Who am I? : (mis)identity and the polis in Oedipus tyrannus / Efimia D. Karakantza.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Karakantza, E. D. (Euphēmia D.), author.

Series:

Hellenic studies ; 86.

Hellenic studies series ; 86

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Oedipus (Greek mythological figure).

Oedipus.

Sophocles. Oedipus Rex.

Sophocles.

Identity (Philosophical concept) in literature.

Oedipus Rex (Sophocles).

Physical Description:

x, 178 pages ; 23 cm.

Place of Publication:

Washington, D.C. : Center for Hellenic Studies, Trustees for Harvard University, 2020.

Summary:

"Oedipus's major handicap in life is not knowing who he is--and both parricide and incest result from his ignorance of his identity. With two questions--"Who am I?" and "Who is my father?"--on his mind (and on his lips), the obsessed Oedipus arrives at the oracle of Delphi. Unlike the majority of modern and postmodern readings of Oedipus Tyrannus, Efimia Karakantza's text focuses on the question of identity. Identity, however, is not found only in our genealogy; it also encompasses the ways we move in the public space, command respect or fail to do so, and relate to our interlocutors in life. But overwhelmingly, in the Greek polis, one's primary identity is as a citizen, and defining the self in the polis is the kernel of this story. Surveying a wide range of postmodern critical theories, Karakantza follows the steps of the protagonist in the four "cycles of questions" constructed by Sophocles. The quest to piece together Oedipus's identity is the long, painful, and intricate procedure of recasting his life into a new narrative"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Part 1 Prologue: How It All Began

Chapter 1 Sophocles' Hypsipolis-Apolis Antithesis, and Castoriadis's Imaginary Institution of Classical Athens p. 3

Part 2 Theoretical Considerations

Chapter 2 Defining the Polls p. 11

2.1 Tragedy as a Self-Restraining Mechanism of Athenian Democracy p. 20

Chapter 3 The Self in the Polis p. 25

3.1 The "Lonely" Sophoclean Hero As Not-So-Lonely After All p. 31

Part 3 Close Reading Of Oedipus Tyrannus

Chapter 4 Who Am I? A Tragedy of Identity p. 41

4.1 Cithairon: Naming the Baby p. 46

4.2 In the Webs of Interlocution: Delphi, the Crossroads, and the Sphinx p. 52

4.3 In the Space of Questions at Thebes: Reconstructing Identity p. 62

4.4 Questions with Teiresias: A Preview of Identity p. 64

4.5 Questions with Jocasta: Dislocating the Origin (or Jocasta's Body and Mind) p. 70

4.6 Contesting Human Intelligence: One and the Many p. 81

4.7 Intermezzo: Scholarship Thinks Oedipus is a Tyrant p. 84

4.8 Questions with the Corinthian Messenger: The Baby with the Pierced Feet p. 99

4.9 Questions with the Servant of Laius: Articulating the Truth p. 110

Chapter 5 I am Oedipus. Reframing the Question of Identity p. 117

5.1 Self-Blinding p. 118

5.2 Who is to Blame? Apollo, Oedipus, or Shared Responsibility? p. 125

5.3 Oedipus as a Human Agent p. 133.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9780674237940

0674237943

OCLC:

1059240591