Right in the beginning of Oedipus Rex, I see the difference between Greek tragedies and Shakespearean tragedies. Oedipus is the bad guy. Maybe it's the way the play begins. We're right in the middle of things. It's like starting Macbeth with Macbeth already on the throne. And I sort of like it.
We already know that Oedipus murdered the king (also his father) and took the throne and the queen (his mother). Just from that, Oedipus is a bad guy. He's also an interesting, charismatic character. First off, his self serving personality is probably a first for my eyes in literature. Usually villains are brooding and what not. That's not how Oedipus rolls. In the opening scene, Oedipus is pompously exaggerating his love for the city. His lines are somewhat comical in an ironic sense. We know that he's a murderer and I think it's fun watching him act like he's not the murderer.
But then there's the other side of the 3 dimensional coin. Oedipus is a smart villain. He knows to balance out public opinion on him. He says that a major reason he wants to catch the killer is to save his own life. Furthermore, Oedipus is putting a pretty big bounty on whoever was involved with the murder. He goes so far as to say that the punishments for anyone tied to the crime apply to him.
Even though Oedipus is the villain, he's a fairly interesting guy. His confidence and intelligence are characteristics of great and fun bad guys. Also, I look forward to when he is taken down by the incest thing.
Well said Alex. I always find Oedipus to be a ridiculously complex character. While there are certain tropes that occur in Greek Tragedy, I feel like Oedipus manages to avoid many of the tropes by being such a ridiculously large and grandiose figure.
ReplyDeleteHis influence is still felt today, which really says something about either his speech, power, or his horrors.
I instantly enjoyed Oedipus for same reason Alex; it cuts right to the chase. Instead of pages and pages of exposition and prologue bullshit, this play begins directly when the actions starts. Others might disagree and say that what we have read so far is repetitious and that it is slow moving; however, I disagree and feel it is moving along quite deftly.
ReplyDeleteI know that Oedipus is a greatly flawed character but I do not view him as a villain. I see how he is a villain to the city and is the reason for why Thebes is in turmoil, but I do not see him as a run of the mill villain. He did kill his father and marry his mother, unintentionally. I think he did these awful things by accident. Maybe my opinion of Oedipus will change as the play progresses, but I feel sorry for him.