Violence In Oedipus

Fighting Fire with Fire Violence tends to be thought of as a way to worsen the problem instead of solving it. However, violence can also be a means to an end. Violence can be considered positive, as well as negative. In Oedipus the King by Sophocles, violence occurs throughout the play, and always leaves an important impact. Oedipus finds out the prophecy that Teiresias predicted is true. Jocasta kills herself and Oedipus gouges his eyes out. Through Oedipus’ and Jocasta’s self-inflicted violence, Sophocles suggests that some truths are too difficult to look past. Sophocles uses Jocasta’s suicide to convey the belief that people cannot always live with what they know. Jocasta believes that the prophecy set forth by Teiresias may turn …show more content…
Oedipus is in even more disbelief about the truth than Jocasta. Teiresias directly says to Oedipus that he “[is] the murderer of the king / whose murderer [he] [seeks]” (404-405). Oedipus chooses to ignore him, even though Teiresias is the prophet that knows and sees everything. His thoughts differ from Jocasta’s in that he seeks the truth because he convinces himself that there is no way for it to be possible. He continues searching for answers until the herdsman tells him that he is the murderer of his father, and the husband of his mother. Oedipus is upset by his inability to see the truth and takes a similar approach to Jocasta in dealing with his troubles. He tears “the gold chased brooches fastening her robe- / away from her and lifting them up high / [dashes] them on his own eyeballs” as to punish himself for not seeing clearly (1389-1391). Afterward, he decides to think reasonably, and asks Creon to lead him out of the city so the plague will end. He does this calmly and in complete awareness of his thoughts, unlike Jocasta who took permanent action immediately. Oedipus’ initial violent reaction to finding out the truth proves that even powerful men have trouble dealing with the