The story of Oedipus has had a lot of impact on me, especially in the last
few years. It is not the Freudian image of Oedipus sleeping with his mother,
but rather the idea that we are responsible for something even if we did not
know any better. In his grief with all his losses, and as a form of payment,
Oedipus took out his own eyes. Was this payment enough? Was it necessary at
all? If we are ignorant and unwittingly cause harm, dishonour and shame, to
what extent are we responsible?
Oedipus did kill his father and had sexual relations with his mother, but a
very interesting part of the story is the aftermath. His children fought
with each other, killed each other, and eventually his mother's brother, his
uncle, (or his brother-in-law) took the throne, when all the rest had been
killed off in one way or the other.
Any comments on the systemic implications of this form of repentance, or
hypothetically, what would happen if Oedipus had not redeemed himself the
way he did?
The story:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oedipus#The_story
Anita
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