Character Analysis in Oedipus Rex

Oedipus Rex or Oedipus the King is a classic Greek tragedy that was written around 429 B.C. by Sophocles. The play focuses on the tragic downfall of the Theban king, Oedipus, who unknowingly murdered his father and married his mother. Well, there are five major characters in the drama who are Oedipus, Jocasta, Creon, Teiresias, and the chorus. In today’s article, you will learn the analysis of each character in detail so that you can understand the play’s major characters effectively.

Analysis of the Play’s Major Characters:

The following are the analytical points that I attained after analysing the main characters of Oedipus Rex:

Oedipus Character Analysis:

Oedipus is the king in Thebes who is shown as a wise, determined, just, courageous, and kind king. But owing to his hubris, impulsiveness, anger, and stubbornness (tragic flaws), he fulfils the tragic prophecy that he was striving to avoid in the play. To know more about the analysis of Oedipus’ character, read my article.

Jocasta Character Analysis:

Jocasta is the queen of Thebes and acts as a caring and logical woman in the play for her family and her city. For example, she stops the fight between her brother, Creon, and her husband, Oedipus. Thebes is already suffering from a plague at the beginning of the play, so she doesn’t want any more suffering for her family.

She also doesn’t believe in the prophecies of any oracle or prophet. Therefore, when Oedipus becomes troubled by the idea that he might be the murderer of the previous Theban king, Laius, and the cause of the gods’ anger in the form of the city’s plague, she consoles him by saying that the king was killed by several robbers, not one man, according to the surviving shepherd of the crossroads (the death place of King Laius). Oedipus also tells her that an oracle told him that he would kill his father and marry his mother, and he had also murdered a man resembling Laius at some crossroads. At this, Jocasta indirectly suggests to Oedipus that even if he had murdered Laius, he could not be his son. The reason is, according to a prophecy which Laius received at the birth of their son, his son had to kill him, but the baby was put to death a long while ago. This reasoning shows why she believes these prophecies are unreliable. Her arguments console Oedipus somewhat temporarily in the drama too.

However, when Jocasta finds out the truth before Oedipus, she tries to stop his investigation meant to find his true identity. She discovers that Oedipus is her son and the killer of King Laius. At this discovery, she feels such fear and shame that she commits suicide. Her reaction reveals that the suffering becomes unbearable for her, so she kills herself near the end of the play. Also, Sophocles tells the audience through the drama’s plot that the attempts of the major characters to avoid the tragic fate actually connect the dots for their tragedy’s completion.

A woman who is shown a powerful personality in the play becomes so miserable in the play after discovering the truth that she kills herself. She tolerated the death of her husband, the arrival of the monster (Sphinx) in her city, and even the death of her baby boy (which proved to be false), but she couldn’t bear the ultimate social disgrace and familial filth that the truth brought for her. So she finds her escape in suicide in the drama.

Creon Character Analysis:

Creon is shown as a reasonable, loyal, and responsible person in the drama. In the initial parts of the story, he is sent to the oracle of Delphi to learn the cure of the plague in Thebes. He comes back with the information that the plague can be ended with the death or exile of King Laius’ murderer. He responsibly communicates this message to King Oedipus.

Then, when Oedipus accuses him of treason in the play impulsively, he acts like a sensible or reasonable person by stating that he already enjoys the privileges of ruling. So he has no desire to be the king of Thebes with the associated burdens. Creon also tries to persuade Oedipus to have a fair trial before applying his judgment regarding the accusation. His logical dialogues show self-control, patience, and calm in that stressful situation that could have led to his death if Jocasta had not come to save him from the wrath of Oedipus.

Later on, when Oedipus’ downfall occurs after the truth discovery, Creon shows his politically responsible behaviour. He shows mercy to Oedipus like a loyal relative, but cautiously, so that he could not behave like a king anymore at all, and he could take control of the new situation fairly. Plus, Creon intends to seek guidance from Apollo regarding Oedipus’ request for his exile after he falls from his kingship. In other words, he shows patience and rationality while being the new ruler of Thebes.

Teiresias Character Analysis:

Teiresias is a blind prophet in the play who is wise, truthful, and courageous. He is the person who first told Oedipus about his true identity. He also told him that he had murdered King Laius in the past. At first, he feels reluctant to tell Oedipus the truth because of the consequences for the king, but after being taunted and insulted by Oedipus, the prophet tells him the entire truth.

Although Teiresias is a blind old man, he is the real seer who, through his power of prophecy, can know the incidents of the past and the future. In contrast, Oedipus is the man who can be called blind despite being a seer because he could not understand the truth about his identity or parentage until his downfall in the play.

The Chorus Character Analysis:

The chorus is a group of elders and citizens of Thebes who comment on the events occurring in the play. This group plays an essential role in expressing the fears, hopes, and other feelings of the Theban people during the investigation of King Laius’ murder. The group initially trusts Oedipus’s ability to save Thebes and respects the king.

Plus, the group also respects the gods for being religious. It appeals to the gods repeatedly for assistance in ending the city’s plague. The drama also shows that the chorus becomes concerned when the truth about Oedipus’ identity appears. So they’re shown as good-natured members of Thebes.

Then, through the songs and dialogues, the chorus expresses the themes of fate, human weakness, divine justice, and pride in the drama. In this tragic play, the chorus moves from hope and confidence to fear and sorrow. And in the end, the group provides the reader with an important tragic lesson that no human being should be considered a fortunate person until he dies without any deep pain.

Conclusion:

So that is all what I have to share with you regarding the character analysis of Oedipus Rex. I hope you found my content useful. And if you believe it is really useful, then please share my post with your connections. In this way, they can also learn about the character analysis of Oedipus Rex.