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. 

Oedipus comic #4: The End

Oedipus The King Comic Strip Episode #4 (finale)

The End

Response:

Of all the grief Oedipus shows throughout the play, this one quote hit me the hardest. We see Oedipus  at his mental limit, crying in agony for oblivion. Only in this play have I seen such a display of self hatred or condemnation, which immediately stood out to me. I was moved by the emotions of regret and resentment. Sophocles really struck the nail on the head with this one, and I believe it is one of the most important quotes related to Oedipus' suffering. I was able to see a tremendous difference when I looked back at the earlier quote, and I knew that this was the quote I needed to show in detail the protagonist and the play's moment of catharsis.

Oedipus comic #3 searching for certain doom

Oedipus The King Comic Strip Episode #3

Searching for certain doom

Response:

I was quite reluctant to see that Oedipus hasn’t gone insane after this realization, although reluctant may not be the right word to use for his situation... Oedipus is not another Macbeth, but rather a misfortunate being that has the strength and will power to endure these trials given by the gods. He pours effort into a search for the truth, which ironically will be in vain. For that reason I respect Oedipus, and believe that he is still a decent yet miserable person. I admire his determination, but pity it as well, and this is a key characteristic trait I wanted to briefly highlight.

Oedipus comic #2:The fall

Oedipus The King Comic Strip Episode #2

The Fall

Response:

I feel empathetic towards Oedipus after reading the quote, because of the enormity of the responsibility he carries. I believe that this was Sophocles’ intention, with the repeating of death that really hammers in sorrowful and bleak visions that dramatically shape the audience's opinions. This get's people like myself thinking more about the problem at hand, inevitable feeling slight empathy for Oedipus' misery. This is an extremely important part of the play, a beginning of an end, which is why i felt compiled to represent this specific scene with a comic.

Oedipus comic #1: The beginning

Oedipus The King Comic Strip Episode #1

The beginning

Response:

This quote reminded me that this act of the Oedipus stories started in media res, and I was able to visualize oedipus' previous feats in clearer detail. I believe that this story element helps make the play lean more towards tragedy, because instead of focusing on the main character’s success years ago, we get a small glimpse of how mighty oedipus use to be and ready ourselves for the death and misery with the plague arriving in Thebes. With this recap of his previous adventures, I feel that I will be better able to compare and contrast the Oedipus from before and after. It was necessary to include this scene in my collection of comic strips because I wanted to highlight the importance of Oedipus's past so that viewers would feel the same way I did at first when reading the play.