Pericles Responsibility In Oedipus The King

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Pericles, a prominent yet controversial Athenian politician, was satirized and criticized heavily in Sophocles’ plays, especially Oedipus the King. In fact, many of the characters in Oedipus the King refer to Pericles’ personality traits. For example, a central fault of Oedipus is his hubris, contributing greatly to his fall of power and exile from his city. Oedipus does not acknowledge any advice, which may implicate him of wrongdoing, even though it may help his city. Neither does he work with anyone else if they do not support his ideas or accuse him of fault. In a similar fashion, Pericles believes in the individual taking precedence over society. He feels that Athens is special because its “citizens, in all the manifold aspects of life, is able to show himself the rightful lord and owner of his own person.” (Pericles) Although individual liberty is important, perhaps Pericles was exaggerating Pericles’ ideas and stating that one must still cooperate with others and have a sense of humility in one’s life.…show more content…
Pericles speaks of Athens being entitled to be extravagant, even though their extravagance is only possible because of the other members of Delian League. In Sophocles’ Oedipus the King, Oedipus is directly aware and presented evidence of his fault in the plague of Thebes by Teresias; however, he still refuses to acknowledge the advice. Both Pericles and Oedipus were blind to the wider effects of their
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