1
Nguyen -
Brandon Nguyen
Mr. Hohendorf
ENG-4U
Monday March 31st 2014
On Misunderstanding the Oedipus Rex
In misunderstanding the Oedipus Rex, written by E.R. Dodds, the author leaves readers with many thoughts about the story. The author suggests that there are many groups who believe in different things about Oedipus. "The first group held that the play justifies the gods by showing - or, as many of them said, 'proving' --- that we get what we deserve" (Dodds 37). Another substantial view on Oedipus is that "Oedipus Rex is 'a tragedy of destiny'" (Dodds 37). Many individuals in society can clearly argue one is better than the other however one believes that both opinions are equally correct. Oedipus Rex is clearly a tragedy of destiny as seen in the ending however many individuals can also argue that Oedipus gets what he deserves as the God's justify there actions.
The author's opinion is one with Aristotle's view which is that Oedipus' misfortune was directly occasioned by some serious ambiguous. This is shown when the author expresses his thoughts "In my opinion, and in that of nearly all Aristotelian scholars since Bywater, Aristotle does not say so; it is only the perversity of moralizing critics that has misrepresented him as saying so" (Dodds 39). One completely agrees with Dodd's arguments based on the belief that this story can be interpreted in many different views. It is clear to see that many individuals see Oedipus as an individual with inner strength and others see Oedipus as a morally flawed victim of the gods. One believes that Oedipus is a morally flawed victim of the gods due to the fact that Oedipus had no say whatsoever in his decision and was not conscious of his own decisions. An example in...