The Use of Religious Beliefs in Oedipus and The Stranger

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The Use of Religious Beliefs in Oedipus and The Stranger

        

Religion often plays an important role in works of literature. The methods through which religious themes are included may be complex, but ultimately, it is the opinion of the author that is expressed. This is the case when concerning Sophocles’s Greek play Oedipus and Camus’s The Stranger. Both authors use the same methods – the inclusions of their protagonists’ rejection of a higher power and their anger in the presence of religious figures – to present opposite opinions on the value of religion in their societies. In a cultural setting where there are rising numbers of people ignoring the power of the gods, Sophocles encourages people to succumb to their will. On the other hand, Camus, in an atmosphere of Catholicism, brings up the possibility of social oppression through religion.

        In Oedipus, Oedipus rejects the power of the gods, and believes that he can overcome their will. When he travels to Delphi to hear the truth of his fate, Apollo shows him that he is doomed to murder his father and sleep with his mother. Hearing this, “[he] [flees] Corinth, measuring [his] progress by the stars, searching for a place where [he] would never see those words, those dreadful predictions come true” (p.59). The fact that he believes that he can change his fate, immediately after having it being shown to him by Apollo, shows that he has more faith in his own power than the power of the gods. It is thus apparent that Oedipus rejects the power of the gods over the outcome of his life. The reader later realizes that it is his defiance of the gods that leads to his ultimate removal from society. When Oedipus finally realizes that the will of the gods has prevailed and that his attempts to thwart their will have failed, he is exiled from Thebes and other characters are shown to distance themselves from him. The chorus leader “wish[es] [he] had never seen [him]” (p.79), and Kreon states that “[he] has no power anymore” (94). Oedipus himself realizes that due to his dreaded misconception that he was powerful enough to defy his fate, he is “more hated by the gods than any other man, ever” (p.85). The power of the gods triumphs and he is punished for his false belief. Sophocles is thus attempting to uphold the value of the gods – he argues that no one, not even the mighty Oedipus, can overcome their will. Ultimately, everyone must succumb to their authority, and those who do not are punished accordingly.

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        Camus also includes his protagonist’s rejection of a higher power. Like Oedipus, Meursault displays a lack of belief in God. He also is found to dismiss the credibility of religion. Upon being asked by the examining magistrate whether or not he believes in God, “[he] [says] no” (p.69). Although he believes that to ask himself whether or not he is sure that he does not believe in god “seems unimportant” (p.116), he still does not hide his atheistic beliefs. When the chaplain comes to speak to him about God, he tries to explain to him “that [he] [has] only a ...

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