politics
May 7, 2026
Crime and Punishment
In Sophocles' work, Oedipus flees Corinth to avoid a prophecy that he would kill his father; incidentally, on the road he kills Laius without knowing who he is. Some time later, having become king of Thebes and married to the widow Jocasta -his biological mother- a plague devastates the kingdom, and to mitigate it Creon, sent by the oracle, urges him to investigate Laius' death. Oedipus, determined to find the culprit, interrogates witnesses until the pieces fit: the old man he killed on the road was his real father, and he discovers he himself is the murderer. As self-punishment, Oedipus blinds himself and Jocasta commits suicide.
TL;DR
- Oedipus unknowingly kills his father Laius and marries his mother Jocasta, later discovering the truth and blinding himself.
- Raskolnikov murders a pawnbroker and her sister, believing extraordinary men can break laws for a greater purpose.
- The justice system in Crime and Punishment is depicted as slow, inefficient, and manipulable, allowing Raskolnikov temporary impunity.
- The article suggests Dostoevsky's themes of impunity and flawed justice are relevant to modern-day Colombia, where many crimes go unpunished.
- A denunciation by ex-president Uribe alleges that the governor of Nariño financed a murder from Manta, which is associated with such crimes.