Oedipus Journal #3

Setting: This includes cultural as well as geographical and historical setting. What effect does the setting have on story, character, theme?

This tragedy is set in Thebes, a state in ancient Greece. Based on the historical aspect of ancient Greece, I will be discussing importance of setting in the story. As we learned, gods and religion were a huge part of Greek life. Everyday citizens and kings alike both looked to the gods for answers to the questions they had about life, prophecies on things to come, and guidance in difficult situations. In Oedipus The King, this setting involving the importance of gods creates the whole conflict developed so far. For example, if our city today was faced with a plague like the one Thebes suffers under, we would likely tighten up health and safety procedures to see where it started and to stop it from spreading. However, in Thebes, the citizens look to the gods for answers - specifically to answer the question of what (or who) is responsible for bringing this plague upon the city. When Oedipus does get an answer from the gods, it is not something that he wants to accept. This creates a separate conflict in the story, in the form of the struggle between man and the gods. As for affecting characters, the setting of ancient Greece creates specific gender roles for men and women. As was common in Greek life, the men in the story speak of themselves with important and in general they are held in higher esteem than the women are. However, as was also common in early Greek plays, there were few women in plays, but the ones present played important roles. We learned that Greek women were sometimes known for their hidden wisdom, and we see this stereotype filled through the role of Jocasta. When she is introduced in the play, she quickly establishes herself as very knowledgeable - she is able to tell Oedipus all about Laius' murder and the prophecy regarding it. However, she seems to hold back some information, leading the reader to believe that she knows more than she lets on. This connects back to the secret knowledge held by female characters in Greek dramas.