ENGL 103W Lecture Notes - Lecture 11: Theodicy
12 May 2016
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Oedipus is fated to do what he does. His struggle against his situation is futile because he has already done the terrible deeds he is famous for. His choice is to find out about this and find his life ruined or leave it alone. Socrates and plato everything is about knowing. You should always search for wisdom and knowledge. Aristotle opposite: no, it"s not rational to know everything, everything cannot be provided through a mathematical formula. Oedipus is someone who pursues knowledge above all. The irony is that oedipus really should not pursue this line of thinking. He becomes obsessed with knowing but he should not be. All he will do is ruin his own life and that of his children and wife. He is a wise man who has seen many things. He is a sage who values practical, ordinary knowledge. He believes that enough knowledge will save him. Dramatic irony : reader knows more than the protagonist.
