The Death of Oedipus

Within Sophocles' Oedipus the King, life and death are a prevalent topic. Oedipus is the high and mighty king of Thebes and, therefore, is defined by that title. As the play continues, Oedipus becomes the very plague of the city that needs to be killed. He becomes a disgrace and a disappointment to his people as the truth about his true self is revealed. Perhaps this reveals that existence is only defined by the views that the "gods" and others cast upon you, but I would argue that identity exposed through others doesn't sum up the entirety of one's existence. Although it may accurately depict a portion of one's existence. On the matter of death, Oedipus' death is more metaphysical than it is literal. Him blinding himself and gaining self knowledge is the death of the mighty and respectable King of Thebes, but is not a literal death. That respectable king is dead and left in its place is a wretched and miserable human being, providing a meaning of death as the absence of someone or something. As opposed to a physical and literal death of a character, in this case it is Oedipus' previous identity.