the fate of the king of Thebes.
This play starts with banishment of Oedipus. After he was banished, no one supported him. Jocasta took an easy way out. Man, What is with Greek people and suicide? They drop dead like flies. Something happens — let's end life. How come suicide is a solution to anything? How is it supposed to end the pain or humiliation or whatever is the reason behind such a drastic step? It doesn't end with suicide. It never has and it never will. New questions and scenarios arise with every turn of events.
Anyways coming back to Oedipus, even his sons didn't support him. He had only his two daughters by his side.
In this agony, he ended up in Athens a holy place where he wasn't allowed to sit. But king and people of Athens supported him after they were made aware of the truth by Oedipus himself.
In a passage after he told his story, he asked a simple question — he who wasn't even born, had been given the burden of being a murderer of his own father and that of incest by marrying his own mother. His fate was predecided and by someone else entirely. What was his fault, he asked.
When he killed the men on three roads in self defense he didn't know who they were. He further asked a question — would you ask the person attacking you if he is by any chance sire of yours?
He wedded Jocasta when he didn't have the faintest idea that she was his mother. How could he? Unaware of his parentage and ancestry, how can he be blamed for crimes he committed unknowingly and unwittingly?
The major themes in the play are, old age, wisdom and death. Oedipus realising his mistakes blinds himself as a punishment for his actions rather than killing himself.
Through Oedipus, it is concluded that old age can bring wisdom or not. By accepting his fate and punishment in Oedipus at Colonus, Oedipus has atoned for his guilt.
In the end, Greek gods lessened his sufferings by offering him a peace in a way. His miraculous death proves that the gods who brought on his awful fate feel that he has suffered enough and has earned a kind of immortality. They welcome him to the underworld so that he may at last rest in peace.
Oedipus at Colonus shows Oedipus's final transformation from an outcast in life to a hero in death—a redemption earned through years of hardship and remorse.
Why am I so damn in love with Oedipus?
His tragedy and devastation is something that I couldn't get enough of. I read everything I could lay my hands on but even after finishing the trilogy, I wanted more. I couldn't stop myself from thinking about Oedipus.
The thoughts that crept into my mind kept bothering me. Unlike other heroes of tragedy, Oedipus bears no responsibility for his flaw, it being his lack of knowledge about his own identity. Oedipus' story or tragedy can be best described as the victim of fate.
If any, Oedipus' greatest but only flaw was his rashness and anger. By allowing himself to be taken over by rage and killing the stranger at the road after he was struck, he sealed his fate. This culminated with him defeating the Sphinx and marrying his mother.
Oedipus in Greek mythology, is the son of Jocasta and of Laius, king of Thebes. According to Apollo's oracle at Delphi, he was doomed to kill his father and marry his mother. After the prophecy he was left to die on a mountain by Laius, the infant Oedipus was saved by a shepherd. That did not change neither the destiny of Oedipus nor the fate of the king of Thebes.
This play starts with banishment of Oedipus. After he was banished, no one supported him. Jocasta took an easy way out. Man, What is with Greek people and suicide? They drop dead like flies. Something happens — let's end life. How come suicide is a solution to anything? How is it supposed to end the pain or humiliation or whatever is the reason behind such a drastic step? It doesn't end with suicide. It never has and it never will. New questions and scenarios arise with every turn of events.
Anyways coming back to Oedipus, even his sons didn't support him. He had only his two daughters by his side.
In this agony, he ended up in Athens a holy place where he wasn't allowed to sit. But king and people of Athens supported him after they were made aware of the truth by Oedipus himself.
In a passage after he told his story, he asked a simple question — he who wasn't even born, had been given the burden of being a murderer of his own father and that of incest by marrying his own mother. His fate was predecided and by someone else entirely. What was his fault, he asked.
When he killed the men on three roads in self defense he didn't know who they were. He further asked a question — would you ask the person attacking you if he is by any chance sire of yours?
He wedded Jocasta when he didn't have the faintest idea that she was his mother. How could he? Unaware of his parentage and ancestry, how can he be blamed for crimes he committed unknowingly and unwittingly?
The major themes in the play are, old age, wisdom and death. Oedipus realising his mistakes blinds himself as a punishment for his actions rather than killing himself.
Through Oedipus, it is concluded that old age can bring wisdom or not. By accepting his fate and punishment in Oedipus at Colonus, Oedipus has atoned for his guilt.
In the end, Greek gods lessened his sufferings by offering him a peace in a way. His miraculous death proves that the gods who brought on his awful fate feel that he has suffered enough and has earned a kind of immortality. They welcome him to the underworld so that he may at last rest in peace.
Oedipus at Colonus shows Oedipus's final transformation from an outcast in life to a hero in death—a redemption earned through years of hardship and remorse.
January 1, 2018
É necessária arte para comentar obras de Arte. Não a tenho. Limito-me aos resumos, ilustrados com a arte de quem fala sem palavras.
Na peça Rei Édipo, segundo uma profecia do Oráculo de Delfos, Laio (rei de Tebas) e Jocasta terão um filho que matará o pai e casará com a mãe. O bebé é entregue, pela mãe, a um pastor para que o mate. Este, não tendo coragem, abandonou-o e Édipo é adoptado pelo rei de Corinto. Em adulto, quando sabe da profecia, abandona o reino e ao cruzar-se com um desconhecido, após um conflito, mata-o. Dirige-se a Tebas e, depois de resolver o enigma da esfinge, casa com Jocasta de quem tem quatro filhos. Quando Édipo descobre a sua ascendência, louco de dor, cega-se a si próprio.
(Pierre-Auguste Renoir - Oedipus Rex)
Em Édipo em Colono, expulso pelos próprios filhos e pelo cunhado (Creonte), Édipo torna-se um peregrino guiado pela filha (e irmã) Antígona, que lhe dedicou a sua vida.
(Camille-Felix Bellanger - Oedipus And Antigone)
Já no final da vida, e seguindo instruções da segunda profecia do Oráculo, dirige-se a um local, Colono, do domínio de Atenas, que é um lugar sagrado pertença das Erínias (também designadas por Euménides, Fúrias ou Benevolentes).
Enquanto espera pela sua hora, recebe a visita da filha, Ismena, e do filho, Policines, o qual lhe vem pedir ajuda para reconquistar o trono de Tebas, que lhe foi arrebatado pelo irmão mais novo, Etéocles.
(Jean-Antoine-Théodore Giroust - Oedipus at Colonus)
Quando sente chegada a sua hora, Édipo pede para falar com o rei, Teseu, ao qual faz uma proposta.
E o homem, cujo destino foi o mais triste de todos, encontra, finalmente, paz...
(Henry Fuseli - The Death Of Oedipus)
Na peça Rei Édipo, segundo uma profecia do Oráculo de Delfos, Laio (rei de Tebas) e Jocasta terão um filho que matará o pai e casará com a mãe. O bebé é entregue, pela mãe, a um pastor para que o mate. Este, não tendo coragem, abandonou-o e Édipo é adoptado pelo rei de Corinto. Em adulto, quando sabe da profecia, abandona o reino e ao cruzar-se com um desconhecido, após um conflito, mata-o. Dirige-se a Tebas e, depois de resolver o enigma da esfinge, casa com Jocasta de quem tem quatro filhos. Quando Édipo descobre a sua ascendência, louco de dor, cega-se a si próprio.
(Pierre-Auguste Renoir - Oedipus Rex)
Em Édipo em Colono, expulso pelos próprios filhos e pelo cunhado (Creonte), Édipo torna-se um peregrino guiado pela filha (e irmã) Antígona, que lhe dedicou a sua vida.
(Camille-Felix Bellanger - Oedipus And Antigone)
Já no final da vida, e seguindo instruções da segunda profecia do Oráculo, dirige-se a um local, Colono, do domínio de Atenas, que é um lugar sagrado pertença das Erínias (também designadas por Euménides, Fúrias ou Benevolentes).
Enquanto espera pela sua hora, recebe a visita da filha, Ismena, e do filho, Policines, o qual lhe vem pedir ajuda para reconquistar o trono de Tebas, que lhe foi arrebatado pelo irmão mais novo, Etéocles.
(Jean-Antoine-Théodore Giroust - Oedipus at Colonus)
Quando sente chegada a sua hora, Édipo pede para falar com o rei, Teseu, ao qual faz uma proposta.
E o homem, cujo destino foi o mais triste de todos, encontra, finalmente, paz...
(Henry Fuseli - The Death Of Oedipus)
May 31, 2023
A bit annoyed at Sophocles because he makes Oedipus blame his boys for his exile (and curse them horribly) when at the end of Oedipus Rex it is Oedipus who wants to self exile because of his horrible course. Sophocles also adds a page of Polynices asking Antigone to honor his future dead body, quite a curse for poor Antigone who can’t catch a break!! I appreciate how Sophocles sees women as more loyal and with a truer sense of justice in the Thevan plays, even if their destinies are even worse than that of the men in their family. .
I also like the redemption arc for Oedipus. Not as eventful or emotional as Antigone or Oedipus Rex, still a great play.
I also like the redemption arc for Oedipus. Not as eventful or emotional as Antigone or Oedipus Rex, still a great play.
July 3, 2018
به خوبی "ادیپ شاه" نبود، اما در کل بدم نبود! فقط دیالوگها خیلی طولانی بود و اون عمقی که داستان ادیپ داشت اینجا نمیبینیم!
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