Oedipus’ Freudian slips: language, kinship and tyranny Cover Image

Oedipus’ Freudian slips: language, kinship and tyranny
Oedipus’ Freudian slips: language, kinship and tyranny

Author(s): JANEK KUCHARSKI
Subject(s): Ancient World, Syntax, Semantics, Pragmatics, Historical Linguistics, Greek Literature, Theory of Literature
Published by: Uniwersytet Adama Mickiewicza
Keywords: Oedipus; incest; language; linguistics; tragic irony;

Summary/Abstract: This paper deals with the linguistic aspect of tragic irony in the Oedipus Rex. It begins with the observation that several ambiguous expressions in the play telegraph their double meaning through various kinds of linguistic slips. It is argued that these slips occur on three distinct levels: semantics, syntax and pragmatics. There follows an analysis of several examples under each of these three headings. The paper concludes with the observation that when it comes to the question of Oedipus’ familial relationships and the legitimacy of his rule in Thebes, language itself fails the hero and defies his attempts at controlling it.

  • Issue Year: XXXIII/2023
  • Issue No: 1
  • Page Range: 205-218
  • Page Count: 14
  • Language: English
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