Tragic Heros and the Progression of Society

      When providing an example that connects to my question, One Hundred Years Of Solitude fits almost perfectly. However, with Oedipus it is hardly to create a correlation. My big question relates to the development of civilization and how it is detrimental and beneficial to society. Although there is not much of a major progression of a civilization in Oedipus, we can still consider the aspects of the society and how it could be potentially detrimental or beneficial. The culture of Thebes and Laïos, for example, are much different from today's society. The reliance on the belief of fate is potentially detrimental, if no citizen is willing to attempt to change what is chosen as their fate. However, if fate is a widespread belief then it might not be considered up to a regular human to determine his/her fate, especially with such loyalty to the gods.

        There seems to be a high importance set on morality, though, because the Choragus is always offering his words of advice and perspective of Oedipus's choices. For example, in Line 1174, the Choragus states, "For I weep the world's outcast./ I was blind, and now I can tell why:/ asleep, for you had given ease of breath/ to Thebes, while the false years went by." The Choragus seems to be highly concerned with the outcome of Thebes, which ties in to the importance places on morality. I do not think that necessarily all choices made by the characters are moral, especially considering most of the actions of Oedipus, although he at least realizes when he has done something wrong. Once he discovered Laïos was dead, he did not rest until he found the murderer. Once he realized that he was to blame, he could not live with his actions. This shows that maintaining a sense of morality is at least valued in society. This could be beneficial in the later progression of society, which does tie into my big blog question. 

       We can also consider Oedipus's rule and then eventual exile and the affect that will have on Thebes in years to come. A question we must ask ourselves is whether Oedipus's rule over Thebes was beneficial or detrimental to future societies. Overall, Oedipus was probably not the most beneficial, as far as demonstrating the responsibilities of a monarch. Killing one's father and proceeding to sleep with one's mother is not the best practice, and will most likely ultimately affect the factors in deciding the next ruler and his/her expectations as a person in a position of power. 

This picture is similar to the one we looked at in class. It illustrates  Oedipus's blood running down his face like tears. This is possibly symbolic of an attempt to cleanse himself, such as Lady Macbeth washing her hands.

Erica's Big Question

My big question is: How has the progression of society and civilization been both a detriment and benefit to humankind?

2) In my independent study book, One Hundred Years of Solitude, by Gabriel García Márquez, this a very prevalent idea. As the Buendía family grows over time, so does the progression of civilization and industrialism in the small rural country it resides in. For example, the building of the railroad in Macondo at first helps the town connect with the outside world and gradually modernize. However, eventually this becomes a detriment to the citizens of Macondo when it leads to the development of banana plantations which ultimately end up killing hundreds of their workers. In most scenarios around the world, the progression of civilization has been both a blessing and a curse. Another example of this is during the American Industrial Revolution. The factories built provided more jobs for citizens, but the working conditions were often inhumane and caused people to get very sick or die. Ultimately, both good and bad come from evolving societies throughout time.