Oedipus Rex as a Moral Dilemma

One of the most widely celebrated classical play,The Oedipus Rex moves around the issue of moral dilemma frequently. In a way, Oedipus’s quest for truth and knowledge is backed by his moral dilemma. “To do or not to do” is the concern in the play which leads the major character as well as the structure of the play into moral dilemma.

Oedipus and his mission from the very beginning falls in the trap of moral dilemma. He does not have immense respect and faith to the divine Oracle on the one hand, whereas he tries to defy the same on the other. Right after his birth he has been abandoned by his parents. He is summoned by the Royal family in Corrinth. Then onwards he always tries to abort his fate or destiny. On the hand, explicitly he can’t dismiss the Oracle; on the other hand, he always tries to go away from it. Structurally the play itself moves around the issue of confusion in faith from this point.

Dramatic irony and ambiguities are distinct from the very beginning. As an audience, we know that Oedipus is searching himself though he is ignorant about it. He promises to the people that he will try his level best to find out then banish the murderer. His words and promises are again ironic. Oedipus’s encounter with Tiresias is another textual reference which uncovers irony and paradox in the play. Oedipus accuses Tiresias for plotting against him. He dismisses him merely calling a blind and helpless man. Ultimately Tiresias is compelled to speak the truth. Again Oedipus thinks that Tiresias along with Kreon are plotting against him. These are the instances full of verbal irony, paradox and ambiguities leading the play into the state of dilemma.

By the same token, Oedipus’s conversation with Jocasta and Kreon too are ironic. Jocasta till the end believes that we can deviate ourselves from the clutch of fate. Even in the time when truth is almost revealed Jocasta wants Oedipus to stop the mission. At the same time, she offers her respect and faith to the God Apollo. In this way, Jocasta herself is in between. She can’t deny her faith to God Apollo and more she can’t stop believing that we can abort fate. More than this, Oedipus lambasts to Kreon as a murderer itself is ironic as well as paradoxical.

In this way, the entire play is molded and shaped by the magnificence blending of the dramatic irony, paradox, ambiguities and fate which creates moral dilemma to the major characters as well as in the structure itself.