Different Interpretation

Throughout the play of Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex, I noticed that the protagonist, Oedipus like to refer people as “child” or “children”. When he first appeared in the play, he called his citizens “my children”. How would you see Oedipus when he addresses his citizens as “my children”?

In the lecture, we have discussed about the question. The label portrays Oedipus as a caring and loving king. It also shows the element of irony, because Oedipus wants his people to treat him like their father, but he killed his own father, King Laius.

However, I interpreted it in a different way. In my first impression, I did feel that Oedipus is a caring and loving king, who treats his people like his own children. After further reading, I find him as an arrogant man, as he likes to use the label “child” or “children" to show one’s lower social ranking. In Scene I, when he has conflict with Teiresias, he mocks at Teiresias’ blindness and calls him “child of endless night” (Scene I, page 1394, line 150), although Teiresias is very much older than him and is highly respected in the society. He is trying to tell Teiresias that Teiresias cannot harm him with his words, as he is more powerful for having higher social status –

Oedipus: “You child of endless night. You cannot hurt me or any other man who sees the sun.”

(Scene I, page 1394)

In other words, Oedipus often addresses his citizens as “my children” to imply that they are of lower social status as compared to him (other than showing his love to his citizens). Thus, when he has lost his throne and experienced downfall in social status, he starts to call them “my friend” (in Exodus, page 1418, line 100) (although he still uses “my children” at times), as well as labels himself as “child of evil” (in Exodus, page 1419, line 135), which shows his lost of ego.