The Perspective of Deconstruction: Oedipus Rex

Abstract

Deconstruction-the influential feature of post-structuralism owes much to the theories of Jacques Derrida (1930–2004), the French philosopher and critic, whose Essay Structure, Sign and Play in the Discourse of the Human Sciences (1966) and book Of Grammatology (1967) began a new critical movement. Deconstruction defines a new kind of reading practice and thereby a method of criticism and mode of analytical inquiry. A deconstructive criticism of a text reveals that these are nothing except the text. The initial stage of Derrida's deconstructive theory is the contention that both speech and writing are signifying processes which lack “presence.” The inherent, subversive, selfcontradictory and self-betraying elements in a text include-what is outside the Text (dehors de texte) and what is not said. But despite the presence of what is absent, Derrida's dictum that it n'y a pas de hors-texte’ (i.e. one cannot evaluate criticise or construct a meaning for a text by reference to anything external to it) must be seen as a sina qua non of deconstruction. What is not said constitutes a “gap, ” “Lacuna” or “aporia, ” filled by assumptions and propositions. Oedipus Rex-is a masterpiece Athenian tragedy by Sophocles, which was first performed in 429 B.C. Prior to the start of Oedipus Rex, Oedipus has become the king of Thebes while unwittingly fulfilling a prophecy that he would kill his father, Laius (the previous king) and marry his mother, Jocasta (whom Oedipus took as his queen after solving the riddle of the sphinx). The action of Sophocles’ play concerns Oedipus search for the murderer of Laius in order to end a plague ravaging Thebes unaware that the killer he is looking for is none other than himself. At the end of the play, after the truth finally comes to light, Jocasta hangs herself while Oedipus, horrified at his patricide and incest, proceeds to gouge out his own eyes in despair. This article aims to study Oedipus Rex as the perspective of deconstruction.