Oedipus Rex conveyed a multitude of thought-provoking themes and lessons that are still relevant today. However, a topic that’s not elaborated on as clearly as the others, is Oedipus's biases. The poem Myth by Muriel Rukeyser shows different areas of bias that aren’t explicitly stated in Oedipus Rex by Sophocles.
In “Myth” by Muriel Rukeyser, the line that struck me the most powerful was, “you answered, Man. You didn’t say anything about woman.” This simple line given by the sphinx shows Oedipus’s ignorance in a straight-forward manner because he dismissed women and only considered men within his response. This might seem like a slight, careless mistake to some, but for me, this shows a deep bias within Oedipus that’s not fully developed within the play of Oedipus Rex. A “mistake” like this would not be made in the good conscious of someone aware of their biases. He claims that everyone knows saying “Man” encompasses both men and women, but the sphinx begs to differ. This key difference, although minuscule, could have been the difference between Oedipus’s misfortune and fate.
The sphinx is a female, noted by the pronoun “she.” I, personally, without extensive knowledge of Greek literature, tragedies, and prophecies, assumed the sphinx to have been a male, or at least a masculine figure. Upon further research, I found that, unlike the Ancient Egyptians, the Greeks considered their sphinx to be a woman.
You could say the ancient Greeks were very ahead of their time. Greek goddesses were just as powerful and prevalent as the gods. Even though the characters in Oedipus Rex were overwhelmingly male, Jocasta was a powerful and confident figure of wisdom. This was a common occurrence in many Greek tragedies as well: to have a “motherly” figure that guides the main character with maternal wisdom. And of course, Jocasta actually was Oedipus’s mother! So her guidance and patience with Oedipus make sense.
Jocasta constantly tells Oedipus to stop searching for the truth, to remain calm, and to stop arguing with Creon when there are multitudes of people in the country they run that are dying. These are all level-headed ideas from Jocasta, but Oedipus’s temper and temptation to know more, grouped with his biases, leads him to ignore Jocasta’s requests and dismiss them.
Because Greek literature had a large focus on women, and conveying them in a positive light, it’s not entirely impossible that some parts of Oedipus’s arrogance can also be a notion to men being overly-confident, or maybe even dismissive of their daughters, wives, coworkers, or female counterparts.
Jocasta constantly tells Oedipus to stop searching for the truth, to remain calm, and to stop arguing with Creon when there are multitudes of people in the country they run that are dying. These are all level-headed ideas from Jocasta, but Oedipus’s temper and temptation to know more, grouped with his biases, leads him to ignore Jocasta’s requests and dismiss them.
This idea brings me to an article I read several years ago and has stuck with me since. It’s titled, “‘Just’ Say No” by Ellen Petry Leanse. It details the realization Leanse had regarding the word “just” overwhelmingly spoken by women at her workplace.
It was more than just one word. Just like how Oedipus’s answer to the riddle was about more than just being off by one word.
The overabundance of women using the word “just” has a deeper meaning. It shows subordination and timidness. Rather than being confidently demanding, women seek permission first. “Can you just look this over?” or “I was just wondering if I could meet with you.” Men don’t use this same kind of language. They are already sure of themselves and the reactions that will presumably arise from their fellow male coworkers, whereas women are tiptoeing around the men, and making a mental note of how to present themself.
Another interesting first-hand account of this idea of confidence in working women, more specifically in the political field, is THIS video of Rushanara Ali from The Economist.
There is a major plot-gap in Oedipus Rex of Oedipus not recognizing his mother-- it doesn’t make sense. That’s what leads me to believe that the answer to this question that lingers in our minds after first reading Oedipus Rex is not explicitly stated because it can be seen through Oedipus’s character flaws.
Why did Oedipus not recognize his mother, then? First of all, the riddle was never actually solved, according to the sphinx. He gave the wrong answer. So therefore everything that happened to Oedipus was not actually as a result of his solving of the riddle. There was no correlation, and everything that happened, just happened.
From Rukeyser’s viewpoint of Oedipus Rex, there was no higher force or fate controlling the decisions that Oedipus made, because he never solved the riddle correctly. And therefore, the decisions he made like marrying his mother, were completely made by himself.
The reason Oedipus did not recognize his mother lies in his ignorance yet again. He was greedy for power, fame, and glory, he never considered Jocasta’s physical appearance or even the prophecy he was trying so hard to disprove. Instead, he was concentrated on becoming the king of Thebes.
Oedipus’s blindness is shown in a multitude of ways. Overlooking his marriage to Jocasta, his ignorance toward’s Jocasta’s commands, and with “Myth,” his incorrect solving of the riddle through his gender bias. His ability to only see from his vantage point does not let Oedipus effectively lead his kingdom, or even more profound, take care of his own life. If only he considered the importance of including women, or listening to the woman in his life. Maybe then he wouldn’t be so blind, in more ways than one.
Comments
Post a Comment