Oedipus, swayer of Thebes, murdered his male parent and married his female parent. Such Acts of the Apostless are about ever deemed unnatural and condemnable; they are non tolerated within traditional society. A individual who has committed these illegal Acts of the Apostless of slaying and incest would be considered a felon, yet Sophocles ’ s character, Oedipus, is non guilty of either offense.
Prior to the birth of Oedipus, a prognostication was spoken over Laius and his married woman Jocasta. They were told that their boy would one twenty-four hours be his male parent ’ s slayer and would so get married his female parent. In fright, King Laius and Queen Jocasta sent the babe Oedipus off with a slave to be killed. He was ne’er killed, but instead was given to a childless male monarch and queen which fondly raised him. Oedipus was ne’er factually told about his line of descent. Later in his life, Oedipus was confronted by several unknown work forces while going. Upon confrontation, Oedipus killed all but one of the work forces in ego defence. Unwittingly, Oedipus had begun to carry through the prognostication for one of the work forces had been his birth male parent, Laius.
While still going, Oedipus had come to the metropolis of Thebes. There, he saved the metropolis from the wrath of the Sphinx by work outing her conundrum. Seen as a Jesus by the citizens of Thebes, Oedipus was made male monarch and later, the hubby of Jocasta. Oedipus and his wife-mother ruled together and had four kids while ne’er cognizing of the true relationship between each other.
As the calamity comes to a stopping point, the truth is revealed to Oedipus refering his line of descent and unnatural actions. Although the truth had been spoken to him about these affairs antecedently, Oedipus had chosen non to believe and intelligibly so. True disclosure comes to Oedipus through the same slave that had been ordered to kill him as a babe.
Since Oedipus had no cognition of his birth parents, he cannon be accused of wittingly carry throughing the prognostication. He had no apprehension of Laius as his birth father upon killing him. One might state that Oedipus is so guilty of slaying regardless, but if he had killed in ego defence, that cannon be true. Likewise, if Oedipus had no apprehension of Jocasta as his birth female parent, so he cannon be guilty of incest. Neither can he be guilty of sullying Laius ’ s matrimony bed, as he did non cognize that Jocasta was the married woman of the adult male he had murdered. Oedipus cannon be guilty of lying to the people of the metropolis of Thebes since he did non cognize he was non talking the truth.
Unfortunately, Oedipus was the victim of fate. The Gods caused him to fall quarry to destine and unfairness. Harmonizing to the norms of modern Criminal Justice, an person cannon be guilty of a offense that he did non intelligibly commit; he cannon be guilty of a offense unless there is grounds of work forces area. A offense is defined as an act act punishable by jurisprudence; a wickedness; a grave discourtesy. Oedipus cannon be guilty of an act, wickedness or sculpt discourtesy that he did non knowingly commit.
