Fate, Family, and Oedipus Rex: Crash Course Literature 202

In which John Green teaches you about one of the least family-friendly family dramas in the history of family dramas, Oedipus Rex. Sophocles' most famous play sees its main character, who seems like he's got it all together, find out that he's killed his father, married his mother, had a bunch of incest children, and brought a plague down on his adopted hometown. He doesn't take this news well. John touches on all the classic Oedipus themes, including hamartia, fate, and the wrath of the gods, and even gets into some Freud, although Oedipus was notably not a sufferer of an Oedipus complex. In any case get ready for mystery, incest, bird entrails, and self-inflicted blindness. Very dramatic.

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[sarahmccausland]

Freud: It's called the Oedipus Complex, every man secretly wants to sleep with his mother

Oedipus who just gouged out his own eyes and exiled himself because death was not enough of a punishment for what he had done: IT'S CALLED THE WHAT?!!!??!!

[genegarland]

I ALWAYS THOUGHT HE WAS KIDDING

HE ACTUALLY WROTE THE FAULT IN OUR STARS

[thefaceofawsomeness]

"They also wrote tragedies!" That was perfect.

[tensequel]

he wrote 123 plays, and we got seven of them,

I feel bad for the guy who worked hard for them but 116 of them didn't survive

[sailsaturnssea]

"Father Killer, and a mother ...." This is why I love John Green. 

[the_cosmic_alexolotl]

"Ignorance is bliss, but bliss is boring."

[redjirachi]

And that's where we get the term "Oedipus Complex" from
Oedipus: Fuck you, I didn't even know she was my mother

[Roses]

I've always found the mistake of many Greek heroes to be the instinct to run from their fate, rather than confront it. Had Oedipus presented the prophecy and his concerns about it to the king and queen of Corinth, he would have learned the truth of his heritage and might not have ever traveled to Thebes.

[mcglk]

" . . . and they also wrote tragedies."

As it turned out, that was well-timed; I had to wipe the water I was drinking off my monitor.

[TheSHNGAM]

Wait, are you telling me that I wasn't supposed to preform a ritualistic animal sacrifice before voting?

[KCMMFB]

Father killer and mother-- *john stops talking* hahahaha

[DaytakTV]

Does anyone else get extremely angry and sad that the great Library of Alexandria was burned?

[Kolly_er]

Thank you for saying that Oedipus does NOT have an Oedipal complex because I got confused with one of my literature questions. It was asking me how does the Oedipal complex apply to the story and I, having read and fully understood the story, was really confused because as you said, he never *wanted* to kill his father in the first place.

[AnnaWoods]

I keep getting distracted by that yellow book with red writing next to John cause it looks like a toblerone package

[nicolep]

john: Aristotle
me: oh a respected philosopher
john: whom i DESPISE
me: ew aristotle, icky

[myralianna]

I loved The Theban Plays. It was tragically beautiful. My favorite quote is from when he gouges his eyes out. “Til bloody tests ran down his beard- not drops But in full spate a whole cascade descending In drenching cataracts of scarlet rain”. I got chills when I read that.

[Jenny-vwrt]

I am German and we just read that book in school and can I just thank you for this amazing video? Though it was in English John Green made me understand the story of Ödipus better than 3 weeks of German class. He explained everything in the best way and helped me a lot. Now I just have to convince my teacher to watch this in school as a summary, thank you so much John Green!

[drummerreshma]

I love the graphics for the crash course series! The animated characters are so cute! <3

[strfiretiger]

Oh I recognized the green light symbol! (Great Gatsby, I will never forget your lovely symbolism.) Also very subtle advertising of Crash Course Psychology and TFIOS, very subtle indeed. 

[crashcourse]

John Green talks Fate, Family, and Oedipus Rex on the most recent episode of CrashCourse Literature. 

Fate, Family, and Oedipus Rex: Crash Course Literature 202