Hammond, 1 Maeve Hammond Mrs.

Rutan AP Literature and Composition 16 August 2013 Real World: Thebes Edition Sophocles renowned Oedipus Rex portrays the dilemmas of a king confronting his fate. Although the Theban play was written nearly two millennia ago, certain sentiments and themes still resonate in modern society. Oedipus Rex incorporates abstract, mystical twists of destiny with relatable ideas that are both prevalent today and reminiscent of older civilizations. Some of these particular themes presented by Sophocles are how gender, politics, and class status interact to impact societies. There is a lack of female characters who appear in Oedipus Rexsave for Oedipuss wife/mother, Jocastawhich indicates men were dominate in a kingdom-ruling society. Male primacy is presented when Oedipus realizes his childrens future once exiled: OEDIPUS: About my children, Creon, the boys at least, dont burden yourself. Theyre men wherever they go, theyll find the means to live. But my two daughters, my poor helpless girls, Clustering at our table, never without me Hovering over them whatever I touched, they always had their share. Take care of them. (Sophocles, 1598-1605) It is evident Oedipus believes his daughters will have no future without the guidance of a man, as he says they grew up never without [him] hovering over them whatever [he] touched, they always had their share (Sophocles, 1604-1605); however, his sons will somewhat succeed merely because of their gender. Although the mother of his daughters is dead, Oedipus does not acknowledge they will have a bleak future because both parents are gone; instead, he only deems his absence weighty. Clearly, the idea of male dominancemens direction of life is the only

Hammond, 2 path a woman can follow for survivalhas been instilled in this culture. This notion is applied to Jocasta, also: when her husband died, she could not solely rule Thebes. Instead, to secure her position in her country, she had to marry. Male supremacy has been practiced throughout history and is still an occurrence in several cultures of the modern world; for instance, the United States has still never had a female president, unlike several third world countries. Unsurprisingly, as Oedipus Rex is set in a kingdom, political themes are consistently displayed throughout the play. Topics commonly connected to politics are betrayal, mistrust, and scheming to reach the top of the social or political ladder. Assumedlywith certain interpretations of the textthese concepts are presented with high tension between King Oedipus and his brother-in-law and royal advisor, Creon. At the beginning of the play, we see Oedipus has innate suspicions of Creon trying to sabotage him by bringing the blind prophet, Tiresias, to announce Oedipus is a murderer. Oedipus perceives this as Creons attempt to covet the title as king. Later, it could be alleged Creons intentions were devious, as he eventually does end up as the sole defense of the country (Sophocles, 1553) when Oedipus is exiled: LEADER: Put your requests to Creon. Here he is, just when we need him. Hell have a plan, hell act. Now that hes the sole defense of the country in your place (Sophocles, 1550-1553) OEDIPUS: CREON: [to CREON] Drive me out of this land at once, far from sight, where I can never hear a human voice. Id have done that already, I promise you. First, I wanted the god to clarify my duties (Sophocles, 1571-1574) Although Creon appears to be compassionate towards Oedipus and his situation, he could also be feigning benevolence as a scheme to appear less diabolical in front of his newly acquired kingdom. Also, Creon says he wanted the god to clarify [his] duties (Sophocles, 1574);

Hammond, 3 instead of consulting a god about Oedipus, he could be trying to make peace with his god or ask for forgiveness of his sabotage. As in any civilization, class and status are significant and central to life. In the case of Oedipus Rex, the audience is only exposed to the life of royals who are not directly impacted by other classes; however, this notion completely reverses itself once Oedipus realizes the fate of his children once exiled. For the first time in possibly Oedipuss entire lineage, his family will have to adjust to being regarded as a part of Thebes lowest class. OEDIPUS: just thinking of all your days to come, the bitterness, the life that rough mankind will thrust upon you. Where are the public gatherings you can join, the banquets of the clans And when you reach perfection, ripe for marriage, who will he be, my dear ones? Risking all to shoulder the curse that weighs down my parents (Sophocles, 1628-1636) Oedipus knows his children will follow their fathers lot in banishmentalthough, it will be done symbolically by the people of Thebes. This is a stark contrast from the admiration his family received before from Thebes: once praised as royalty, they will now be condemned with disdain as rough mankind will thrust upon [them] (Sophocles, 1629). The family is destined to carry the burden of their father and live without community meetings or possible suitors. Although ancient, the script of Oedipus Rex shares some of the modern laws of life that govern todays society. Just as Sophocles play has survived, so have Theban societal maladies: gender inequality still remains, politicians still scheme for personal gain, and distinction between social classes still dominates civilization. Sophocles wrote memorable and relatable fiction that has transcended beyond Ancient Greece, and will continue to impact future generations.