Quote
Now as we keep our watch and wait the final day,
count no man happy till he dies, free of pain at last.
(1683-1684)
Analysis
As the main characters leave the stage, the chorus convenes
and addresses the audience directly. This excerpt is the final lines of the
play and therefore is the message the play wanted to communicate. The chorus
warns that, as in the case of Oedipus, the gods can affect life-ruining events
at anytime and happiness is temporary, except after death when one is “free of
pain at last”. These final words by the chorus can have multiple effects on the
audience. The first is telling the audience to enjoy life in the present as
happiness can end at any moment. This is an appropriately timed message for the
play because the play would have been performed during the festival of
Dionysus, a time of great festivities. The second message of these lines is a
warning to remain in good behavior during life to ensure death is truly freedom
from pain. Since in ancient Greek mythology sprits are placed in respective
areas in the afterlife according to their actions during their mortal life, the
chorus establishes that a major goal in life is to obtain the eternal reward
and avoid the eternal punishment. Finally, the most significant message in the
final lines is the inferiority of man to the gods. Throughout the play multiple
characters doubted the power and truthfulness of the gods. The final lines put
end to any doubt and establish the gods as omnipotent.
Reaction
The message of death releasing one from pain and suffering
caused me to make a connection to Christianity. Similar to the message the
chorus is promoting as the final word of the play, Christianity promotes the
idea that the primary goal in life is lead a pure life to secure a spot in
heaven. Believing this, many Christians perceive death not as a time of
morning, but rather as a time of celebration, as the deceased has moved on to a
better place. This Christian belief is demonstrated in the gospel hymm
“(There’ll Be) Peace In The Valley (Fore Me)” performed by Elvis Presley The chorus’s lyrics’ are,
“There’ll be no sadness, no sorrow, no trouble, trouble I see. There will be
peace in the valley for me”. Clear parallels between the lyrics and the excerpt
can be observed. The “sadness”, “sorrow”, and “trouble” of life mentioned in
the song are the “pain” mentioned in the play, and the “free(dom) of pain” that
death holds is analogous to “peace in the valley”. Since both Christianity and
Ancient Greek mythology believed in the release from suffering in the afterlife
I made the quick connection between the message in Oedipus the King and the ideals of Christianity.
Maureen712's
channel. "Peace in the Valley - Elvis Presley. “ Online video clip. YouTube. YouTube, 20 Feb. 2010. Web. 26
Nov. 2014.
Presley,
Elvis. "(There'll Be) Peace in the Valley (For Me)." Peace in the Valley. RCA, 1957. EP.
Sophocles.
Oedipus the King. The Three Theban Plays. Trans. Robert Fagles. New York:
Penguin Classics, 1984. Print.
Really interesting connection you're making. But I think there is another way of interpreting the quotation. The chorus may be stating that they will be free of pain once Oedipus dies. They are waiting for his final day, not necessarily their own. Either way, the connections between life and suffering, and death and peace, are clear.
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