Oedpius - Journal #3

Journal Prompt #3:
 Compare how writers in your study have explored the themes of judgement and punishment, or disguise and deceit, or love and friendship.

Response:
In Sophocles' Oedipus the King and Federico Garcia Lorca's Blood Wedding the themes of judgement and punishment are explored. In both plays the judging of others is quite prominent, and the punishment which follows is a large aspect of the plays. Whether it be blatant judgement and punishment such as in Oedipus or the more subtle judgement and punishment of Blood Wedding, but Sophocles and Lorca have it as a clear theme.

Sophocles takes a direct approach in exploring judgement and punishment in Oedipus the King. Through the use of gods and oracles, including Apollo, judgement of Oedipus is key to the story. The power that Oedipus holds at the beginning is materialistic since he is in charge of the kingdom. Oedipus does not yet have the power of wisdom. For Oedipus being full of himself, he must experience punishment. The prophecy states that he will kill his father, which he does. By doing this and fulfilling the prophecy he is then judged by the gods and loses his material power and is punished by having his daughters sent away and gouging out his own eyes. By doing this Oedipus might have lost his material power, but he gains the power of wisdom as he has gone through and experienced a lot. The judgement and punishment end up benefiting Oedipus in the end, in a way.

Lorca, on the other hand, approaches judgement and punishment in a more subtle manner. Some of the characters judge the Bride from the beginning, even though they do not know her, one of which includes the Bridegroom's Mother. Later on they continue to judge her as she runs off with Leonardo and can objectively judge her. The punishment later not only comes to the Bride, but to all of the families as the Bridegroom dies. This is essential to the play as the punishment the Bride faces is not physical, but instead emotional stress. The Bridegroom's Mother also faces punishment due to being quick to judge earlier, even though she is right.