Oedipus the King: Journal One

Point of View/Characters
Oedipus the King is not really told from any specific characters' point of view. Being a play, one simply reads the story as though they were observing the work being performed on a stage. This never changes throughout the play, and it remains in likewise fashion. Ultimately, Oedipus is the protagonist of the play, although his thoughts are never expressed unless verbally, which presents the play in the Third Person Limited narrative. Reading the story, one becomes fairly familiar with the characters in their roles to Oedipus' life. Aside from this however, there is not a large amount of insight into the characters' backgrounds, although their personalities and beliefs can be generally outlined through their lines in the play. There is however, an explanation of Oedipus' background and how he came to become the ruler of Thebes.
Oedipus is presented as a very well-respected and powerful man. It is known by all of Thebes that he saved them through solving the riddle of the Sphinx, and consequently he is revered highly among the general populace. Creon, who is his wife's brother is presented as being less headstrong than Oedipus, and probably more logical and thought oriented as well. Tiresias is portrayed as being a very wise old man, his blindness is ironic in that he is the most knowledgeable of all the characters, yet he is unable to see. I believe that Sophocles wants the reader to like Oedipus and identify with him, because this makes his downfall all the more terrible. Oedipus also exemplifies many of the characteristics that were seen as being typical of Athenians, such as pride, action-orientation, courageous, and quick do decision and action. In this respect, the audience of ancient Greece would have identified heavily with Oedipus, although other Greek city state members may have looked upon him scornfully.