Oedipus Rex - Bliss in Ignorance
Oedipus Rex - Bliss in IgnoranceOne of the most memorable and meaningful Socratic quotes
applies well when in context of Sophocles' Theban Trilogy. "The
unexamined life is not worth living," proclaims Socrates. He could
have meant many things by this statement, and in relation to the play,
the meaning is found to be even more complex. Indeed, the situation
of Oedipus, king of Thebes, the truth of this statement is in
question. Would Oedipus have been better off if he was blind to the
knowledge of his birthing and the fate which was foretold to someday
befall him? Truly though, his life would have been a far better and
easier path had he never known about his true origins. His life in
Corinth would have been long and prosperous, and Thebes would have
lived on under King Laius. In fact, everyone would have been better
off in the long run if Oedipus had not ventured out beyond the walls
of Corinth. So is it worth living an examined life?
Socrates had made this statement long after the creation of
the Theban Trilogy. In the context of his own time, this was meant to
imply that life must be examined and reflected upon, known and
discovered by each individual philosopher to better enrich life for
all. Yet in terms of Sophoclean drama, specifically Oedipus Rex, this
was meant in a vastly different way. The unexamined life was one that
was in the dark, unknown as to what fate lied beyond every turn and
irony of living. Oedipus, up to the point in which he heard the
comment in the tavern in Corinth, lived an unexamined life. To
Socrates, he was an unfulfilled man, one who deserved to know more,
one who not complete. However, in a much less metaphysical sense,
Oedipus' life was complete, in that he had all that he needed, and was
living a happy and fruitful life. As the drama progresses, he finds
out more and more, learning exactly what the implications of his birth
was, he suffers the fate for examining his life. So what Socrates
had meant, that the life which was not rich with self exploration and
reflection was not worth living, was indeed different than its
application in terms of Oedipus, who's life was unexamined, yet
complete.
The question arises, what would life have been like, if
Oedipus had not discovered his true origins? If he had stayed in
Corinth, would this have ever happened? We find that indeed, we would
have had no story, if...
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