Essential to a Blissful Existence

Generally, humans want to discover the truth. Old adages recommend telling the truth and imply that knowing the truth is vital to a happy existence. However, in the play Oedipus the King, written by Sophocles, Oedipus benefits until the revelation of his sins. The truth Oedipus seeks concerning his relationship with Jocasta causes him great pain both emotionally and physically. In regards to Oedipus, knowing the truth is not advantageous, and ultimately worsens his situation.

Concerning the relationship of Jocasta and Oedipus, when the truth is unveiled there lives are destroyed:

There, there we saw his wife

hanging, the twisted rope around her neck

..................................................

He tore the brooches -

the gold chased brooches fastening her robe --

away from her and lifting them up high

dashed them on his own eyeballs (1263-1264, 1268-1272)

Had the truth not been revealed, Jocasta and Oedipus could have continued living their lives contently. Jocasta would not have killed herself and Oedipus would not have blinded himself. This correlates with the saying that "ignorance is the root of happiness." In other words, knowing the truth leads to personality destruction.

In comparison, if I went to a great summer program, had an amazing time, and formed what I believed to be great friendships I would not want to know that my so-called friends were talking about me behind my back. Knowing the truth would only spoil my once in a lifetime experience that summer. I could go on with my life and reflect back to that summer when I met some "great" people.

The exposure of Oedipus' sins affects the lives of many people in Thebes. Jocasta, for example, is affected as she was trying to protect Oedipus as a mother. "I beg you - do not hunt this out - I beg you, /if you have any care for your own life. (1060-1061). It is clear that she wants to save Oedipus from the pain she knows is accompanied with the truth. The errors in judgment made by Oedipus also afflict pain on his children particularly his daughters:

Creon, you need not care

about my sons; they're men and so wherever

they are, they will not lack a livelihood.

But my two girls - so sad and pitiful -

whose table never stood apart from mine,

and everything I touched they always shared