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Oedipus the King 37936 Views
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Description:
Whenever you start regretting the choices you've made in your life, just review Oedipus' story, and you'll start feeling a heck of a lot better.
Transcript
- 00:04
Oedipus the King, a la Shmoop. Everyone has their family issues.
- 00:10
Most people don't need quite as much counseling as Oedipus, though.
- 00:15
Seriously, you should see the yearly psychiatry bills. Through the roof.
- 00:23
This guy unknowingly killed his father...
- 00:26
...well okay, he knowingly killed the guy, but he didn't know who he was at the time...
Full Transcript
- 00:32
...and then he slept with and bore children with his biological mother.
- 00:41
How did he not get a guest spot on Springer? After all, Oedipus had some advance warning.
- 00:48
The Delphic Oracle had told him that he would kill his father and sleep with his mother.
- 00:52
And when the Oracle made a prophecy, you listened. So, if Oedipus had this critical information...
- 01:02
...why wasn't he a little more discerning about... who he killed and slept with?
- 01:12
Was it just that, for some reason, he didn't buy it?
- 01:17
Although prophets were well regarded... more than they are today, anyhow...
- 01:20
...they were known to be wrong on occasion.
- 01:26
So perhaps Oedipus just felt the Oracle was having an off day...
- 01:32
Or maybe Oedipus did believe in the prophesy...
- 01:34
... but he didn't think that Laius was his dad and Jocasta was mommy dearest.
- 01:39
It makes sense. He was brought up by Polybus and Merope, whom he believed all along were
- 01:43
his real parents...
- 01:44
...although he did end up killing a guy at a crossroads just as the prophecy had foretold.
- 01:49
You'd think the guy would have some feelers out by that point.
- 01:53
These people lived by their gut.
- 01:59
If he felt in the heat of the moment that Laius wasn't dear old dad, then he may have
- 02:05
just decided to off him and hope for the best.
- 02:09
And then with Jocasta... well, maybe she just looked really good in a two-piece bathing
- 02:15
suit. Although... it could be a third... icky option.
- 02:21
What if Oedipus had a sneaking feeling that he was fulfilling the prophesy... but did
- 02:25
it anyway? The fact that he gouges out his own eyeballs
- 02:31
when he learns the truth seems to invalidate this possibility...
- 02:34
...but what if it was partly subconscious?
- 02:40
What if he came across this guy, considered the possibility that he was his dad, but...
- 02:45
just really needed to satisfy his bloodlust?
- 02:48
And when he met and fell in love with Jocasta, what if he weighed the risks... but still
- 02:53
couldn't bring himself to ignore his emotions?
- 02:56
So what really happened?
- 02:59
Did Oedipus just not believe the prophesy?
- 03:02
Did he think his adoptive parents were the real deal?
- 03:06
Or was he throwing all caution to the wind and letting his heart lead him... despite
- 03:10
the vile places it might take him? Shmoop amongst yourselves.
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