Overreaction is a trait that haunts many members of today’s society. With the extreme fighting and violence that is taking place throughout the world, it is safe to say that a filter has been lost that originally held the corruption back. The same can be said for the Greek drama, Oedipus, written by Sophocles. Three examples of this ‘overreacting’ would be when Oedipus leaves Corinth after discussing the fate of him and his parents with an oracle, followed by Jocasta hanging herself after learning Oedipus’ true identity, finally, ending with Oedipus gouging out his eyes after witnessing Jocasta’s body.
When asked if he was adopted, the Oracle completely dodged the question, delivering Oedipus with the news that would haunt him for the rest of his life. “You will marry your mother, and murder your father.” What the Oracle said was something that completely changed Oedipus’ life, after hearing this, he bolted from Corinth, where he was raised, to later come in contact with the Sphinx. An alternate view of this…show more content… This is especially true for Oedipus, who despite him unknowingly murdering his father, Oedipus could not comprehend the sight of his mother and wife hanging sadly due to his hidden truth. When seeing the tragedy, Oedipus rapidly impaled his eyes with pins to enter the darkness that was more desired than the horror he’d just witnessed. Also a prime example of overreacting, while the sight was incredibly horrific; with a single movement, Oedipus is ridding Thebes of a queen as well as their king. Soon to be exiled from Thebes, Oedipus’ horror tragically ended the tale.
In conclusion, the play that was written around 430 BC clearly depicts that the motif of overreaction was incredibly relevant then as it is in today’s society. Specifically lately, we can compare these extreme events taking place to those that we experience every day, without the
