The Courage in Oedipus

“Courage,in the final analysis, is nothing but an affirmative answer to the shocks ofexistence.” ~Kurt Goldstein

Life happens. Events happen in your life that you have no control over. However it’s not those events that define you, it’s how you react to them that ultimately transforms you into the person you were always destined to be. Life happened to Oedipus. The “stuff” he couldn’t control was killing his father and marrying his mother because it is impossible to escape fate. I would argue that Oedipus had the most courage out of every character in Greek tragedy, Oedipus, because his courage outweighs his hubris.

Because Oedipus acts drastically, get gets drastic results. His hubris consists of anger, irrational actions, disrespect, pride and ignorance. However it is his courage that ultimately defines him over all of his hubris. He had the courage to attempt to escape fate by running away from his “dad.” He had the courage to answer the sphinx’s riddle. He had the courage to lead Thebes. Even in his downfall, he had the courage to bring justice by banishing himself from the kingdom: “And then he will leave Thebes, self-exiled, in order that the curse which he himself pronounced may depart from the house” (1243). He also blinds himself so he couldn’t see the destruction he had unknowingly caused “If I had eyes, I do not know how I could bear the sight of my father, when I came to the house of Death…” (1320). This proves that it was fate that determined Oedipus’ impact, not his original intentions: “For I am sick in my own being, sick in my origin” (1346). Although his fate had predetermined his course in life, his courageous character is what ultimately defines Oedipus in the final moment.

Is there courage in today's society?

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Alone. Individual. Unique. Single. Inimitable. These are the words that haunt people in today’s society. Today’s society deems these words as weird, unusual and abstract. People are conditioned to believe that being alone is abnormal. People ignore that fact that in solitude, there is power and beauty. It is this view of life that eliminates courage; this extinguishes the confidence to walk alone. Few people truly have courage. Few people are comfortable with walking alone. Walking alone and courage are directly proportional. In order to make a difference in the world, you must have courage to walk alone. 

Throughout history, people who changed the world and made a difference were the ones who chose the road less taken. Abraham Lincoln put the country on the line in order to abolish slavery. He had the courage to defy the norm and walk in a different direction. Alice Paul had the courage to walk alone as she fought for women’s rights. Martin Luther King Jr. had the courage to take on the world as he passionately fought for equal rights. These are the people who changed our world. These are the people who were not afraid to go against everything holding them back. Courage is what changes the world when society deems solitude as “weird.” If the world is going to be changed, people need to go against society’s abnormal "definition" of normal.

Hedda Gabler defined courage. She went against the sexist pressures of her time. Henrick Ibsen portrays her in the play “Hedda Gabler” as a strong, independent, smart woman who changes the manner in which society views her. Hedda defies the limits of her sex. She leaves the comfort of her aristocratic family to take on the risks of a new life. She defines courage because she took the road less traveled in order to change the way she lived her life. 

Plato, once said, "courage is knowing what not to fear."  This philosopher explains that courage should not fear solitude. In order to make a difference in this crazy world, one must speak up and be heard. A single voice is louder than a crowd's. It takes courage to speak up and let your voice be heard. So take the road less traveled, embrace the power in solitude and have the courage to change the world.