The myth of Oedipus is well known since the early times of the inception of the Greek world, where Oedipus kills his father and marries his mother. It is said that the myth revolves around those abandoned children like Oedipus who were left to die after their birth, but were rescued by shepherds.
Now, Oedipus Rex was staged many times by many dramatists, but Sophocles became the one who excelled in his mastery of concocting the play. In his version, the interplay of fate and free will led Oedipus to its doomsday. This version is still taught in universities, which justifies the relevance of the play written near 441 B.C.
Therefore, it is pertinent to reimagine Oedipus Rex in the 21st century, where we will delve into a different story. The myth will remain constant and Oedipus will proven guilty of ‘knowing thyself’.
The Ill-fated Birth
In the re-reading version of Oedipus Rex in the 21st century, Oedipus was born to a rich merchant family in Mumbai. The influential couple, Laius and Jocasta were overwhelmed with the birth of their first child, and they celebrated his arrival with great pomp. The relatives and other influential people of society came to be part of their happiness and blessed the young child. Media channels and newspapers got flooded with pictures of the beautiful child and soon Oedipus became trending in social media.
However, all good things do not last for long. Until the birth of Oedipus, Laius had been a trendsetter in social media platforms. People used to be intrigued by his success and his charming online presence. But, the birth of his child overtook his position, in a few days. Jocasta being a vlogger used to capture his funny activities and people got wooed by his cuteness.
This worried Laius about his future position and he started feeling jealous. Therefore, he went to Tiresias, a well-known astrologer, to learn about their fates. To his surprise, Tiresias prophesied that Oedipus would be the next Laius in the upcoming years. He became blinded by his insecurity and resolved upon that Oedipus had to be removed from his life, to maintain his position.
Laius asked his trusted servant to take away the beautiful child in the thick of the night and leave him in a deserted place, far away from his sight. The servant stealthily took Oedipus in his arms, so as not to wake up Jocasta and went outside the mansion. But, he felt pity on seeing the innocent face and therefore went to an orphanage, which was situated far away from the mansion.
Meanwhile, Jocasta received the news that her child had died in his sleep, due to a sudden cardiac arrest. Hearing the news she became unconscious. Therefore she could not question how everything happened in the blink of an eye. News and social media platforms all mourned the death of the young child. Oedipus grew up in the orphanage under the care of his foster parents, Polybus and Merope, in the ignorance of the entire world.
Oedipus Regains His Position
Fifteen years have passed and Laius remained as an unchallenged figure, booming with success. With time, Oedipus receded into oblivion from everyone’s mind. Jocasta revived her passion as a vlogger. One day, she challenged Laius, that although he was a successful man, he could no longer charm his audience. He accepted the challenge and said that he would prove himself to be the best in all aspects even today.
In a bid, to prove competent, Laius set up an online contest, where if any man could overpower his trending position by a significant number for one year, then he would award him all his assets, including his wife. Social media influencers from all over the world tried their tooth and nail, to get this reward. But no one could overtake his position, which made Laius even more confident than ever before.
However, things started to change. A fifteen-year-old boy started to become a media sensation, with his charismatic aura and his witty remarks. His name was Oedipus. Laius started to feel an ache in his heart but was quick to shove off his guilt and retorted that the fame of a young chap would not last long. Almost half a year passed, with Oedipus as the trendsetter. Laius experimented with new ways of attracting the audience but failed. He even tried to take down Oedipus by unfair means, but that did not work in his favour.
Fate had ordained a different plan for Laius. He could not regain his previous position. The fear that persuaded him to kill his child, made him repay for his deeds. As promised, Oedipus arrived at the big mansion of the wealthy merchant, where Jocasta was happy to welcome him. She was fascinated by his magnetic personality. Laius started to feel jealous and he challenged Oedipus in a duel. The young man gladly accepted and victory was in favour of him by all means.
Laius could not accept his defeat. So, he handed over his mansion, his assets and even his young wife in the hands of Oedipus and became a hermit. Jocasta gladly accepted Oedipus as her new husband, as she was disinterested in the old man. Paparazzi flooded the pictures of the newlywed couple and they started to gain the love and blessings as an endearing pair. Life of the newlyweds started to gain fruition with the birth of their children and their happiness knew no bounds.
Recurrence of the Fate of Oedipus in the 21st Century
The happiness and prosperity of Oedipus did not last for long. People started to question the parentage of Oedipus. Since Laius became a hermit, he discontinued his social media presence and nobody could even trace him. Netizens started blaming Oedipus that he had possibly murdered him and whitewashed his blame, in the midst of his missing news. Jocasta often told Oedipus not to pay heed to the social media gossip. But, Oedipus was strong-headed and he could not rest in peace, until and unless he solved all the clues.
Oedipus remembered his foster parents telling him that he was born to a merchant family, but being ignorant about his parentage. He approached them to help him out. Polybus told that it was a difficult task to remember about the man who gave him the young child, fifteen years ago. Meanwhile, he approached Tiresias to see his stars to get a solution. He said that it is better for Oedipus, to stop unravelling the mystery of his birth. But he refused to pay heed to the solution.
So, Oedipus ordered his brother-in-law, Creon who was a DGP, to find out the whereabouts of Laius as well as try to trace the man who delivered him in the orphanage. With the help of Polybus’s description, a sketch of the person was formed and based on that investigation started. Though Jocasta tried to pacify Oedipus, he became restless as time passed.
One day, Corinth appeared in the mansion holding the hand of the person, who had delivered Oedipus in the safe haven. The servant did not agree to speak a word, as he knew his truth would bring a storm, that would snatch away the peace and happiness that the child had got after so many years. But, Oedipus threatened him with dire consequences, if he did not reveal the origin of his birth.
Succumbing to Oedipus’ pressure, the servant revealed the truth. Both Oedipus and Jocasta became horrified at the news that unveiled the fact that he was the son who married his mother and begot children in his “father’s bed”. At that same time, the news of Laius’s death also got to be known. This entire social media found a new gossip which became viral in no time.
Being unable to contain the shock of the multiple truths and trolling, Jocasta committed suicide. Oedipus could not contain the guilt and blamed himself for committing patricide and matricide. Trying to run away from the situation, he started running on the busy road and met with an accident. This cost him his vision. Now, the blind Oedipus gained a new vision, that he should not escape, but rather come to terms with his crime.
Oedipus requested Corinth to take responsibility of his children and the entire property. He abandoned the riches and prosperity and started his journey in the quest for true knowledge as an ascetic.
Conclusion
Oedipus Rex in the 21st century showed us how Oedipus again became a victim of fate and individual will. Oedipus’s happiness became a curse due to his thirst for ‘knowing thyself’.
Do you think Oedipus was guilty? Was everything responsible for Laius’s selfishness? Could Jocasta prevent all these more proactively?
What do you think about the same? Let us know what you feel in the comments section below. If you have an opinion to share, feel free to reach out to us at larra@globalindiannetwork.com.
