Oedipus REx

Essay by gangsterjooseHigh School, 10th gradeA, January 2005

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Human Flaws, Divine Justice

In Oedipus Rex, Sophocles explains to us that our >justice= is worthless, how we only make things worse by trying to be just, and how the gods will make everything equal, anyway. Furthermore, no matter how hard we try, we cannot escape the will of the gods, they=re just too powerful. All this being said, it is obvious that Sophocles was an anarchist, believing that the best thing would be for everyone to just hope that they=re in the good graces of the gods, and act without laws.

First he makes clear that the justice of humans is insufficient. Some times, we=ll fail to even try, AYou leave the death and downfall of a king unsolved!?@ Now think about this... if they didn=t even investigate the death of the king what are the chances that they=ll investigate for a lesser person? And Oedipus, the one appalled by this lack of care for truth, is equally in the wrong.

Observe the following dialogue: the scene is this: Oedipus has accused Creon of treason ACreon: Listen to me; do not be unfair. Let me speak too, and when you=ve heard, judge me. Oedipus: No! You=re too good at talking and I=m too bad at listening!@ Oedipus just said he won=t listen to reason, he=ll just jump to conclusions and judge Creon without all the facts. What the fudge is that? And of course, why would the city be ASheltering a defilement@ if it was really just? If they knew about the incest, of course they=d have cut it off. The point is, we humans can never know everything, and so we cannot possibly judge others. We don=t know all the facts, only God does, therefore we should not even try to instigate justice, or else we=ll...