


The Character of Oedipus
Caring (or self-interested)
Proactive (or impulsive)
Single minded (or stubborn)
Oedipus is a paradoxical character in that every one of his strengths is also a
weakness. The test in a question about Oedipus is whether you can make a firm
decision weighted on one side of the argument or the other and prove your
opinion with reference to the play.
Oedipus is a man who cares deeply about what he is doing (solving the murder of
Laius). As a king he consciously rules his people as a father watching over his
family and even calls the people, “My children.” In his bid to set the people’s
hearts at ease he keeps nothing back from them and includes them in every step
of his investigation. He allows Creon to publish Apollo’s oracle, he confronts
Teiresius and Creon in front of an audience made up of city elders (the Chorus)
and even concedes to go against his better judgment by sparing the life of the
supposed traitor: Creon, for the sake of the Chorus and his wife. Even at the
very end of the play after he has come to terms with the tragedy of his life and
blinded himself he begs Creon to either banish or kill him so as to spare the city
from his pollution.
On the other hand it may equally be argued that Oedipus is motivated purely by
self-interest to solve the murder of Laius and that his caring nature is merely an
act. For example, on taking the case Oedipus says, “in serving Laius, I also serve
myself” meaning that whosever was brave enough to murder the old king may
turn his hand against King Oedipus as well. Later on during his agon
(confrontation) with Creon, Oedipus reveals himself not as a benevolent king
who rules like a father over his children but rather as a tyrant who is prepared
to rule badly as long as he rules and he is so obsessed with staying on the throne
that he calls Thebes, “my city!” It may also be argued that his final plea for
Creon to have him killed or drowned immediately is not motivated by any
patriotic duty but by a self-absorbed form of guilt. He yearns for an end to his
suffering and since his death would appease Phoebus, according to the original
oracle, he suggests it as a mean to his own end: escape from the guilt of his
crimes by death.
Oedipus’ proactive nature is a fine quality in a leader. He is clearly a self-reliant
man who comes into the orchestra from the palace at the start of the play
because he would not have the news from anyone else but the people themselves.
He is a king who gets personally involved with that which troubles his people and
confesses that as King he carries the people’s, the city’s and his own grief and
troubles on his shoulders. He is also not a man to wait around for catastrophe
but actively tries to pre-empt disaster whenever he can. He does this twice at the
start of the play. When the priest asks him to send a messenger to Delphi we find
out that Oedipus has already done so and is now waiting for his return. Later on
we hear that on the private advice of Creon he has already sent for the prophet
Teiresius before being asked to do so. During the course of his investigation on
the mention of the survivor who brought back the news of Laius’ murder he
send for him immediately. In his examination of chief suspects like Teiresius and
Creon (who he believes are treasonous) he is swift in his line of questioning. His
technique is artful, like that of a lawyer in court he asks simple open questions
the answers to which reveal a complex web of evidence and when called upon to
intimidate anyone he perceives to be guilty he has tact and timing enough to lay
extreme pressure upon them. This is particularly evident in the case of the
Chorus who are so shocked by the severity of his curse on the murderer that they
swear that they did nothing and know nothing and especially in his interrogation
of the Theban shepherd he is very quick to resort to force to extract a confession
from a hostile witness.
On the other hand, Oedipus’ impulsiveness is what causes his downfall. His curse
on the murderer of Laius shocks the Chorus because it is so extreme and even
undeserved given that he has yet to uncover the merest clue that points at a
culprit. There is something imprudent about the way Oedipus goes about things.
For example, he often refuses to listen to sound advice even at the best of times
like when Creon asks if they should go inside the palace to discuss the oracle.
Oedipus is not prudent enough to do this and asks Creon instead to publish the
oracle straight away. It may be argued that he places self-image (his own as a
caring king) over wise rule; perhaps he sees them as one in the same? Whatever
the reason, the decision to publish the oracle is one made on the spur of the
moment. Oedipus takes no time to consider this course of action. It is a rash
move. His rashness however is most evident in his agon with Teiresius. Once the
prophet refuses to tell him what he knows Oedipus loses his temper and takes to
insulting the prophet and ridiculing his gift of prophecy, which provokes the
prophet into revealing the truth about Oedipus’ birth. This is not however to
Oedipus’ credit. It cannot justifiably be argued that Oedipus manipulated the
reluctant witness. He gleaned the truth from him by accident and also took no
notice of it at the time for he is so full of fury that he refuses to listen to Teiresius.
The most extreme case of Oedipus’ folly comes when he learns that he was born
in Thebes. At that point Jocasta begs him to stop investigating because
undoubtedly she has figured out what we (the audience) already know but
Oedipus rather jumps to a rash conclusion that she trying to spare herself the
shame attached to having married a bastard child of low birth; perhaps a slave,
when in fact she has figured out that Oedipus is her own son. Were he less
impulsive, less led by his emotion and more ruled by reason, Oedipus would be
more foresighted, more calculating and less likely to fall into Fate’s trap but he is
as Sophocles has made him: a fool who thinks himself wise.
(ii) 50 marks. Impression
In a general sense, Oedipus is a man of great intelligence and he has the ability to
think quickly and arrive at sound conclusions. The scenes where these qualities are
particularly evident include the following:
• His interrogation of Creon on the latter’s return from Delphi is quick
and clinical.
• He seizes on the importance of the survivor and immediately realises
the possibility of conspirators in Thebes being behind Laius’ murder
• He not only knows how to interrogate but also how to put pressure on a
guilty party (his curse on the killer)
• Although Oedipus is wrong to accuse Tiresias and Creon, he is basing
his accusation on evidence (it was Creon who brought the message
from Delphi; it was Creon who suggested that Tiresias be consulted; it
was Creon who was in charge after Laius’ death when no proper
investigation took place). Here again, Oedipus’ powers of
interrogation actually reveal more than he had intended. And the king
wants to know why the prophet said nothing over the years.
• In the confrontation with Creon (line 626) he shows the same quickfire
technique in getting to the core of the matter.
• When Jocasta says “where three roads meet”, Oedipus again moves
into a series of short questions getting straight to the key point but he
also immediately seizes on the one possible loophole i.e. the number of
13
people who attacked Laius, and he wants to interview the survivor – at
once.
• Finally, his interrogation of the messenger from Corinth (and even
more tellingly of the old shepherd) are master classes in the use of
detective skills. The shepherd is a reluctant witness but the king puts
unrelenting pressure on him to reveal the truth.
• He does solve the case!
Examiners will also credit answer which argue that he is not a great detective; he is
quick tempered, makes rash judgements and comes to irrational conclusions.