Toneelstuk Oedipus

You could call Oedipus the very first ‘psychological thriller’. If the great poet Sophocles had written the play yesterday, the producers at Netflix would surely have killed to turn it into a multi-part ‘whodunnit’.

At least, if they dared, because in terms of themes, it is heavy stuff. And it is a crime story of a very special kind. The title character is investigator, perpetrator, victim, and ultimately judge all in one. At first, he does not want to face the truth; then he wants to bring it to light at any cost. The crime he is investigating turns out to have been committed by himself… He did not know that, and yet he ultimately punishes himself.

The play has of course become famous because of the Oedipus complex. That is the term with which Sigmund Freud described the psychological family relationships between father, mother, and son. But we can also look at it through a different lens. In that case, Oedipus is not only an analysis of the human soul, but also a story about a passionate politician. The title character is an exemplary king, a great statesman, we would say today. He was ignorant when he made his mistakes. He therefore bears no moral guilt. Yet he takes responsibility for his actions. He has promised to deliver his people from the devastating epidemic that is plaguing his city as punishment for what he has done.