Classics Summarized: Oedipus Rex

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I'm branching out!
Greek literature really is a fascinating cesspool of ridiculousness. Our boy Oedipus even got a mental condition named after him!

[@sabrinamcclain162]

I like how Oedipus solving the riddle implies he's good at figuring things out, but he spends the entire play unable to figure out what's going on.

[@oedi_mf]

So true my gal so true I am a genius and a fucktart

[@JaelinBezel]

Yeah and he's counted as a hero for his guile.

[@Fummy007]

Thats the whole point. Blind prophet Tyresseus tells him "I who am blind can see what you who have eyes cannot!"

[@smartguy458]

To quote Alanis Morissette: isn't it ironic?

[@TheSpiralProgression]

The riddle was also foreshadowing of Oedipus, himself. He was born as a baby, crawlling on four limbs, then as a man walking with two feet, and later a blind man walking with a cane.

[@TheSpiralProgression]

The riddle was also foreshadowing of Oedipus, himself. He was born as a baby, crawlling on four limbs, then as a man walking with two feet, and later a blind man walking with a cane.

[@itszeronizer597]

In all my years of mythological experience I NEVER REALIZED THAT:D

[@zoy.13.]

the real climax😮😮is here

[@abandoned-user]

I came across exactly this in Terror in resonance anime.

[@TheSpiralProgression]

@@abandoned-user Lmao, same actually.

[@eddiehuang1811]

damn. I m gonna steal this. thx...

[@joshuabarrett7997]

I wish i could remember how the joke about Midas and Oedipus went. It was motherfucking gold

[@the_dark_chinchilla9623]

Magical. Simply magical.

[@jamesforgie6594]

I had a second of “eh? What?” Then I literally fell over laughing.

[@ezelfrancisco1349]

Get out

[@priscillatackie6408]

I love your joke but i almost hate you for bringing this darkness upon us 🤣🤣😔

[@lordnul1708]

That pun was so bad that if it didn't send me to Tartarus (and if it weren't a fate nobody deserved) I'd make you watch the Star Wars Holiday Special.

[@TJDious]

My favorite part of the story is when Oedipus accuses Creon of wanting the throne and Creon is all like "wtf man being the King's brother-in-law is SWEET being king is WORK."

[@KTChamberlain]

Moral of this story: If you must marry an older woman, don't marry one that's old enough to be your mother unless you have concrete evidence that she's not your mother.

[@morehero1]

She had a magical piece of jewelry that made her look younger than she really was. But a theme of this play is that no one is smart enough to put the pieces together.

[@KTChamberlain]

Are you sure it's not make no mistakes in a hurry? I mean seriously, everyone in Oedipus Rex makes so many hasty decisions and of course they bite them in the ass.

[@StarrTheWitch]

Also, never consult an oracle just, just don't, you never like what will be said and you will cause the future trying to prevent it

[@JukeboxTheGhoul]

Oedipus is supposed to be quite young when he leaves Corinth. And as ye olde queens seem to be used as baby machines, she was probably as young as she could be when she had Oedipus. To make this math from getting a little too icky let's say Jocasta was 16 and Oedipus was 16 when he left. That means his mother could what, 32? if you chop two years off both, 14 and 14 means 28, not very old at all.

[@geno9788]

In ancient greece, 28 was pretty old, especially women who have the nasty habit of dying in childbirth and whatnot.

[@LadyDeirdre]

"Kill the oracle!" "Why? What has she done?" "She's an oracle!" "I see your point. Proceed.."

[@hunterrhoades1813]

I wondered what happened to the saying "Don't shoot the messenger"?

[@boitshepotlhatlosi7788]

@@hunterrhoades1813 It's dead just like the Oracle should be.😄

[@hunterrhoades1813]

@@boitshepotlhatlosi7788 They don't make it happen they just tell them what's going to happen.

[@oedi_mf]

No reply other than🤣🤣

[@zaimcraft6581]

⁠@@mirayasingh5614please elaborate I know it’s called “the Orical of Delphi” but what the heck is Delphi anyway?

[@devilrv89]

Oedipus did not have Oedipus complex. The whole story is about how you run into your destiny when you try to run from it.

[@Aristocratic13]

*ruin

[@devilrv89]

Nope, I actually meant run.

[@Aristocratic13]

devilrv89 awww I see

[@artloveranimation]

devilrv89 and something about literal/metaphorical crossroads

[@cOmAtOrAn]

Plus, he does exactly what any sensible person would do and gouges out his eyes.

[@scrawnytony3174]

Freud: “the Oedipus complex is the hidden, yet intense, desire for a sexual relation with one’s own mother” Oedipus: gouges out his own eyes when he realized he had sex with his mom

[@videogollumer]

There are times when the body, soul, and spirit want different things.

[@cashthecurator666]

Yeah, I read about Freud for psychology class. I think that man had serious issues, almost ALL of his research revolved around something sexual.

[@alexandraguardian9840]

@@cashthecurator666 He had good points regarding defensive mechanisms and the unconsciousness, and his work was essential to the field of psychology, though even his students stated that his focus on sexuality was too much.

[@airplanes_aren.t_real]

@@cashthecurator666 and I feel like the existence of asexual people probably disproved a lot of it

[@michaelt.5672]

@@airplanes_aren.t_real Not to defend Freuds obsession with sex here, but it probably wouldn't. One could argue that a subconscious drive that is sexual in its nature can heavily influence your actions, and yet never manifest as overtly sexual. Freud likely would have seen asexuals as people who's drives never make the jump from subconscious to conscious mind. He'd still be wrong about it though (and derive all sorts of wrong conclusions from that).

[@therealoldnosey8689]

Moral of the story: Don't go around murdering random groups of people. Edit: Don't go around murdering.

[@curleyqreviews9793]

I Am A Lion I wish I had seen that edit earlier before I bought the rope. Guess I better just drop him off somewhere.

[@lettersviastars]

Moral of the story: don't go around

[@Hat-Trick]

Moral of the story: don’t

[@raspberrycrowns9494]

@@rafaelalodio5116 He didn't know it was his mom Moral of the story is pledge yourself to Artemis and be a virgin foreva

[@dravenocklost4253]

No.

[@eon1014]

Correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t Oedipus and Jocasta also have a few children? Also, I’d like to point out the irony of the fact that the guy whom “Oedipus complex” was named after didn’t actually have an Oedipus complex because he didn’t know that Jocasta was his mom.

[@ConnanTheCivilized]

Yes, it’s almost like Freud pulled his theories out of his ass, the same as some modern psychologists.

[@name5598]

Yes, they have several children including polynices and eteocles

[@maxhadanidea]

@@ConnanTheCivilized who, if i may ask

[@roronoa_kenshin]

They have 4 daughters

[@dustyrose192]

i heard that one of his daughter-sisters helped her old brother-father around ater he went blind

[@Meg1947]

As I recall, he reigned as king of Thebes long enough for him and Jocasta to have three or four children before learning the truth.

[@shiron222]

ALL HAIL TOM LEHRER!!!

[@cassidywhitfield7648]

Margaret Lyall in the version I heard he (or his younge son) went to a profit to ask about his young son, and was informed on the prophecy he profiled (but dosent relize he did) and how his son would kill him, so he tried to kill his son first and then relizes/learns he killed his father and had a son with his mom, mom stabs her eyes out and the king kills himself, becoming the new king, fulfilling his own profecy in the process

[@MarySue1964]

Margaret Lyall He had two sons and two daughter from his marriage to Jocasta. Jocasta killed herself. When Oedipus found her body, he stabbed out his eyes and banished himself. His daughter Antigone followed her dad during his exile.

[@flayremoon]

It gets worse. Oedipus and Jocasta's two sons ascend the throne, alternating ruling years until one decides he doesn't want to do that anymore and banishes his brother. The brother raises an army and attacks the city. Both die. Creon takes over as king,decrees the banished invader one can't be buried and has to lie there in the dirt and rot. The two daughters are kept in their own house but the youngest, Antigone, goes out and buries her brother. She gets caught. There's some arguing between her and Creon, who locks her in the crypt where she hangs herself. Creon's son goes to see her, finds her dead, stabs himself and dies. Then his mother finds out and kills herself. This family was doomed from the beginning

[@juanernestorey5477]

Boy,that's even worse :)

[@Firmus777]

Funny thing about Oedipus is that he didn't have Oedipus complex. He went into exile when he was told that he would marry his mother, married a woman who just happened to be his mother and when he found out he dug his eyes out and felt horrible. Also the misfortune didn't strike Thebes straight away since he managed to raise kids with Jocasta and in the meanwhile he was a pretty good king apparently. When the truth was revealed the citizens forgave him and pitied him.

[@leakinbrolly2379]

All he had to do was never kill or marry anyone older than him, and he would have avoided the prophecy just fine.

[@blue-eyedfangirl8760]

the thing is with the goddamn Oracle, you can't outrun destiny people try and get really screwed over and eventually the prophecy happens no matter what

[@olawaleadegboyega4847]

the oracle would have made it an accident then. Theseus had the same prophecy and he killed his father by accident while throwing a discus

[@DavidLopez-pc7yg]

@@olawaleadegboyega4847 the Oracle sucks

[@zerogbot23]

@@DavidLopez-pc7yg Never ask a Oracle anything, in Greek tragedies ignorance is bliss

[@Ashley-sp8xc]

@@olawaleadegboyega4847 *Perseus

[@margaretschaufele6502]

I think what freaked Oedipus and Jocasta out even more when the truth came out was that they had been married long enough to have several children together.

[@michaelt.5672]

Come on Oedipus, think this through. You want to avoid killing your dad and marrying your mom? Don't kill anyone and never marry a woman older than you. Is this so hard to figure out?

[@captainbirch9835]

Perseus was fated to kill his grandfather, and he accidentally bonked him in the head with a discus at an athletic event. When fate says something is going to happen, it's going to happen, one way, or another

[@QuanticDreamer]

Women lie about their age. Everyone knows that. So that part wasn't that easy.

[@Betrix5060]

@@QuanticDreamer Sure, by a year or two. How many women do you know who are capable of passing themselves off as the better part of two decades younger than their real age, to the point that she could literally be your mother? Because if you do please let me know. Hooking up with one of their daughters early on sounds like a heck of an investment.

[@FrancisR420]

@@QuanticDreamer Hibbett everyone also knows but ancient Greeks often kidnapped extremely young people to service their Brides so also not that hard to make sure the person you're marrying isn't your mother.

[@QuanticDreamer]

@@FrancisR420 You sure? I'm a Greek, and never heard about that one. Though I do know they were quite naughty, in general :p

[@ElvenRaptor]

True story: I was forced to go to the "Sherman and Mr. Peabody" movie with my nephews, and when the film got the part with The Trojan Horse, there was a joke about "How you should NEVER go to Oedipus Rex's for the holidays. It is SO awkward!" I was the only person in the theater who understood that reference and proceeded to laugh my ass off about it.

[@amandalynn4979]

This comment alone made me go rewatch the movie to find that joke 😂

[@metarcee2483]

That movie was simultaneously the most highbrow and lowbrow thing I've ever seen.

[@Jotari]

A lot of people talk about how much Oedipus' fate sucks but I have more sympathy for Jocasta. The horrors of unintentional incest hit her too and she gets it topped off by loosing a husband.

[@merrittanimation7721]

floooooooooooooooood That's horrifying

[@GippyHappy]

She stapled her babies legs together

[@Lord_Of_Night]

@Stellvia Heonheim Stapler or no, she and Laius both abandoned a child to die in the mountains.

[@ScorpionFlower95]

She is in a way just as guilty tho, she abandoned her son to die by exposure.

[@ldbboosha]

Everybody involved seemed to be assholes except the messenger.

[@jenniferschillig3768]

I watched that filmed stage version of Oedipus (with all the masked people) when I was in college. It was the funniest tragedy I'd ever seen in my life...when Oedipus was confessing the murder to Jocasta, he literally roared like Godzilla.

[@metarcee2483]

I'd pay good money to see that alone.

[@neonknight5857]

I hate when the random people I indiscriminately murder turn out to be irrevocably intertwined with my destiny. Like dammit I really didn't think I would need to put on pants or dig out my eyes today.

[@merrittanimation7721]

Yeah can't a guy road rage without lasting consequences?

[@oedi_mf]

Finally you get it bravo neon bravo

[@volrag]

Worst part of digging out his eyes is that just in a few hours he realises he can't read the rest of his schedule for that day.

[@neonknight5857]

@@volrag that is indeed the worst part

[@chaseross8900]

After reading Oedipus there are some inaccuracies, Oedipus was attacked by his father on the road which caused him to defend himself and fight back (although he did slaughter everyone in his father's party) and the play didn't mention that his parents weren't his actual parents until much layer on, that when he figures it out with help from his wife/mom and a servant. Also, Oedipus translates to swollen foot which is pretty important

[@MegaFafnir]

"If you think this is a good idea, you're blinder than I am." XD

[@fawwazn.1244]

That some Epic Foreshadowing actually 😂😂😂😂

[@legoinsomniac]

It's not even a joke made for the video, that's basically the line in the play.

[@isnotmimi]

Tiresias is probably my favorite character in Greek mythology, not just because of his cool backstory where he got transformed into a woman for several years and just rolled with it (wikipedia that), but because his role in pretty much every story he shows up in (the Bacchae, Oedipus Rex, Antigone*, the Odyssey) is to tell the main character something that they don't like, get ignored, and then leave. And you can practically hear how done he is with these guys in his lines, it's great. *Yeah, I know that Creon does eventually listen to him, but of course it's too late.

[@raspberrycrowns9494]

@@isnotmimi an oracle who can tell heroes the future accurately but is always ignored... HmmMMmmMmmmMMmMmmMm...

[@lordnul1708]

@@isnotmimi so basically he's like Cassandra minus the getting blamed for what happens when his predictions come true.

[@Theturtleowl]

He tore his eyes out to never have to look his mother or father in the eyes again, even in death. Poor guy.

[@riley6234]

Why couldn't Oedipus swear? Because he kisses his mother with that mouth.

[@merrittanimation7721]

Kaitlyn Hixon AHHHHHHHHHH

[@the_dark_chinchilla9623]

Originality.

[@lettersviastars]

oH FUCK

[@ladyvictoria820]

Aaaaaaaah!!!!

[@dapwproductions8630]

Damnit, *i hate these motherfucking jokes* .

[@GhostBear3067]

Freud: "If a man loves his mother in a sexual manner I will call that an 'Oedipus Complex'." Oedipus: "What the hell, dude, did you even read the play?"

[@moonbeam0124]

Those masks are hella scary tbh. Love the hand-drawn animation tho

[@TauGeneration]

more like "hellas scary" looooool

[@namingisdifficult408]

Trolmaster 10/10

[@KarnodAldhorn]

I wonder, where it comes from. Some movie? Some Theater-drama?

[@JohnnyJamsSEA]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/iqDRfYJ3oMhkhbs

[@Rainbowthewindsage]

I think the idea behind that production was that the early greek plays used masks and so they were trying to emulate that. The best part of the whole thing is a scene where Oedipus is dramatically screaming about how he killed them all (the people he ran into on the road). It was so unintentionally hilarious that some one on youtube made a loop of the screaming.

[@KyleRayner12]

"The king's been murdered! We must investigate." "We can't. The main gate is blocked by a ravenous sphinx!" "We have six other gates." "Have you seen the traffic out there?" "Good point. Let's mourn him and move on, as he would've wanted."

[@mattdamutt5681]

Perfectly logical - road rage killed the king, after all. Why risk suffering the same fate that city traffic will doubtlessly bring?

[@theannouncer5538]

Oedipus got the shortest end of an extremely fucked up stick😂

[@cykrya5156]

TheAnnouncer he got fucked up so bad, god!

[@D.A.R.C.I.]

TheAnnouncer he basically got the tip of a dildo filled with stds

[@eleanormunt2860]

His story does not end there (Oh no! Because he and his family hasn't suffered enough.) the story continues on in a short tale of how his two sons fight for the throne and kill each other and then in another Greek Tragedy where his daughter Antigone is the main character and tones of shit goes down.

[@NeostormXLMAX]

honestly people say he loved his mother but he didn't even know she was his mother

[@JaelinBezel]

It’s funny that Oedipus doesn’t even have an oedipal complex. If he did he wouldn’t have freaked out so hard upon learning who exactly he’d been banging.

[@NotQuiteEnglish01]

It baffles me, it really does: "You're going to kill your father!" "okay!" thinks Oedipus, "That guy just bonked me on the head with a stick, KILL THEM ALL!" Just don't... don't kill anybody....

[@namingisdifficult408]

NotQuiteEnglish exactly

[@ThePCguy17]

He thought he knew who his father was, and what were the chances that the one rude guy on the road was actually his real dad? Oedipus's actions are actually quite defensible at that point.

[@NotQuiteEnglish01]

ThePCguy17 whether or not he knew who his father was was sort of beside the point; he's not shown to be a wanton killer yet the first thing he does after receiving his terrible prophecy is outright murder a load of a people on the road because they were rude? He obviously took the prophecy as gospel truth (hence why he ran away from his "parents") but since he didn't immediately run to Corinth to kill his "parents" the logical assumption is the one person you've murdered in your life therefore has to be your father. His actions are totally nonsensical

[@DemonRaticate]

Some backstory- the gods cursed Oedipus' family line. That curse resulted in the prophecy. I am guessing it most likely was some part of the curse that forced the prophecy to come true and as a result the instant they met, a rage unlike any other took both of them and as a result Laius' fate was sealed.

[@richardthorndike6608]

why was his line cursed?

[@jackcoleman5955]

As a huge Weird Al fan, I must say Tom Lehrer is a master. Great way to wrap, OSP. He really LOVED his mother...

[@alyssinclair8598]

if I was given that prophesy I would become a celibate pacifist, just to be safe.

[@morehero1]

In ancient Greece? Get real.

[@namingisdifficult408]

Levi Walton true

[@JP-rf8rr]

If literature has taught me anything, what you do to prevent your fate is what causes it. Although I don't know how that implies to your situation.

[@raspberrycrowns9494]

I would've just changed my sexuality Like there are plenty of choices

[@shorewall]

That's too high a price to pay. Not worth it. :D What is it to be human, but fuckin and fightin?

[@barkasz6066]

Moral of the story: don't go around murdering random NPCs just because they annoy you. It might not end well for you.

[@SleonHikari]

the moral of this story: don't go to oracles.

[@glassofmilk7141]

lol

[@Jotari]

Or, control your road rage.

[@titanwaves9718]

OR don't marry a women old enough to be your mother because _she might actually be your mother_

[@matusfekete6503]

Or, don't kill you father. You will disrupt space-time continuum.

[@namingisdifficult408]

Matúš Fekete indeed

[@AurealisAzuriae]

"Can't take the pressure of being outsmarted and hurls herself off the nearest cliff." Had me rolling.

[@TheBigBadBeowulf]

"Christ fine." "Who's Christ?" "Don't worry about about it, different pantheon."

[@laughinghyena3118]

Acheron Parthenopaeus me too

[@Bluecho4]

"Dude, I'm an oracle. Trust me. He's going to be BIG."

[@orphicurania3295]

“He’s going to be almost as big as porn!”

[@Betrix5060]

Wouldn't it be a montheon? Or is The Trinity + Satan, Angels, and God literally knows what else enough to make it a pantheon?

[@draconiandude1]

@@Betrix5060 Theology might be a better word.

[@nospoiler]

Man, i looooooove how names get translated to different languages. "Huh, i have never heard of this guy..." (After watching) "Oh, that's Edyp"

[@emblemblade9245]

"Probably one of those new Pokemon." And that's where I lost it. Brilliant as always!

[@boitshepotlhatlosi7788]

8ndeed and we know it is true.

[@tivednagol9127]

Where was that joke in the video?

[@BJGvideos]

@@tivednagol9127 About the two minute mark it flashes a meme with that on there.

[@CorkSkrew]

It's so weird to look back and see how Red's artstyle has evolved

[@yanderefan6496]

I learned this story I was in 6th or 7th grade and I ended up playing the queen in my theater class, now my Theatre teacher didn't tell us all the whole story she had just told us our parts and to make paper masks, then to read the lines. At first I was really happy that she picked me to be the Queen.... We only did the last scene and it wasn't until around the end of it I understood..... That I married my son..... I was NOT a happy camper.... I was so surprised and shocked, my teacher thought my face was priceless because my jaw dropped once I realized it. Ah~ middle School 😂😂😂😂😂

[@boitshepotlhatlosi7788]

Damn😳 your middle school bruh

[@jaywhangmakes]

Oh yeah. Same here. When my drama teacher revealed that Oedipus and Jocasta had four children together and the entire class went like "WHY!!!!" & "EWWWWW".

[@skygard49]

That's how you get good acting

[@jasminetaylor9678]

Oh my gosh 😮😂

[@UltraStrawberryDreamsMonster]

"Achilles, who skipped leg day"

[@river1216]

"Oedipus Rekt" AMAZING

[@MaxWelton]

5:25 fustercluck. I repeat: fustercluck. Brilliant.

[@samwelltarly6700]

The tragedy of this Story Comes from the plain fact that there is no Moral. Everyone tries to prevent tragedy to the best of their ability based on the Knowledge that they have and Oedipus is rewarded for his desire to do the right Thing and expose the truth by being confronted with a truth that he regrets to the Point that he stabs out his own eyes so he no longer has to look at it.

[@oedi_mf]

He stabbed his eyes out because for being the smartest man and supposedly being able to see he never saw the ripple effect of things to come nor how his actions plagued an entire grand civilization such as the prosperous Egypt

[@oedi_mf]

But I do enjoy your sense of observation 😉

[@johnpotts8308]

The moral could be "You can't hide from your fate"... if you want to go around killing strangers and sleeping with older women, at any rate. But I can't think about Oedipus without hearing that Tom Lehrer song!

[@KingMarkus222]

Hercules: and I thought I had problems. Points for you if you got that.

[@osiris5432]

"We stapled his legs together" OMG is damned near choked to death on my hot cocoa when I heard that :D

[@kendrickoyola4290]

Lol

[@oedi_mf]

Omg is right also known as oidipous moses and god Why do you think tut had such a deformed physique also osiris or asur is pretty cool 😎

[@sanfransiscon]

After the revelation... Oedipus: "Ohhhh. I get it! I'm one of those classic heroes with a tragic flaw that leads to my downfall! So let's see here, I've got my fatal flaw, I killed my relatives, and I also committed incest. According to the classics, I should be dead in 10 minutes ago."

[@devilrv89]

FUSTERCLUCK!! Spread the word. The word is Flustercluck!!!

[@chrisbolland5634]

That's just what chickens do.

[@MrThewildrider]

I thought the word was mommy

[@lunaequinox7333]

*Spreads it*

[@felix5151]

the bird is the word

[@thephilosophyofhorror]

A couple of corrections: a) "Hundred-gated" (hekatompylos) also refers to Greek Thebes, not Egyptian. "Hundred-gated" was a phrase connoting your city had a lot of gates (ie more than the regular four for north,south, east and west) ; Thebes famously had seven gates. ;) b) Oedipous doesn't just get bumped on the road, it is more of a hierarchical conflict between who is more regal, furthermore they meet where "three roads become one" ("treis hodoi kai treis keleuthoi") which is a metaphor for the entire plot of the tragedy's forking paths.

[@nabielk.608]

"it's kind of like what students from IB league do if the cliff were made of booze" I SNORTED REALLY LOUDLY

[@dangrus123]

I think you mean IV, that is the famous set of institutes of higher learning named for being the original top four.

[@ricancira]

* Ivy League...

[@chadthundercock4982]

I mean it works with people in the International Baccalaureate so you're not wrong. She said Ivy tho

[@aditya10111]

Voxle as someone who does the ib let me tell you, this is not wrong

[@frostiikin9893]

The ancient Chris Chan

[@kiapet286]

I really hated Oedipus Rex when I read it, because we'd been taught that Greek tragedy involves a hero bringing about his own downfall through his fatal flaw, and Oedipus... didn't. I mean, we were taught his fatal flaw was defying fate/the gods, but honestly, what was he supposed to do, accept that he would kill his father and marry his mother and go along with it? The consequence would have been the same. He was destined to have his life screwed up from birth, so what was even the point of all this?

[@Mr.SAVAGECow]

I think one of the questions Sophocles is interested in is: "Given that Oedipus has this horrible, unavoidable fate over him, is there still a way for him to live honorably or heroically?" And I think the answer could be a qualified "yes"--readers tend to focus on the person of Oedipus and the horror that is and has happened to him and forget that the problem at the beginning of the play is that his city is being devastated by a plague. In the end Oedipus is a good king--he does what he sets out to do and saves his city...just not in the way he could have possibly imagined. He "suffers into truth" and (ultimately) does not run from it or kill himself (like his mom/wife). This, I think, Sophocles wants us to admire and imitate--pursue the truth...ALWAYS...even when it leads to dark places. The true self is always better than the false one.

[@jasondoe2596]

Jeff Winkle, great post!

[@simoncrase5360]

"...a hero bringing about his own downfall through his fatal flaw, and Oedipus..." Oedipus jumps to conclusions, and has a very nasty temper. He didn't have to succumb to road rage and kill someone (who happened to be his dad). He didn't have to lose it with both Tiresias and Creon. This is the fatal flaw.

[@chandlercarter364]

Actually the marvel character named Jocasta is thematically relevant since she is robot made to be the bride of ultron who had the brain of the girlfriend (or wife I don’t remember) of the creator of ultron implanted in it. Replace creator with father and ultron was self aware about how creepy he was being.

[@Ritchian]

The fact that you used Tom Lehrer for the end song would have made me repeatedly smash the subscribe button had I not already done so.

[@the_dark_chinchilla9623]

Really? I just made multiple KZbin accounts.

[@Anthintendo]

So, something clicked: I’ve always wondered why Jocasta from Marvel Comics was named that, and now I have my answer. So, in the comics: Hank Pym, who was married to Janet Van Dyme/The Wasp, created the robot Ultron (who is considered in universe as Hank’s son). Ultron, whose AI personality is based on Hank’s brain waves during a time when Hank was... unstable, eventually tries his hand at building robots: first, his “son,” the Vision, then his daughter/wife Jocasta, whose AI personality was based on Janet’s brain waves. So, long and convoluted story short: Hank Pym’s robot son built himself a robot wife, based on his human dad’s ex, and named her Jocasta. Ultron has issues, is what I’m saying.

[@chiara_333]

I am obsessed with your channel bruh like wth you're gr8

[@vesuvyan]

what

[@mercenary_arrogant]

* touches ground * A relic... A relic of more simpler times...

[@pandemonium2594]

@@mercenary_arrogant Indeed

[@nom-cha]

Loved the editing between Oedipus and Tiresias with the citizens - like a hilarious tennis match.

[@lolloblue9646]

And then Freud shat all over the tragedy making up that complex and attributing to someone who had no say in his path

[@PeterCassidyakaWolfchylde]

I watched the entire review with that song running through my head, thinking "if she doesn't use it she will have missed the opportunity of the century!" Nice to know you have good taste! :3

[@jayblade2000]

GEE, I WONDER IF THE ENTOURAGE ODIPUS KILLS IS THE ENTOURAGE OF HIS FATHER. NEVER IN A MILLION YEARS WOULD I GUESS THAT, I MEAN, THAT WAS ONE OF THE MOST WELL DONE TWISTS SINCE SIGNS....... wait.....

[@ThePCguy17]

An important note is that it wasn't supposed to be a twist. The Greek style of tragedy was more like watching a train wreck for the novelty of watching a train wreck, and less like watching any kind of modern drama. Most audiences already knew exactly how the story ended, and watched it anyway. Greece was a weird place.

[@olivetreewhimsy2016]

ThePCguy17 they just liked their dramatic irony

[@freetoplayking7362]

@@ThePCguy17 to be fair, who doesn't like watching a trainwreck in slow motion

[@ThePCguy17]

@@freetoplayking7362 True enough

[@lordcheese7462]

Oedipus just got dethroned by Chris Chan lol!

[@anonymous-bi2yw]

I realized it when she mentioned that "I only killed-"and I was like OHHHHHHH

[@fictional-girl_05]

Okay that song at the end is quite clever. How many of us would have thought to rhyme "Oedipus" with "platypus"? I know I sure wouldn't have.

[@Halotaku]

What confuses me is how the oracle trope even works. If these ladies are known to have a pretty good track record regarding their predictions, then why do people even try to deny that the prediction won't happen? Don't the Greeks have enough empirical evidence to NOT doubt their oracles?

[@ladylunaginaofgames40]

It's not about doubting, lots of time it can also be a misinterpretation. One example is the father of Alexander the Great. He received a prophecy that he thought was him slaying the Persian army, but it was actually a prophecy revealing that he was gonna be betrayed while in court.

[@alucardthespy5539]

So, just so we're all clear. Oedipus did NOT have an Oedipus complex, and Freud was just plan bonkers. We should name it the Freudian Complex.

[@martijnvanweele6204]

Motherfucking Oedipus, people...

[@rbwjakfjenwbw1009]

Literally...

[@the_dark_chinchilla9623]

I've seen this comment 5 times now...

[@voided1746]

My high school English teacher also described it as "Ancient Greek Road Rage". What a flashback

[@MD-ie2dh]

we had an oedipus rex musical for our english/art/music class one time. They were all singing things like bad romance and bohemian rhapsody. It was hilarious and by far the greatest thing I ever seen but it would've been better if you wrote the dialogue 😂😂

[@MaxWelton]

6:55 other than asking his parents if he was adopted or them simply telling him while he was growing up

[@GoneZombie]

I hate this story! what's the moral even supposed to be? DON'T casually murder travelers? How am I supposed to live up to that?!

[@GoneZombie]

I'm a desensitized millennial, dammit!

[@thorn862]

GoneZombie the morals is that bad things can happen to good people, fate is inescapable and a shitty bad luck can ruin anyone

[@juliak.6929]

Not all stories need a moral. ....and a lot of old stories are just weird......

[@animeisrael7628]

+Julia K. l🐈💬I..... umm

[@ricancira]

i know, right?

[@ashleightompkins3200]

I did Antigone in college and god, the irony in both plays is friggin' delicious!

[@Lunatea420]

So my cats named Oedipuss and he goes by Oedi for short usually but he’s a 10 year old rescue who was just abandoned in a house, possibly a hoarder the backstory and paperwork don’t add up 100%. Not too much more info was provided, but when we met him he was nervous around guys, subsequently my bf too, but he’s never left my side. The second he was placed on my lap he wrapped his paws around my arm like a little hug and I promised him he’d always be home as long as we’re together and that I’d never ever leave him. He’s sooo clingy and sweet. Even after spending time with my bf he always comes back to sleep on my pillow. We started calling him oedipus as a joke when we first got him, then he started responding to it so it just kind of just stuck and evolved. I show him these videos sometimes so he knows his name is goofy asf and so he has lore

[@lfdoidao]

Man, watching this its amazing how red's art has evolved

[@Mankind5490]

Lmaooo that ending sooong

[@fuzzydunlop7928]

Tom Lehrer, army vet and musical satirist from the 50's. Has a BUNCH of awesome tunes.

[@melvinmerkelhopper5752]

His Elements song really was that good. He just sings every single element really quickly.

[@siaralightning1602]

"If you ever want to get rid of something, never leave it in a forest or in a mountains. It will come back." that's what our teacher as a coment to this tragedy.

[@vela_pulsars]

The "Ooooohhh... Sh**" never fails to kill me.

[@medium393]

I love Tom Lehrer and I couldn’t stop thinking about the song while watching this video, loved to hear it in the credits.

[@recjr7685]

The way you framed this made it seem like everything from the processions murder, Oedipus merrying Jocasta to the outbreak of the plague took place over a few days. In the original story Oedipus and Jocasta had children, and by the time he died the children were at least ten years old.

[@laylamorrison9596]

"Oedipus Rex more like Oedipus Rekt OHHHH" GOT 'EM!!!

[@arabellabelmonte821]

Thank you for this wonderful video! Ive been watching your channel for years and im finally studying art history, also Tom lehrer is truly a wonderful comedian

[@kapalshiuu]

The Sphinx : (gives a riddle) Oedipus : (answers it correctly) The Sphinx : *It wasn't supposed to be like this!*

[@arranross232]

Are you making a video for "Antigone" any time soon?

[@henrygutierrez3243]

Arran Ross Oh God Antigone. It's practically a long argument between a girl and her uncle on what to do with the body of her brother who also happened to be a traitor.

[@graysonguinn1943]

Henry Gutierrez it is a really bad play in my opinion

[@QuanticDreamer]

@@graysonguinn1943 Reading it is way better than watching it. I have yet to see a good adaptation of it in theater. Oh, the irony.

[@zofiaskok4462]

God, my school went to a play. It was terrible. I mean, actors were good, I guess. But it was shorted, we didn't know what was happening, there were flashy lights, bad costumes, zero scenography... At least me and my friend decided to "adapt Antigone to a play set in Poland during World War II. Dont ask why, we were bored

[@wowanothercookie]

@@QuanticDreamer I read it. Not a fan.

[@Altair584]

Note: The reason Oedipus alleges Creon of attempting to frame him is due to the fact that he was the one who brought the Oracle Tirenias in. Not much of a reach, especially when your brain does everything it can to not consider the fact you basically doomed an entire city you're ruling.

[@reeh.b5744]

ancient greek road rage HAHA

[@oedi_mf]

Yeah I'm working on it although I did wreck another car like 5 months ago

[@kittykittybangbang9367]

Nice pfp, where did you get it from?

[@Masonxx12]

I love Oracles. They're just like "Oh, you want knowledge about your fate/purpose? Let me just tell you in the most confusing, convoluted, and misleading way possible. It's gonna be the truth, but it's gonna be liiiiike a couple hundred pages of text before you realize it"

[@merlapittman5034]

Love the Tom Lehrer song at the end! He's fantastic! These videos are both so much fun and informational. A great combination!

[@evanozrovitz9402]

This is just my personal theory, but I’ve always thought the oracles in stories were always confusing to make a point to the audience. The point was that instead on relying on others to solve their problems, people should think about both their past and future actions more carefully, so that they could better plan for and overcome any obstacles in their way themselves.

[@Harryeaster]

Freud's idea of the Oedipus Complex made never sense for me, because it was FATE and no urges, that started the tragedy. Otherwise still a very good play, with a good build-up and a tragic ending. Deserved classic.

[@Underpants678]

This is a Shakespeare’s tragedy before Shakespeare’s grandfather was an idea in Gods head and I love it.

[@seyi6295]

could you summarize Electra? it adds to this clusterfuck

[@williamnailen6640]

There was also the Necklace of Harmonia to consider, and the fact that Laius was, shall we say, a real piece of work (the less said the better). Oedipus probably gouged his eyes out to avoid the Erinyes, who were less than generous about the particulars of matricide. Thebes had a pretty rough go when it came to their royals. Ah, nothing like a little Greek trauma to put one's own life in perspective!

[@aliciaalmeida1524]

5:03 as soon as you said that I literally screamed ‘OHHHHHHH’ I mean I suspected that when he became king but like still.

[@Vinemaple]

Clicked on this expecting Red's awesome cartoons, but instead got a reminder that the real reason I subscribed was Red's awesome sense of humor. This video is 8 years old, the ~4 original illustrations are mostly composed of scribbles, and yet it still SLAPS. Red, I hope you're still proud of this, because you should be!

[@Jobe-13]

I remember reading this in a novel titled “The Theban Plays”. Everyone in the stories were actually awful except for Antigone and Iseme.

[@ThisCharmingMan1984]

I know I’m over 4 years late to the party, but... I’d recommend listening to ALL of Tom Lehrer’s songs; he is a comic/satirical genius, with an incredible gift for language. Also, I’m in love with this channel, and I wish I’d found it years ago. Oh well, I guess it just means I’ve got a metric shit-ton of old videos to work my way through...eeexcellent! 😀

[@AimanIqbal]

that was awesome. way too sarcastic. i hope i'll now score good this semester.

[@madanotap6492]

The funny thing is with these oracle stories is that they're almost always set up in a way in which not only did running from the prophecy cause it, but it would have been impossible for the prophecy to come true if you didn't run from it (for example, in this case oedipus could never have killed his dad since they were in two separate countries, and could never have married his mother since even if they split up, oedipus would likely have been married off before that could have happened) so really the lesson seems to be if you don't try and prevent the future from happening then it actually won't happen

[@_b_e_a_n_s_]

4:06 we watched that production in my lit class and now oedipus is a meme to us

[@secretlyanamoeba6068]

My high school teacher showed my class this video 8 years ago, and I immediately remembered it when I had to reread this for college. Thank you.

[@zigscha]

You should make a video on Antigone . Im learning it in english right now and your videos always help me understand literature better

[@spencersonnefeld]

The moment I heard Tom Lehrer's voice in the outro I started laughing. Good choice.