First this paper considers the primary motivation throughout the action of the play. Both Oedipus and his wife Jocasta express disbelief regarding the validity of both the oracle; and all oracles, and yet they continually endeavor to prove to themselves that the oracle has no power or influence over their lives. Throughout the action of the play, his obsession with discovering the 'truth', leads the reader to assume that he deep within himself there was some doubt regarding his beliefs, thereby resulting in his continual justification of his perceived beliefs. His search for the 'truth' highlighted his ability to analyze information and ruthlessly pursue answers and solutions in order to establish the 'real truth'. However, without the gift of hindsight or prediction, he relied on his own intelligence, thereby the story suggests to the reader that he was also blind to his own inadequacies and inability to intuitively understand and see the truth, even though it was obvious to both to the reader and to some of the characters portrayed throughout the story.
In the beginning of the play, the reader is presented with two events in which efforts were enacted to prevent the oracle from happening. Ironically, Oedipus survives attempts by his parents due to due to the proactive measures enacted by a shepherd; however they later became the subsequent victims; predicted by the oracle. Secondly, Oedipus himself flees the perceived danger thus attempting to alter the predicted outcome of the oracle. Ironically by saving his own life he ensured the validity of the oracle by killing his parents; thus ensuring the original prediction of the oracle. Thus he is motivated to survive the oracle, both by removing perceived threats to himself, and ensuring that predicted consequences would never happen. Ironically he remained blind to the inescapable truth that the oracle's prediction would happen, regardless of his or others thinking and actions. His ego is such that he crowns himself as his own god; only Oedipus decides what fate is for Oedipus, thereby his fate is sealed by his motivation misguided by blindness to the truth.
Perhaps one of the central characters to this story is ironically the old shepherd, initially influential in ensuring Oedipus's survival, then instrumental in trying to prevent Oedipus from investigating the truth; obstructing Oedipus’s investigation. The shepherd portrays an essential element that is instrumental to the play’s chaos and ironical outcome. The shepherd is motivated to manipulate fate, and is the single witness to the thorough denial of order, and the failure of honesty of the child he protected. When required to kill infant Oedipus, the shepherd had cemented the prophecy by disobeying, letting the child live. When witnessing the murder of his master, he was honest enough to relate half the truth to Jocasta and denying critical details thereby manipulating the 'truth'. In addition, Jocasta endowed with the secret of what really took place at the beginning of the story, continued to support Oedipus, in order to achieve her own ends; the prevention of the perceived outcome of the oracle. She comforts him, supporting his belief regarding the ineffective power of the oracle; thereby motivated to prevent the truth materializing and ensuring the continued 'blindness' of Oedipus.
The reader is introduced to Teiresias, a blind man, blessed with the ability to 'see' the past and future, can foresee the outcome of the oracle thereby accepting the ridicule enacted upon him by Oedipus. Perhaps this blind man influenced the outcome of what eventually happened, due to the foreseen inevitability of what was going to happen. Ironically, as physical blindness overtook Oedipus, his ability to 'see' the real truth as previously expressed by Teiresias, became his remaining ability to understand that he had become the 'evil' that he had once tried to remove
Works Cited
Johnston, Ian., trans. Oedipus Rex.Arlington: RicherResourcesPublications , 2007. Print.
