Reflection: Wisdom As An Old Age Symbol

Reflection: Wisdom as an old age symbol

Introduction

The role of the elderly varies depending on the cultural context;In many places the voice of experience, knowledge or wisdom can be considered, when in other places it can be considered a hostel of physical and mental diseases or difficulties. In Oedipus Rey, the elderly group, even if it may not seem like it, plays a relevant role in the development of the plot and this is due to the way in which the old man’s figure was described at that time. So, having ancient Greece as context, 

Developing

In this essay I intend to argue how and why the social group of the elderly is represented in the work Oedipus Rey? In Sophocles’ work, we can show this group in three different instances. The first presence of the elderly, is given at the beginning of the story, where an old -duty priest of Zeus is pronounced, who comes to look for answers with Oedipus about the situation of the city. The second, we can easily find it in the participation of Tiresias.

And the most important, the participation and essence of the choir in the work, since this is made up of the elderly. In essence, the social group of the elderly is permeated by the context of ancient Greece, where “old age was associated with wisdom and the ancient heroes turned into venerable elders occupied positions of honor and were heard.”(Luque & Ortega) Likewise, for Homer, old age was considered synonymous with power: the greatest source of reference on old age is found in Homer’s work.

According to homeric texts, there was a social ordination in which the elders of the richest families held privileged positions, maintaining important levels of power. Basically, it is possible to affirm that the figure of the old man was a reflection of wisdom, respect and power, and that is why in Oedipus Rey we see these characteristics in the different individuals that make up this group. The first old man is the priest of Zeus, who expresses his capacity as leader against young people who aspire to the same priests’ work.

For this, under his experience of priest he is able to instruct them in the name of the experience and also to take them in search of answers or possible aids, they also kept a lot of respect, so the second characteristic is fulfilled. On the other hand, it is Tiresias, which is clear symbology of the wisdom and criteria based on experience, because this character is blind, but he is a seer at the same time and also, based on his experience, he refuses to tell the truth to OedipusAnd that is why the knot of history develops.

That is, I reaffirm the thesis that the old man acquires this characteristic to direct. Subsequently and as the last part of the group, there is the chorus of elders, which I will explain later its functionality in terms of the steering wheel that directs the story. Although it could also be affirmed that the choir and in general the elderly, under their ability to leadof leadership of the social group.

In general terms, the participation of the elderly choir in Oedipus Rey, is not only the voice of the people, but also is responsible for directing the plot, because we realize through reading that the position of the choir in front of thesituation varies and therefore, the dialogues between the Corifeo and Creonte and Oedipus are altered. The choir in this tragedy is an ideal partner not only of Oedipus, but of the dramatic action, since the poet uses it as an instrument to describe the approach of the conflict, its tense dramatic knot and its apotheosic outcome.

In this way, it serves as an organizer of the events and the actions to provide unity and logical correlations to the action carried out in the scene. That is, it can be affirmed that the choir, together with a richness of criteria product of the years lived, is able to move the story based on its positioning decisions against the discussion between Creonte and Oedipus, since these are able to adhereto a moral code (Aristotelian moral) that allows them to establish which side of the balance is politically correct. 

It could be affirmed that, by the elderly, due to this moral acquired by the years, these logical correlations that give body to the scene are established, since they are conditioning the discussion based on their experiences. Already to approach the conclusion, it is pertinent to expand this moral vision of the choir a bit. At a certain point, the choir decides? I quote, Aristotelian morality in terms of Oedipus Rey:

”The good of all action is its end, it is important to discover what is the end of all human action, the supreme good of man is happiness, Aristotle tells us. Happiness consists in acting according to virtue, willing to decide the appropriate average term, according to the criteria of the prudent man. Oedipus escapes that rule.”(Hoffmann) Taking into account the above, it can be said that the elders acted in such a way against Oedipus because their experience was according to the moral code of the context of that time, where this Aristotelian premise was of great relevance.

conclusion

To conclude, I would like to reaffirm in the words of Errandonea the characteristics of the elderly choir: “The choir shows an idea that manifests itself through a mass of men, thinker, powerfully thinker, according to eradica, its presence imposes meaning to thestuff."Indeed, we can show that the figure of the old man was attributed to characters of characteristics linked to the Greek context, both as moral and socially (in the case of power), where we can highlight the experience as the origin of a broad capacity toguide the development of learning processes, wisdom or development of discussions, as a figure to venerate and a very respect figure.

References

Hoffmann, m. Z. Greek tragedy the choir in Oedipus

King of Sophocles.

Historical vision of old age concept. Care culture.

Sánchez, l. P. The choir in the Greek tragedy.

Errandonea, research on the dramatic structure of its seven tragedies and on the personality of their choirs.