Feet symbolize the way fate drags Oedipus on his journeys throughout his life. As a baby, Oedipus' feet were bound as he was cast away from Thebes. His "ankles were pinned together" ( 1034) and he has had that "dreadful mark" (1035) "from the cradle" (1035). The way that Oedipus' feet were pinned as a baby is a metaphor for the way that he has always been pinned to his fate since birth. He was powerless to walk as a baby and is now powerless to escape his gruesome destiny. Similarly, the "dreadful mark" is indicative of the way that Oedipus is defined and shaped by his past. What marked him as a child was literally that scar from his feet being bound and the unseen force of the prophecy that he would murder his parents. He carries a limp for his whole because of the foot binding, and his prophecy also follows him wherever he goes.
Oedipus goes through life largely on his feet, driven by his fate. For example, when he leaves Corinth, Oedipus is walking when he comes to the crossroads where he kills Laius in his chariot. His feet and his destiny are what lead him to that precise moment. Also, when Oedipus asks Creon why they did not track the killer, Creon responds "The sphinx...she...persuaded us to let the mystery go and concentrate on what lay at our feet" (147-149). This foreshadows that Oedipus is the problem and the doom that lays at the Thebans' feet, in the same way that Oedipus' own doom is at his feet. The idea of a path is common too: Oedipus killed Laius on a path, and says he has been "laboring over many paths of thought" (79). Similarly, after his prophecy is fulfilled, Oedipus is condemned to wander around on his feet with no purpose or home.
Hi Harry! I thought that your insight on the prevalence of paths was interesting since paths are by nature very guided and oftentimes premade. This parallels the overarching theme of a predestined fate. I'm curious as to if you think Oedipus had any free will at all.
ReplyDeleteIt also sounds as though the Thebans are the sort of people that are more than willing to simply go with the flow and believe their fate. It doesn't sound like it took too much persuasion on the Sphinx's part to convince Creon. Would Odysseus even WANT to escape his fate? His true parents tried to prevent it, he was warned about it at the oracle, but it ended up coming true. He also chooses to wander when he discovers what he has does. It sounds like it's tough for the Thebans to break from their fate even if they are aware of what it is.
ReplyDeleteYour comments on paths were things that I completely overlooked in the text, but I think the inclusion of that analysis adds a lot to the meaning of feet, leaving the door open to questions and discussion like Marina is talking about
ReplyDeleteI like how you mention the prophecies within prophecies that make up this tragedy. It is so important. I really appreciate how you considered the presence of travel and pathways in the play as well. The crazy journey of that original prophecy is what all the characters attempt to avoid and eventually end up following.
ReplyDeleteTaylor and Kyron: It's clear that Harry is on to something awesome here, but how could he improve the initial reading that he presents here? What if he wanted to turn this into a seminar paper? What would he have to consider? What textual examples would he need to use? And what about the formal structure of the play? Could he somehow relate that to his reading?
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