Oedipus the King Themes
Fate and Free Will
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People hear "Oedipus" and think "Ew. Incest!" when really they should be thinking "Ah, yes. The tension between individual action and fate." Not that w...
Wisdom and Knowledge
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What could be better than wisdom and knowledge? Um. How about living?In Oedipus the King, Oedipus is a seeker of knowledge and truth. He struggles to u...
Determination
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If at first you don't succeed—try, try again. Or, in Oedipus' case: If at first you don't succeed—try, try again, try even when people are telling...
Power
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Sheesh. When is power ever a good thing in literature?Power both corrupts and metaphorically blinds characters in the Oedipus the King. As a ruler, Oed...
Memory and the Past
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What do Oedipus The King and the Pixar movie Inside Out have in common? They both warn against getting lost in the halls of memory— and they suggest...