Truth is a pressed theme in Oedipus Rex. Whether the character knows the truth about their fate or not, it can often be a struggle to accept. When a character ignores the truth, there is often nowhere for the character to go, developing wise, but when Jocasta and Oedipus finally accept the truth, they are set free from the lies that they have been telling themselves and can move in a new direction in life. In Oedipus Rex, Jocasta denies the truth several times. Initially, Jocasta ignores the truth of the prophecy; the truth is that, “an oracle once came to Laius… declaring he was doomed to perish by the hand of his own son…” (p. 12) Jocasta also doesn’t want to accept the fact that when she did attempt to have her son killed by having “its
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Oedipus ignores the truth as much as, if not more than Jocasta. There are several circumstances in which Oedipus ignores blatant truth. Early in the play, Teiresias is talking with Oedipus and asks him, “Dost thou know thy lineage?”(p. 7), meaning that the people Oedipus thought were his parents actually weren’t. Next comes the case with Laius. Laius was killed at the crossing of three roads by a mountain, and Oedipus killed people at that exact same location. Oedipus even asks Jocasta, “tell me the build and height of Laius?”(p. 13) . When Jocasta tells him, he starts to believe the truth, but still denies the truth on a simple fact that the messenger says that a group of people killed Laius, not just one person. Oedipus also does not accept the truth that he is the son of Laius and Jocasta. When Jocasta tells Oedipus of how she had a child’s ankles chained and pinned together, Oedipus does not even think of his own ankles. His name literally means “swollen feet”. It takes a messenger to tell Oedipus, “those ankle joints are evidence enow” (p. 18) When Oedipus finally accepts the truth, he is angry and distraught. He gouges out his eyes and then is exiled by Creon. This leads to Oedipus at Colonus, where Oedipus, in a sense, is content. When Oedipus learns the truth, he is set free from the burdens caused by the prophecy and can move on in
Oedipus ignores the truth as much as, if not more than Jocasta. There are several circumstances in which Oedipus ignores blatant truth. Early in the play, Teiresias is talking with Oedipus and asks him, “Dost thou know thy lineage?”(p. 7), meaning that the people Oedipus thought were his parents actually weren’t. Next comes the case with Laius. Laius was killed at the crossing of three roads by a mountain, and Oedipus killed people at that exact same location. Oedipus even asks Jocasta, “tell me the build and height of Laius?”(p. 13) . When Jocasta tells him, he starts to believe the truth, but still denies the truth on a simple fact that the messenger says that a group of people killed Laius, not just one person. Oedipus also does not accept the truth that he is the son of Laius and Jocasta. When Jocasta tells Oedipus of how she had a child’s ankles chained and pinned together, Oedipus does not even think of his own ankles. His name literally means “swollen feet”. It takes a messenger to tell Oedipus, “those ankle joints are evidence enow” (p. 18) When Oedipus finally accepts the truth, he is angry and distraught. He gouges out his eyes and then is exiled by Creon. This leads to Oedipus at Colonus, where Oedipus, in a sense, is content. When Oedipus learns the truth, he is set free from the burdens caused by the prophecy and can move on in