Jane Eyre And Oedipus Mason Essay - 915 Words

Evil lurks around every corner, even within oneself and other persons, waiting for an opportunity to sneak up and ruin plans, inject pain and triumph over happiness. Often this malevolence hides in a familiar face as a hidden demon. This hidden demon is also often on display in literature having dramatic consequences in everyday life. In Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre Bertha Mason serves as the hidden devil character for Jane, causing the destruction of everything she desires; likewise, Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex contains a devil figure, ironically Oedipus himself, who causes the loss or poisoning of all he holds dear. In Jane Eyre and Oedipus Rex, the hidden demon serves as a vehicle for the downfall of the protagonist. Bertha Mason, simply†¦show more content†¦The final prophecy brings about the revelation that Oedipus is â€Å"a wretch, in birth, in wedlock cursed, / A parricide, incestuously, triply cursed!† (Sophocles, 66). He has indeed married his mother and killed his father; thus the course of his life is set by the gods regardless of his desires. These two themes: of mighty gods and powerless mortals, fits with what Sophocles may have been trying to convince his audiences of, in his time the belief in the gods was under attack. This self-fulfilling prophecy makes Oedipus his own self’s demon and seals the genre of tragedy, it is all the more saddening and inspires more pity for Oedipus that there was no way for him to escape fate. Rather than being a blind fool, this theme makes him a tragic hero. Oedipus must go through the agony of discovering who he is and facing his own demon. Jane, unlike Oedipus, is not fated to pain; she chooses the agony of being separated from Mr. Rochester over a life she knows is wrong. It is the main example of Jane Eyre’s prominent theme: independence. This self-inflicted pain marls the differences in the themes revealed by these stories’ hidden devil characters. While Oedipus is fated to suffer and destroy himself, Jane chooses to face the pain that her devil character instigates and overcome it. It takes the journey to Moor house, Jane’s employment as a solitary teacher, and the loveless proposal of St. John, all started by Bertha being married to Rochester, to show Jane how to stand on her