Oedipus Rex- Exodus

Summary: Another messenger comes in and says how Iokaste is dead. She had killed herself. She was very distraught over what she had just learned. Oedipus then came into her room and discovered her. When he discovered her, he was very upset and took her brooches and stabbed them into his eyes, blinding himself. The messenger then says how Oedipus has exiled himself. Oedipus is then let in. He is disgusted by himself and his actions. He says how he will always live with his terrible memories. Oedipus also says he blinded himself because he could not stand seeing the horror around him. He could also not stand looking other men in the eyes. Kreon then comes in. Kreon says that Oedipus should go inside and only family should see him. Oedipus asks Kreon to give Iokaste a proper funeral. He also asks Kreon, the new king, to take care of his daughters Ismene and Anitgone because they will never marry. Oedipus then talks to his daughters. Oedipus tells them that they will have a horrible life because of him, but he wants them to try to be happy. Oedipus then tells Kreon to send him from Thebes. Kreon also tells Oedipus that he is no longer king. The chorus then sings about Oedipus' ruin and destruction and how fate got to him. They also says that man will only be happy when he is dead because then he will not have memory or pain.

Response: Even though Oedipus has committed many wrongs, he is still kind of portrayed has a strong man that is able to handle his punishments. He does not think that his daughters will be able to have a good life and take care of themselves. He says that his sons will be fine, but he begs Kreon to take care of his daughters. He is just assuming that his daughters will be weaker than his sons and won't be able to take care of themselves. Maybe it was because of the time period that Oedipus felt like his daughters needed to be protected. He knew that men could take care of themselves, and women would have a harder time. They would be judged more for the actions of their father and mother than a man would be. When Oedipus stabs his eyes out, he is kind of being a coward. He can't stand looking at his daughters or others, but if he really wanted to punish himself I would think that he would make himself look at the people he punished. It probably hurt a lot when he stabbed his eyes out, but that was more momentary pain than the pain it would cause him to always see the people that he hurt. Maybe he felt like he wasn't deserving of ever seeing the ones he loved again or nature and its beauties. He also might have felt that he wanted to forever live with the last image of his mother/wife dead in order to punish himself. I don't think that Oedipus will ever forgive himself for what he did to his family. It is sick, but it is not like he knew who his parents were. He didn't intentionally kill his father and sleep with his mother which would have been a lot wronger.