Brandi L.

Perry

English 102-18

Dr. Hootman

April 15, 2008

Oedipus the King by Sophocles

Sophocles’ play, Oedipus the King, uses the depiction of the transformation of

Oedipus to convey the theme of self-realization. Oedipus transforms through out

the play as he grows in the knowledge of his past. He changes from a total dictator

in the beginning to and humbled and understanding man in the end.

In the beginning, Oedipus is a very confident man, who is determined. These

qualities are shown through him answering the Sphinx’s riddle. This act could have

cost him his life because he wasn’t a native of the town, and it wasn’t legal for him

to answer it. This determination to help save the town displayed his courageous

side.

It isn’t until later in the play that Oedipus is depicted as becoming less

confident in himself. It is the scene where Jocasta tells the story of her past, that

Oedipus begins to wonder if he could be the cause for the plague that he has been

working so hard to stop. There is much foreshadowing that is used throughout to

direct the readers in this direction. One such example is when Oedipus says, “how

could I fail to see.” This statement foreshadows that he hasn’t yet realized that he

has indeed unknowingly lived out the prophecy, and will eventually pluck out his

own eyes and cause himself physical blindness.

At the end of the play Oedipus changes once again into an humble man. It is

after he realizes all that has taken place, that he knows that he will be punished
according to his own punishments. He realizes that he has unknowingly planned his

own fate throughout the play