Oedipus the King

In Oedipus the King, by Sophocles, Oedipus is told from an oracle that was going to kill his father and marry his mother. Oedipus left Cornith, his home, to get away from this omen. In fact Oedipus did kill his biological father and marry his biological mother. After learning the truth, Oedipus punished himself by stabbing his eyes out and exiling himself from Thebes. The sentence for the crime of parricide and incest was fair. "…

…most likely forget of the wretchedness that had occurred, many would think of Oedipus as a noble man for inflicting his own punishment on himself. "This punishment That I have laid upon myself is just," (exodos.140) confirms that Oedipus believes that his punishment was fair. Oedipus' punishment, blindness from seeing the beauty of the world and exile from Thebes where his family resides, was just punishment for the sins of incest and murder. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ **Bibliography**