Fate In Oedipus Rex

In the beginning of the play Oedipus meets Laios on a road. Both were driving chariots and neither would yield the right of way. Laios attempts to kill Oedipus’ horses but Oedipus reacts fast killing Laios attendants and his own father, Laios. Oedipus went to Thebes to help and destroy a monster and bless their town. Because of his heroic act, Thebes recalls him again to help and find the murderer who killed their king Laios and punish the man. Oedipus goes and does everything he can to get evidence and find the man who killed Laios the king: “Is this your prayer? It may be answered. Come, Listen to me, act as the crisis demands… Until now I was a stranger to this tale, As I had been a stranger to the crime. Could I track the murderer without a clue?” (Sophocles 1. 1. 204 - 209). Teiresias, a chorus of Theban, elders tells Oedipus he is the murder who killed his father and also mentions he married his own mother along with having children. Oedipus finds all of that to believe and what Oedipus does is find more people to tell him the truth. Jocaste, wife and mother of Oedipus, tells him through the play to not believe such a thing. In Act three Scene five, Shepherd the man, who took Oedipus to Corinth city’s reveals to him that everything is true. Oedipus makes the decision to gouge his eyes out making himself blind to not see the whole catastrophe. He begs Creon to send him away from Theban

Oedipus, outraged at the accusation, denounces it as a plot of Creon to gain the throne. Jocasta appears just in time to avoid a battle between the two men. Seers, she assures Oedipus, are not infallible. To prove her point she cites the old prophecy that her son should kill his father and have children by his mother. She prevented its fulfillment, she confesses, by abandoning their infant son in the mountains. As for Laius, he had been killed by robber’s years later at the junction of three roads on the route to Delphi.

The messenger reveals that Polybus and his wife are not Oedipus’s real parents. Oedipus was brought to palace to be raised after being found by a Sheppard. Oedipus asks that this shepherd reveal the truth to him, but Jocasta begins to beg him not to stop to try and find out the truth. The Sheppard finally reveals that Oedipus is son of Laius. Oedipus screams when he realizes the truth about his parents. A messenger says Jocasta has hanged herself, and Oedipus has chosen to stab out his eyes. Oedipus now declares he must be punished and exiled. He asks Creon to look after his daughters, Antigone and Ismene. Creon accepts the ascendency to the throne.

Because of his commitment to his people and their suffering, he sent his brother-in-law, Creon, to Delphi to see the gods to find out why his city is under such a great plague and what he can do to stop it. Creon returns and says, “… It was murder that brought the plague-wind on the city” and that it was King Laios that was murdered years ago (Prologue, 104-105). Vowing to bring the murderer to justice and being a just King, Oedipus decrees that if the murderer reveals himself he will not be killed, he will be exiled. This determination and tenaciousness was the beginning of the end of King Oedipus.

However Jocasta stands up for Creon and Oedipus agrees to banish him. Oedipus complains to Jocasta about Creon. Afterward Jocasta tries to calm Oedipus down by telling him prophecies can be false or backfire. Finally Oedipus agrees with Jocasta to wait to hear shepherd's testimony. As a result People are doubting the oracle and the gods.

Jocasta, Oedipus’ wife tells Oedipus that highwaymen took the death of Laius. As this conversation starts to build up, Oedipus beings to curse everyone including one of the gods Creon. The

It is the responsibility of man to take ownership of his destiny which separates the human condition for that of other earthly beasts. From birth, Oedipus, the tragic hero of Sophocles’ Greek Tragedy Oedipus Rex, is destined to kill his father and marry his mother. Although by the opening act of the play, Oedipus has earned the throne of Thebes for solving the riddle of the Sphinx, the eponymous character is unaware that he has already fulfilled his prophecy. Meanwhile, the people of Thebes are dying of a plague that will only end when the unknown murderer of Laius, the previous Theban King, is punished. Through retrospection, Oedipus believes that he might be responsible for Laius death and is told that the King and Queen of Corinth who

Creon offered the kingdom and a marriage with his sister, Jocasta, to anyone who could answer the riddle of the Sphinx, (who was eating men who failed to answer her riddle correctly in their town.) Out of all the people, Oedipus solved the riddle and became the king of Thebes and married the lady Jocasta. The married couple had four children together before finding out that they were related. Jocasta was the first to finally realize who her husband truly was to her. In response to her consciousness, Jocasta was ashamed and did not want for Oedipus to continue questioning anyone else. She then begged for Oedipus to stop by saying, “I beg you-do not hunt this out-I beg you, if you have any care for your own life. What I am suffering is enough” (17). Jocasta could no longer be in the same place as him realizing that her husband Oedipus was actually her son that she got rid of when he was only a baby. She then quickly vacated the room saying,“O Oedipus, unhappy Oedipus! That is all I can call you, and the last thing that I shall ever call you” (17). In distress, Jocasta commits suicide by hanging herself in her bedroom. In retaliation to the death of Jocasta and knowing the truth of his marriage, Oedipus struck his eyes causing them to bleed. He then became blind. Once again he lived a part of his life not knowing the real truth behind

Creon says Thebes must find and punish kings murderer.People are doubting oracle and gods. Herald from Corinth tells Jocasta about polybus death and Corinthians want Oedipus to be there King.Oedipus finds out about polybus death and he didn't kill him.Oedipus still fears prophecy though.Herald tells Oedipus that meropi and polybus are NOT his parents.Herald testifies to Oedipus ountity.Jocasta feels horror as she realizes the truth of Oedipus identity and she wants to protect him. Herald identifies Shepard relvorently shares past events like Oedipus real parents. Oedipus realizes the truth.The attendant says that Jocasta hung herself.oedipus stabs his eyes out.oedipus suffers as he processes the truth and his

Creon returns and says that Thebes must find the murderer of the former king. Oedipus seeks for information, regarding the murder of Laius. Oedipus welcomes Teresius, the oracle, to come to his palace, but Teresius regrets it immediately. He says that Oedipus is the cause of the Black Plague, and Oedipus says that Teresius is committing treason with Creon. Then, Oedipus accuses Creon of treason, but Creon defends himself. Jocasta,

The theme is further developed now that Oedipus’ choices have brought him to be King of Thebes, while Jocasta’s choices will soon bring forth her demise. The kingdom is reigned by plague and Oedipus will not stop until the people of Thebes are safe. The King learns that in order to ameliorate Thebes they must find a single transgressor and have him condemned. King Oedipus even goes as far as condemning himself to the perils of the world if he is the one guilty of the crime; the crime being, the murder of the previous King, Laios, “ Whoever killed King Laios might--who knows?-- Lay violent hands even on me--and soon. I act for the murdered king in my own interest (1262; Prologue).” Due to dramatic irony the reader may already dictate where this story leads, unfortunately this does not hold true for Oedipus and much to his dismay it is finally understood upon a visit from the Shepherd that saved his life. “They said it was Laius’s child;

    From the beginning of this play, Oedipus made many risky actions that will take him to his downfall. Out of empathy for his suffering people, he had Creon go to Delph as he could have waited for the plague to end instead. "Upon the murderer I invoke this curse- whether he is one man and all unknown, or one of many- may he wear out his life in misery or doom! If with my knowledge he lives at my hearth, I pray that I myself may feel my curse.” (Sophocles, 477; lines 266-271) Other than just finding clues to the murderer of King Laius, Oedipus summons a terrible curse on them. Without knowledge of who it could be yet, he is actually putting the curse on himself. When Oedipus was told that he was responsible for the murder of Laius, he threatens Teiresias, becomes enraged, calls the old oracle a liar, and ignores everything the oracle says. “If a man walks with

As fate would play out Oedipus was taken to the Corinth and raised by Polybius and Merope king and queen on Corinth. While Oedipus was there he found about his fate and to spare his mother and father he fled Corinth. Little did Oedipus know that they were not his actual parents. Oedipus ended up killing his father on the crossroads and went on to marry his mother Jocasta. As the play unravels Jocasta and Oedipus are married and a plague has hit Thebes. The only way to rid the plague is for Oedipus to find and banish the killer of Laius. As Oedipus tries to unravel this mystery and clues start to unravel it seems that Oedipus might be the son of Laius completing the prophecy that the oracle claimed. Jocasta is starting to realize that Oedipus is her son. She seems she might be afraid to lose power and doesn’t want Oedipus to find out the truth. She attempts to stop Oedipus from figuring out the mystery but Oedipus being hubris decided to go through with it to find out the prophecy was true and he had already completed it. Jocasta couldn’t bear to live with this and hung herself, whereas Oedipus gouged his eyes out and banished himself from Thebes.

Aware of a terrible curse that has befallen Thebes, Oedipus sends his brother-in-law, Creon, to seek the advice of Apollo. Creon informs Oedipus that the curse can only be prevented if the murderer of Laius, who was the former king; is found and prosecuted. Laius was murdered several years ago at a crossroads.

The herald brought the baby to Corinth and Polybus and Meropi raised him as their own son. Jocasta begins to realize Oedipus’ true identity and begs him to stop his search for the truth because Jocasta loves him and wants to to protect him. At first the Shepard resist giving Oedipus information, then Oedipus threatens him and he tells Oedipus everything. Then Oedipus realizes the truth about his parents and about his own identity and he leaves. The citizens react with horror and pity for Oedipus and his bad luck. All of a sudden an attendant reports that Jocasta is dead by her own hands and Oedipus found her. But the Oedipus takes the jewels from Jocastas robe and sticks the in his eyes. Oedipus returns and suffers as he processes the truth and the confusion of his relationships But all the citizens are kind and symphthatic and feel pity for Oedipus. When Creon returns Oedipus asks him to banish him from Thebes to save the city. Creon says that he must consult Apollo’s oracle for guidance before he banishes Oedipus. Then Oedipus asks Creon if he can take care of his children Ismene and Antigone and burry