Is Oedipus Rex a Form of Detective Fiction? — Watch Episode 5 of Prof. Ato Quayson’s Vlog

The fifth episode of Professor Ato Quayson’s vlog Critic.Reading.Writing is up!

As the literary vlog enters its fifth week, Quayson shifts the lecture from his beautiful library to a more intimate table talk. Each time the professor lifts his glasses from the table to read a new passage, viewers feel treated to a small seminar discussion from the comfort of their homes.

In this 30-minute episode, Quayson explores the connections between “Enigmas, Detection and Tragic Knowledge” in Oedipus Rex by Sophocles.

Professor Quayson delves into Oedipus’s process of discovery and the tragic dichotomy between determinism and free will. As he analyzes the unfolding of foreground and background, past and present, and surface and depth, Quayson invites readers to dissect Oedipus Rex from the perspective of detective fiction. He explains:

The difference between any form of detective fiction and Oedipus Rex is that he is the guilty party. So this is very weird…he is the detective and the culprit at one and the same time. And the way that Sophocles orchestrates the discovery is such that once Oedipus discovers that he is the guilty one, he has already visited upon himself the punishment.

Click below to watch!

Critic.Reading.Writing with Ato Quayson is the show for booklovers hungry for meaningful conversations about books.

New episodes of Critic.Reading.Writing with Ato Quayson will be posted every Friday.

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