Themes From Oedipus...

[labryinth]

In theater class last week we were discussing possible themes for this play. What is your take on it? Here are a few we came up with:

Man vs. Himself
The Pursuit of Man vs. Fate
The Quest for Truth vs. The Harshness of Reality
Man vs. gods
or maybe even:
Pride goeth before a fall.



/Discuss.

[bluevictim]

That's a great list. I think "pride goeth before a fall" is definitely a theme.

One major theme that I think often gets overlooked is how easily a good ruler can become an overbearing despot. Oedipus starts out with nothing but good intentions for Thebes, but he doesn't hesitate to throw his weight around when he feels threatened.

[damianswife]

How about the power of fate; are people truely responsible for their actions?