To Blind Oneself or Another

Like Oedipus, Hecuba was born into privilege. She was a queen, who tragically lost her status and became a slave. Similarly, Oedipus was a king, who tragically lost all when he discovered he had killed his father and married his mother. Both Oedipus and Hecuba, as tragic characters, have stories, which evoke emotions ranging from pity to outrage amongst viewers. Aristotle explained that a tragic character “is not eminently good and just, yet whose misfortune is brought about not by vice or depravity, but by some error or frailty.” Both Oedipus and Hecuba, from the beginning of their plays, are not horrible people. They do not seem capable of either incest or murder. But in the tangle of their stories, they both fall to these sins. I would argue that Oedipus fell accidently into his tragic state. Certainly, we may argue that Oedipus’s hubris or violence was the cause of his downfall. However, no matter his character flaws, Oedipus did not intend to kill his father and sleep with his mother. Likewise, Hecuba found herself in a destitute state. She did not intend to hold both of her children, as they lay dead. However, both Oedipus and Hecuba responded to their tragic states differently. Oedipus, disgusted by himself, the mistakes of his parents, and the messenger’s inability to kill him at birth, harmed himself. He could have taken revenge upon the messenger. But instead, he gouged out his own eyes. On the other hand, Hecuba declared herself to be the “most miserable of women,” and gouged out the eyes of the man, who killed her husband. She also killed the man’s own two children. Thus, Oedipus blinded himself in an attempt to hide from his tragic reality, while Hecuba blinded her son’s murderer, to find some shred of relief in revenge.

Running Away: Oedipus' Hamartia

            Before I heard Oedipus’ story, I heard of his sin. I learned about the tragic character that killed his father and slept with his mother. I wrinkled my nose in disgust at such a man. I scoffed that such a creature prowled within the realms of our imagination and exhaled a sigh of relief to hear he existed only upon the stage of a Sophocles’ mind. Now that I have read Oedipus’ story, I pity him. I pity this man lost in the tangles of a tragedy. However, though I pity the self-blinded man, I sighed at what he considered his fate. Indeed, fate nor the gods condemned poor Oedipus. Oedipus committed hamartia, when he did not take the necessary precautions to change his “fate.”

            According to the article by Aristotle and subsequent definitions, “hamartia” is to “miss the mark” in archery (Butcher). I argue that Oedipus did “miss the mark.” Oedipus first “misses the mark,” when he unknowingly curses himself. Upon learning that the gods order the death of Laius’ murder, Oedipus declares that he himself will seek out the murder and then, curses the murder’s life. Ironically Oedipus says, I shall fight for him in this matter, as if for my own father, and I shall try everything, seeking to find the one who committed the murder” (19). Thus, Oedipus fulfills his words and seeks after the murder, as if for his father. Yet, he finds that he is the murderer. He killed his own father. Creon wisely says in the beginning of the play, “What is sought can be captured, but what is ignored escapes” (15). Oedipus “missed the mark” when he continued to pursue the murderer, when he ignored his wife and mother’s entreats to leave the matter, and when he realizes his own ugly crimes.

            But in all tragedies, sin can never hide, as it can never be ignored. Thus, Oedipus’ true “hamartia” came earlier. Oedipus reveals that he knew of a personal prophecy concerning himself. Phoebus once told him that he would sleep with his mother and kill his father (38). In an attempt to escape the prophecy, Oedipus ran. He says, “I heard and fled, henceforth to share with Corinth only the stars, where I would never see completed the disgrace of those evil oracles of mine” (38). Thus, Oedipus’ great “hamartia” is that he believed running was sufficient to escape the prophecy. To truly run away from such a prophecy, more precaution is necessary. Oedipus should have never killed any man, just to prevent any prophecy of murder. If no murder is done, then Oedipus would have never killed his father. Furthermore, Oedipus should have never slept with a woman, who was clearly older than him. At times, we humans believe we can escape our fates by merely running.

            Thus, because of his great hamartia, Oedipus learned the truth. In the agony of his pitiful tragedy, he witnesses the suicide of his mother and wife. He gouges out his eyes and holds his cries tearless tears upon his children and siblings’ shoulders. Truly, Oedipus is to be pitied. He was a common man. He was a good man. If only, he had taken more precautions. If only he had done more than run.

Epithets To Describe Kimberly

Dear Notebook,

            Since I last blogged in you, so much has happened. I returned home from Jerusalem. I served a Spanish-speaking mission in Salt Lake City, Utah (no one but the heavens saw that one coming). And then I fell in love with Patrick (yes, that boy from 5 years ago). We got married on August 23, 2014 (again, the heavens helped that one along…I am eternally grateful for that).

Now, I am back and blogging for a school assignment. Typical. But this one is a fun assignment. Below, I need to write 4 epithets to introduce myself. This is the perfect assignment as I feel I need to reintroduce myself to my 9 followers (hi, mom!). So here it is…4 epithets to describe myself.

1.     Sappy Sentimental:

a.     I swoon over Hallmark sayings and think the perfect Christmas gift is an angel statue to hover above my bookcase. If the angel carries a little banner reading, “God loves you,” I may start weeping from sheer sentimentality. I am just a sentimental creature, who treasures memories. Yes, I have hoarded every gift my husband has ever given me (even a rock) and scowl at him when he says that I can throw the rock away.

2.     Blessed Bride:

a.     Just a few weeks ago, I married my husband, Patrick. We met 5 years ago and I never get tired of telling any listener our story. Our poor children will probably hear our story every night at bedtime…until they each turn 18 and can legally leave the house.

3.     Ironically Fearful:

a.     I refuse to drive a car on the freeway. When I do drive on road trips, my husband must calm me down from a hyperventilating attack about every 5 minutes and then redirect me from swerving into a bus. I do not like driving. I also once had to leave a haunted house early because I was too scared (I was 17 years old). And I think horror movies are of the devil. My motto is that it is better to watch a nice Disney film then to have the image of the girl from The Ring creeping into your room at night. Ironically, I love all adventures in the wild. I will go snake hunting or swim with sharks, but, please, do not tell me a scary story.

4.     Hopelessly Bookish:

a.     I love to smell books. I love to hold books in my hands and listen to how the pages turn (back to that whole sentimental thing). I love to lose myself in a story. Growing up, my mother gave up all hope of me going out to play with the other kids, if I was lost in a good book. I also love to write. The way words combine and the stories they can create is like magic, to me.