Oedipus Journal 4: Oedipus' Diary Entry

Dear Diary,

I am in a very difficult situation. I've murdered my father and married my mother, all of this initially without my knowledge. I wish that I hadn't been permitted this much life! I wish I had died earlier! That way my family and I could have been saved from all this grief. I wish it had never come to this extreme, because now I'm afraid I'm loathed by the Gods. I think my decision of jabbing my eyes was justified, though, since this way I can avoid having to look my father in the eye once I die. I don't even want to end there! I wish I could block out all the sound of life as well, because then I would rid myself of a world full of pain. I want to escape Thebes- I want to go so far away that I'll never hear another human voice! I know if I leave, my boys will be able to fend for themselves, because they're strong young men. But, I wish to see my daughters. I'm afraid that if I stay here, they will be burdened with this misery as long as they live. I want to let them know that they deserve and should pray for a better life than I had. So, for now I offer a farewell to my children, all the citizens of Thebes, and (I pray) the pain I feel.