In both Oedipus the King and the Wild Duck private versus public remains an issue. It is portrays this as extreme as having no private setting. The images portray this as well. Both of these plays use this conflict to prove two different points, Oedipus proves there is no value in private life, and Wild Duck proves that private matters must be separate from the public.
In Oedipus the King there was a private versus public issue. When Oedipus and Creon were fighting in public Jocasta scolds them for talking of private manners in public which shows Sophocles does not believe there is a private life when one is king or of some other high station, and since there is no privacy why not do private things in public if it will all come out eventually. This issue is touched on through the public setting of the play. There is no scene the audience sees without being in public, all the audience witnesses is in public which gives us a sense that Oedipus has no private life.
Much like Socrates, Ibsen addresses the same conflict of private versus public life. For example when Gregers and Hjalmar are talking in private Gregers says "Yes you do. The outer man hasn't suffered." then Hjalmar replies "Ah, but the inner man. Believe me he has a different look" portraying this concept. The outer man represents Hjalmar's physical appearance as well as his public life, the thing the people see in life. In contrast the inner man represents the feelings and the private life. Hjalmar's life has changed a lot since his father was convicted guilty on trial for crime changing his family life because Hjalmar's father can no longer acquire a profitable job thus he relies on his son for care. Hjalmar also sees his father at Gregers’ party and denies that he knows him which portrays that the private life and public life are very much a big effect of how people act in this setting. The effect of this public v private life shows that as much as one will do anything to keep matters private if it brings one shame or blood guilt.
I was also thinking about this, but you were able to explain it a lot better then I could, so good job! I like your outerman and inner man support of the public vs private life. I think there is more support needed in Oedipus the King to show the effect of keeping private life secret.
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