Synthesis

Synthesis:

Throughout the play my view of Oedipus has honestly not changed much. I continue to see him as a decently average being, because all of his personality traits and actions balance themselves out. Internally, Oedipus doesn’t change much either. Knowing the truth scars him mentally and physically for life, but it never changes what he once was, a strong king with his people’s best intentions in mind. What adds to my admiration for Oedipus is his ability to remain in this neutral zone for so long. Unlike many other victims of tragedy, he remains sane and actually acknowledges his fate, as seen on lines 847-848 “I can hold nothing back from you, /now I’ve reached this pitch of dark foreboding.” Oedipus is a character that fits perfectly in the criteria for the protagonist of a Greek tragedy. He is neither a saint nor a madman. For these reasons, I continue to respect Oedipus as a human being even as the play progresses and truth starts to unfold.

            After witnessing the downfall of Oedipus within the lens of a Greek tragedy and participating in-group discussions, I have left the book with greater knowledge on perspective. I have been able to expand my awareness on what perspective means to people who view Oedipus both in and out of the story. The class analysis we did helped me understand visually how people react to Oedipus, and many reacted with hatred, anger or disgust towards Oedipus when they had once though otherwise. I though differently. The audience already knew of Oedipus dark secrets and inevitable downfall that did not change, so why should our perspectives change as well? This question was soon answered as I reflected on the moments and quotes that contrasted with those from earlier in the play. Many people saw Oedipus tempting fate and paying a price for it, and I was able to see from their point of view. After a lot of close reading and analysis, all these different standpoints unified into a greater understanding of how perspective is actually challenged in The Three Theban Plays.