In Sophocles play, Oedipus, the King, there are various instances where Oedipus tries to escape his destinyenlightenmentonly to discover the truth that he cannot. Similarly, in Platos Allegory of the Cave the prisoner travails to understand and adjust to his newly visited environment. In both works, the men first had to realize their ignorance before they could begin to acquire knowledge and true understanding of the complexities of the human condition. Specifically, in Oedipus, the King, it was Oedipus illusion of himself as a man unequaled in leadership whereas in Allegory of the Cave it was the prisoners initial refutations of enlightenment being shown him until he realizes its intellectual, spiritual, and social significance. In both articles of literature, there are places where their ignorance and eventual achievement of enlightenment is highlighted. In Oedipus, the King it is when he is accusing Creon of conspiring against him, calling him a murderer and supposedly having exposed him as a robber attempting to steal[his] throne.
Here, he does not yet realize that not only has not Creon attempted to overthrow him, but also that he is not the man who has already figured everything out about humanity as he thinks. He later does, fortunately, discover that he was not the true ill-fated man who never learned anything because he knew everything too soon. He discovers, after piercing out his eyes, that he has finally ar-rived at the truth of his life and that he now has a responsibility to share his story with his children, ex-tended family, and citizens so that they can live lives that are trueboth to themselves and to the far greater universe; the best example of this is when he comments to the chorus The evil is mine; no one but me can bear its weight. As for Platos Allegory of the Cave, the prisoners difficulty discovering the truth lies in his unfortunate constricted life within the dark cave. Because of his imprisonment from early childhood in the unknowing darkness, he struggles not to come up toward the lightknowledge and understandingwhen he is being lead to it; he has to be dragged. There, however, he grows ac-customed to the new sights and sounds and realizes that what he knew to be his reality were only those things that he saw through a mediuma silhouette.
The Essay on Oedipus Rex One Man Time
Dear Oedipus Rex, In so many ways I feel very sorry for you because youve had to deal with the guilt of having inadvertently murdered your father and married your mother. You deserve your fate no more than any other person deserves the circumstances of their birth. The only responsibility one has is to make the best of ones circumstances. Whether one deserves it or not is a pointless question. It ...
In that place, as Plato put it, it would first be easiest for him to make out the shadows, and then the images of men and things reflected in water, and later on the things themselves. Then, easier to watch the heavenly bodies and the sky itself by night, looking at the light of the moon and stars rather than the Sun and the Suns light in the day-time. Next, after realizing those things, that he had a responsibility to return to his old darkness, but this time to tell of the things he knew and to struggle towards new ends: as Plato said to Glaucon, to watch over and care for the other citizens. Moreover, and more importantly, to lead his inferiors in the knowledge of truth to-wards his position. Oedipus, in Oedipus, the King, and the prisoner, in Allegory of the Cave, both fight internal battles to arrive at enlightenmenttruth. However, their commonality not only lies in this. It is also within their similarity in thinking, particularly in their initial refusal to acknowledge that there is only one truth and that they have allowed themselves to become infected with the thought patterns of their public. And consequently, have voluntarily revoked their right to think and make decisions on their own, until those beings above them have re-shown them the correct path to take.
After reading both works, the reader should come to some thoughts on the significance of the works to society. Among them, he ought to take in that both works convey the idea that it is necessary for all those who become educated and taught the ways of the academic and knowledgeable world that they must not allow themselves to be corrupted by hubris and the overwhelming negative influence of the general population. In addition, to remember always, as Henrik Ibsen said in his play, An Enemy of the People, The public is only the raw material from which a people is made, and that those who come into power have a responsibility to everyone to ensure their well-beingphysically, intellectually, and socially..
The Essay on Centered Craving Things Work Suffering
... delusions or distortions for all things change. Develop wisdom by knowing how things work, knowing oneself and others. 2. ... with suffering due to our desires to want things to be different. II. Self-centered craving ... for all beings. 5. Right Livelihood Avoidance of work that causes suffering to others or that ... a moderate life that is not over-zealous. Work to develop more wholesome mind states, while ...
