Sophocles' Oedipus in Oedipus Rex (or
Oedipus the King) is a man of action, but he is also a man of
temper. We know from the myth of Oedipus that the only way he was able to become the
King of Thebes started when he met another man (unknown to him—his father) who also had
a terrible temper. Because Oedipus would not yield the right-of-way on the road to his
father, his father attacked him, and Oedipus (in self-defense—but also fulfilling the
oracle's prediction) killed Laius. When Oedipus (the man of action) solved the Riddle of
the Sphinx, he won the deep appreciation of the people—they named him King and gave him
the widowed Queen Jocasta (his mother) in marriage.
When
the people and the priest of the temple come to Oedipus many years later, complaining of
plague, the loss of crops and the death of their animals, Oedipus promises that he will
help. He has already sent Creon (his brother-in-law) to speak to the Oracle at Delphi.
Creon returns with news that Oedipus (against Creon's better judgment) insists upon
hearing in public. Creon reports:
The Oracle has said that the murder of the
previous king, Laius, must be
avenged.
When Oedipus calls
the prophet, Tiresias, to explain, the old blind man refuses to speak (as did Creon)
until Oedipus bullies him into answering him (as he did with
Creon). It is at this point that Tiresias reveals that Oedipus has killed the
previous king, Laius.
With a temper like his father—and
similar to the one he exhibited in facing his father many years before—Oedipus becomes
extremely angry and accuses Tiresias of acting in collusion with his brother-in-law,
Creon, to take the throne from Oedipus.
In recalling the
past, we see a pattern emerge regarding Oedipus' behavior, and are not then surprised
with his reaction toward Tiresias' words. He has a temper, but is also used to having
his way. (We see this with Tiresias and
Creon.)
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