Oedipus the king Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Oedipus the king - Essay Example In the expression, Jocasta is not the object or subject simply because she was not mentioning, and Oedipus calls it Lauis’ bed. This was a euphemism for sex with Jocasta, but Oedipus tries to hide the very envisioned meaning by dismissing Jocasta in Lauis’ life. Moreover, when speaking to Jocasta, the Senator dismisses her through a very diminutive statement that portrays the overall attitude that the society held about women. â€Å"Lady, what hinders you from taking him into the house?† (Storr, 01). Evidently, there were cultural restrictions that Senator knew prohibits women from taking men into the house but asks such a belligerent question just to provoke Jocasta who strives not to show that she is displeased by using a self-deprecatory tone. In the chorus, the word ‘womb’ features predominantly not to creative a positive impression of the important role of reproduction that women play in the society but to indicate how women were defined by thei r reproductive parts. Oedipus refers to Jocasta as his womb. â€Å"†¦teeming increase of the womb† (Storr, 01). Oedipus considers Jocasta not as his special wife, but as a womb that reproduces. To a greater extent, this portrays the role that women were allocated in the then society. This vicious and horrific portrayal of the women’s role is further bolstered when revulsion and devastation befalls women who try to deviate from their role and venture into more universally acceptable roles as might be interpreted in the contemporary society. Apparently, women are portrayed as people who should not be dreaded, and men should deal with them with a lot of self-assurance. A statement like â€Å"Who is this woman about whom ye fear?† indicates that women should not be feared under any circumstance (Storr, 01). Moreover, Oedipus believes that his sons will triumph in their later lives regardless of their ancestry but pities his daughters’ lives and wonders w ho might