Autonomy in Hamlet and Oedipus - 952 Words

For their injustices, Oedipus must be exiled from Thebes: Socrates must drink hemlock and die. Discuss the extent to which Oedipus’ and Socrates’ final moments are determined by past acts of autonomy. Socrates is a character who is seen as person who dies for his ideals. He sees himself as a public servant who has lived his life helping the people of the city with his practice of philosophy and by living his life within the boundaries of the laws and justices of society. Socrates sees this as a commitment by an invisible contract and he must commit himself to obey them even though these laws have wronged him. He is urged by his friend Crito to escape but Socrates feels that this would be wrong as it is going against state, country†¦show more content†¦Clearly the curse was Oedipus’ own idea. The autonomy of his own actions are seen when we witness a sequence of characters pleading for him to stop the investigation and become accepting of ignorance: once at the beginning with Teiresias, (Sophocles, 1970, p. 9), twice in the middle by Jocasta, (Sophocles, 1970, pp. 17amp;22), and the end by the shepherd, (Sophocles, 1970, p. 26) and still he does not adhere to their advice, but carries on with his questioning and investigation. Oedipus’s fate is not forced upon his actions, but show that his actions are of a free king and man. Fate and free will is a powerful question in both works. For Socrates it shows that free will has limitations and that there are other elements at play which tend to hamper full realization of individual autonomy. For Oedipus, this seems to be clearly defined in that he seeks to outrun his own destiny. He believes that his use of freedom and clarity in judgment can overcome what is fated to be. In this light one can see Oedipus as seeking to appropriate a domain that is not in his control. Eventually he ends up paying dearly for it. For Socrates, autonomy is a bit more muddled. It does not necessarily invoke the fate condition to limit human freedom, but rather argues that there are other factors perhaps within us that seem to curtail our own use of freedom. The limiting function is not outside the individual, but rather within them. References Macquarie Dictionary (2nd ed.). (1999).Show MoreRelatedHow to Read Lit Like a Prof Notes3608 Words   |  15 Pagesold man, attractive but evil, violates a young woman, leaves his mark, takes her innocence b. Sexual implications—a trait of 19th century literature to address sex indirectly c. Symbolic Vampirism: selfishness, exploitation, refusal to respect the autonomy of other people, using people to get what we want, placing our desires, particularly ugly ones, above the needs of another. 4. If It’s Square, It’s a Sonnet 5. Now, Where Have I Seen Her Before? a. There is no such thing as a wholly original workRead More Hamlet - Shakespeares Ophelia as Modern Icon Essay3388 Words   |  14 PagesHamlet - Shakespeares Ophelia as Modern Icon Shakespeares Ophelia is not lacking in attention. As one of Shakespeares most popular female characters she has enjoyed many appellations from the bard. Fair Ophelia. Most beautified Ophelia. Pretty Ophelia. Sweet Ophelia. Dear Ophelia. Beautiful Ophelia†¦sweet maid†¦poor wretch. Poor Ophelia. (Vest 1) All of these names for Ophelia can be found in Shakespeares The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Since Shakespeares incarnationRead MoreDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words   |  1617 Pagesmatters not what you are thought to be, but what you are.† Alfred Lord Tennyson said: â€Å"Self-reverence, self-knowledge, self-control, these three alone lead to sovereign power.† Probably the most oft-quoted passage on the self is Polonius’ advice in Hamlet: â€Å"To thine own self be true, and it must follow as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man.† Messinger reminded us: â€Å"He that would govern others must ï ¬ rst maste r himself.† Self-awareness lies at the heart of the ability to master