Book excerpts - Ch4(E27): King Oedipus.

Drama as Karma

The story of Oedipus is a great example of understanding dramas and how they escalate over time.

Shortly after the birth of Oedipus, his father, King Laius of Thebes, learns from the oracle that his son will kill him. To prevent this prophecy, he orders his wife, Queen Jocasta, to kill the child. Luckily for Oedipus, neither the queen nor her servant can perform the king's orders, and they abandon Oedipus to the elements instead of killing him. Found by a shepherd and brought to the court of King Polypus of Corinth. The childless king raises Oedipus as his son and is unaware of his birth parents.

When he grows up, he hears a rumor that he is not King Polypus's son and asks the oracle if it's true. Instead of answering him, the oracle tells him that his destiny is to kill his father and marry his mother. Believing that his parents are the king and queen of Corinth, Oedipus decides to leave Corinth and go to Thebes to avoid the prophecy.

During his trip to Thebes, he encounters an older man, and in a quarrel between them, Oedipus kills the older man, not knowing it's his father, King Laius.

Later, Oedipus solves the riddle of the sphinx and wins Thebes' kingdom and the hand of Queen Jocasta. Still unaware of their relations. The prophecy is fulfilled unknowingly by the actors.

The story continues...

During a plague in Thebes, Oedipus sends his brother-in-law, Creon, to consult with the oracle, who tells him that the plague is a punishment from the gods for not bringing to justice the killer of King Laius. As Oedipus hears this from Creon and is not aware of the fact that he is the killer of King Laius, Oedipus vows to bring the murderer to justice.

Oedipus summons the prophet Tiresias, who admits to Oedipus that he knows who the murderer is but won't share the knowledge. After Oedipus accuses Tiresias of conspiracy to the murderer, Tiresias reveals that Oedipus is the murderer and that he is the son of his wife. Oedipus dismisses this information and instead accuses Creon of subversing under him and demands Creon's execution. Queen Jocasta tells him not to pay attention to the oracle because he is known to make wrong predictions, such as the one that his son will kill him and the one that she will marry her son. But since the bandits killed King Laius on the road, it is not possible since he is the one who married her.

With this new information, Oedipus recalls the incident on his way from Corinth to Thebes. Oedipus becomes aware of the paradox of the commitment he took to bring the murderer of King Laius to justice.

Devastated by the latest revelation, Jocasta hurts herself as she runs to the bedroom, and Oedipus blinds himself in agony when he finds Jocasta's body.

—

The story of King Oedipus is a perfect example of a drama as an evolving event. New information triggers King Laius to set a chain of events in motion. Lacking accurate understanding, Oedipus becomes an active actor in the progression of the drama.

Dramas are rooted in tensions and conflicts that arise from the emergence of a lacuna - an inherent lack. The information given to King Laius by the oracle uncovered the flaws in the king's morale and confidence. And the circumstances of lack of knowledge caused Oedipus to make problematic claims and commitments.

Drama is built layer on layer, each added by identifying another lacuna in the plot. Then, the twists in the plot are determined by how the actors respond to these lacunas. And it's these reactions that determine their actual characteristics as heroes, villains, or tragic figures.

Without understanding the fundamental characteristics of plays, actors will continue to be governed by faith (or the preceding chain of events, however you call it). It's the reactions to dramas that highlight our fundamental characteristics and present our capabilities to the world. Avoiding drama means we will never really present or discover our real identity. Nor take a conscious stand in accepting it or changing it.

Dramas teach us who we are by guiding our attention to what we do in specific contexts.

Because dramas appear at the intersection of personality and context, they are remarkable observational tools. Considering that we know how to decompose them without creating more dramas.