Family Secrets And Mystery In The Story Of Oedipus

The Greek drama “Oedipus The King” evidently leads to the unveiling of a tragedy. Oedipus, the protagonist of the play uncovers his tragic birth story and the curse he had been baring his whole life. Oedipus is notorious for his personal insight that helped him defeat Sphinx, which lead him to becoming the king of Thebes. He is admired by the people of Thebes and is considered to be a mature, inelegant and a rational leader. From his birth, his story began with a prophecy that Oedipus would grow up to kill his father and marry his mother. Through out the play numerous people, who tell him of his unknown past, visit Oedipus. Blind to the truth he casts them away until a blind man named Therisis gives a sight of truth to Oedipus. As Oedipus learns the truth he realizes the great evil his life carries. After finding his wife and also mother hung in her bedroom, Oedipus blinds himself with the gold pins that held Jocasta’s robe. Oedipus blind to the truth is finally able to see when the old blind man visits him and tells him the truth about his life. Both metaphorically and physically sight plays a significant role in understanding the irony of a blind man seeing the truth while Oedipus who isn’t blind doesn’t seem to the truth that’s right in front of him.

In Oedipus the King, one of Sophocles’ most popular plays, Sophocles clearly depicts the Greek’s popular belief that fate will control a man’s life despite of man’s free will. Man was free to choose and was ultimately held responsible for his own actions. Throughout Oedipus the King, the concept of fate and free will plays an integral part in Oedipus' destruction.

Charles could see Erik giving up as sharply as he felt it, the small spark that he’d come to label in his own mind as ‘life force’ dwindling to an ember and extinguishing. He was stepping forward before he could stop himself, blooding rushing in his ears against time as he spoke. “Dēsístite!“

Clearly the curse was Oedipus’ own idea. The autonomy of his own actions are seen when we witness a sequence of characters pleading for him to stop the investigation and become accepting of ignorance: once at the beginning with Teiresias, (Sophocles, 1970, p. 9), twice in the middle by Jocasta, (Sophocles, 1970, pp. 17&22), and the end by the shepherd, (Sophocles, 1970, p. 26) and still he does not adhere to their advice, but carries on with his questioning and investigation. Oedipus’s fate is not forced upon his actions, but show that his actions are of a free king and man.

Fate is unavoidable causing the fall of Oedipus. Oedipus’ parents tried avoiding fate with their son, when they “pierced the baby's ankles And left him to die on a lonely mountainside” (Sophocles 977). Ultimately true fate was for Oedipus to murder his father and impregnate his mother. Oedipus states, “I should lie with my own mother, breed Children from whom all men would turn their eyes; And that I should be my father's murderer” (Sophocles 979). Trying to avoid fate, Oedipus “fled” from Corinth (Sophocles 979). By leaving, Oedipus thinks he will stop this “wretchedness” from happening (Sophocles 979). Due to Oedipus unavoidable fate, “children die unborn, And labor is vain” (Sophocles 960). Oedipus is uncertain why this plague is taking place. Creon emphasizes that “It was murder that brought the plague-wind on the city” (Sophocles 962). Oedipus eagerly wanted to find the king Laios’ killer.

Oedipus was a cursed man from the start and although he tried to change his fate he ran right into it. When Oedipus found out that the former king’s killers were never found he wanted to solve the mystery right away. This already put him at odds with the society because they didn’t try as hard or move as swiftly to figure out who the murderers of Laius was because, “the riddling Sphinx induced us to neglect mysterious crimes and rather seek solution of troubles at our own feet” (Sophocles,

A frequent debate that we have today is whether we have freewill or a divine source controlling our fate. In the events in Oedipus the King, Sophocles portrays how one’s actions, decisions, and personality can affect one’s fate. Fate and freewill play a critical role in several characters’ decisions and downfall.

(Sophocles 232) The phrase “cursed in my birth” is crucial here -- In learning his horrible prophecy has come true, Oedipus recognizes that the prophecy spawned from his birth, and he realizes the futility of any attempt to ignore the truth of what is intertwined with his very coming into being. He has lost control, and is succumbing to the truth of his reality. In this case, fate is untouchable - Oedipus could not stop a prophecy enacted by his birth.

Most people in today's society live their lives based on the belief that fate controls their destiny. But some people still debate on whether we have free will or if some other source, fate, controls our destiny. In Oedipus the King, fate is used and proclaimed much throughout the play. Fate plays an important role in the lives of the characters just as it plays one in our lives to this day.

In Sophocles’, Oedipus the King, fate and free will are two prominent themes presented. Often times the main character in a story is given a predetermined fate from the moment they are born, and feels inclined to live up to it or avoid it- taking away their free will. Immediately, Oedipus’ fate is decided by the Gods, but there is also an aspect of free will. Throughout the whole play, we see how Oedipus decides on how he wants to approach his fate decided by the Gods. One may argue that there was no free will in mythology and just fate, but in Oedipus, we see aspects of both themes.

Large-scale questions of such ideas are raised in Sophocles’ play, “Oedipus the King”—a story that deals with the tragic hero, Oedipus, and his demise. Oedipus progresses through the play struggling against his own wicked destiny: the prophecy that declares that he would kill his father and marry his mother. Ultimately, Oedipus fulfills this prophecy; in fact, he had completed his fate without his own knowing and before the play even begins. Despite his belief that he was fighting against his prophesized destiny, Oedipus was ironically fulfilling it, and he slowly brings about his own downfall. He becomes a victim of his own fate. In this regard, “Oedipus the King” explores a terrifying concept: Oedipus never had free will—a puppet in every sense to the higher beings that decided his ending for him.

Questioning Fate Though it was written thousands of years ago, the famous play King Oedipus by Sophocles managed to encompass themes and life questions that we can relate to. Thoughts of religion, fate and choice are some of Sophocles’ main points to consider as we watch the infamous show Oedipus the King. By using foreshadowing and irony, Sophocles shows that one’s fate is inevitable, so by denying it due to fear or hubris, the outcome is exacerbated. The relationship between gods and mortals for control of one’s fate is tested by Oedipus and his parents because of their hopes to escape the dark path planned for them.

No matter how free a man believes he is, there is always one constraint that governs his life: fate. In the play Oedipus, the protagonist’s life is dictated by one prophecy that ultimately leads to his downfall. The play illustrates the idea that no matter how much effort is put into avoiding god’s will, fate will eventually catch up at any cost. A major contribution to emphasizing this theme is the murder mystery that takes place in this play and the investigation that goes through to solve this mystery. Through the investigation, the title character Oedipus and is wife/mother Jocasta uncover the truth that the prophecy of Oedipus killing his father and marrying his mother comes true. Unraveling this truth shows Oedipus as well as the audience

Sophocles’ play, Oedipus the King, has risen many questions concerning the main character and whether or not he acts on free will or if his future is predestined by the gods. I am going to test the theory that although Oedipus believes he is acting on his own free will, he is in fact a victim of the gods. I will analyze several different sources that discuss fate and human agency in Oedipus the King and then proceed to build my original argument on the archaic debate.

The famed tragedian Sophocles is known for his unique ideas and intellect. Sophocles carefully utilizes of all of his intelligence and creative ability in order to make use of illuminating moments throughout the play which allow his audience to draw conclusions about free will, fate, knowledge, and power throughout perhaps his most iconic play, Oedipus Rex. the main character Oedipus experiences an illuminating moment when he gouges his eyes out at the discovery of the truth about his actions. This illumination is expressed in order to express Sophocles’ idea that fate overpowers free will.