Oedipus: The Meaning of a Masculine Life

Drawing on ancient mythical patterns & modern psychology, this book explores the rich & mysterious interplay between life & art. Thomas Van Nortwick examines two masterpieces of Greek tragic poetry, Sophocles' Oedipus Rex & Oedipus at Colonus, as symbolic representations of the masculine life cycle. Tracing Oedipus' painful voyage of self-discovery in the first play, Van Nortwick suggests that was has been seen as a record of heroic self-destruction can also be viewed as the first step toward rebirth, & that this journey can help us to understand the passage of modern men into middle age. Seen from this perspective, the Greek hero's defiance of limits represents the young man's determination to will himself past the barriers imposed by forces beyond his control - his genetic inheritance, the passage of time, & the larger rhythms of the universe. The parts of himself Oedipus attempts to deny reappear, & his heroic dream of self-creation dissolves in the harsh light of truth, but comes from a new understanding of who he is. Rather than defying the limits of human existence, he becomes the embodiment of divine gifts that nourish his adopted city, Athens. This new vision is affirmed in Oedipus at Colunus, which tells the story of the aged Oedipus's final day on earth & mysterious union with the gods. So modern men, faced with the inexorable march of time, must let go of youthful dreams of invincibility & face their own limits. Doing so, Van Nortwick argues, can free them to explore new ways of understanding themselves & their place in the world.