Dear Sophocles,
I must begin by congratulating you for writing such an interesting play with many twists and turns. As the play unraveled, I could not help but wonder how long it took you to prepare the whole plot. What stood out for me was the nice interplay between characterization and themes. The use of stylistic devices was also crucial in developing the plot of the play. However, I was a little worried why you used a blind man to unravel a mystery (the killing of Laius) that no one else could understand. Was it your way of explicating sarcasm? Probably, it was your way of saying that even the physically handicapped in the society have a role to play in the society.
It is also ironical that Oedipus begins a fresh search for the killer(s) of the former king and vows to avenge his death while Oedipus himself was the one who killed the king. At some point, Oedipus says, “But I will begin afresh. I will bring it all to light For whoever killed Laius might decide to raise his hand against me. So, acting on behalf of Laius, I benefit myself too” (Sophocles 12). The fact that Oedipus turned out to be the killer left him in self-denial. That leads me to my other question: why did you make Oedipus a villain while the main practice is that the main character is the hero?
Lastly, the theme of fate is quite evident in the play. Many of the characters have little control over their destinies. Oedipus does not know his fate after it turns out that he killed Laius. Eteocles and Polyneices also do not know their fate after their father says that they will be killed in each other’s arms. Antigone and Ismene are also anxious about what will happen to them if they bury Polyneices. The fate of Oedipus and Polyneices is understandable because they both committed heinous crimes in their lifetime. However, what was your motive in making Eteocles suffer such a painful death while he seemed to be a good man?
Work Cited
Sophocles. Oedipus Rex. Trans. Bernard Knox. New York: Pocket Books.
