How Does Oedipus Show The Power Of Fate

Teiresias is a blind man who can actually see the fated outcome of Oedipus’ life. Even though Oedipus has full use of his physical vision, he is completely blind of his past and his fate. Teiresias uses his own physical blindness to make Oedipus aware of his own mental blindness towards the truths of his life. Teiresias reveals to Oedipus that it is Oedipus’ physical sight that deters him from seeing the truths of his past. The proceeding passage illustrates the theme of blindness as revealed by Teiresias to Oedipus.

During his life time, Oedipus was blind to truth, at first, he did not know that Jocasta and Laius were his actual parents. He even rebelled against anyone that would not give him the reason or someone that would contradict him. After so many attempts to evade the truth, he ends up giving up about what is the actual truth. He agrees and accepts that Liaus and Jocasta were his parents, and he ended up killing his father and marrying his mother; he was the one causing hopelessness in Thebes. After he starts to realize all these truths, he decided to blind himself, and become in Teiresias same position. “ And since you have reproached me with my blindness, I say – you have your sight, and do not see what evils are about you, nor with whom, nor in what home you are dwelling.” In this quote, a theme such as blindness is shown through Teiresias’ words to Oedipus, to whom he is telling that even with his physical sight, in the inside he is blind because he is unwilling to know the truth about his life. He also tells Oedipus that since he does not see the truth about his life, he doesn’t see the anguish of his life either.

Oedipus the King is a tragedy that displays irony throughout the play. In the play, King Laius and his wife Jocasta learn that in the prophecy their newborn son, Oedipus, will kill his father and marry his mother. In order to prevent the prophecy from occurring, they decide to bind and tie his ankles and then abandoned him. When Oedipus grew up, he eventually learned about this prophecy and decided to leave his parents. What he did not realize was that the parents who raised him were not his biological parents. On his voyage to Thebes, Oedipus ended up in a chariot accident

As Oedipus was born into royalty, he started his life in a condemned manner. At only a few days old, Oedipus’ family tried to stop the prophecy that was given by the oracle. Clearly worried about the message, the King took matters into his own hands trying to stop a per-determined fate. “He wasn’t three days old and the boy’s father fastened

Oedipus doesn’t realize the personal consequences his hunt for the murderer will have for him, and his loyalty to the truth is based on his ignorance. His pride, ignorance and unrelenting quest for the truth ultimately contributed to his destruction. An example is when Oedipus was told [after threatening Tiresias], that he was responsible for the murder of Laius. He became enraged and called the old oracle a liar. However, Oedipus thought he could outsmart the gods, but in fact, his every action moved him closer to the prophesy becoming a reality. Upon discovery of the truth of his birth from the herdsman, Oedipus cries, “O god all come true, all burst to light!/O light now let me look my last on you!/I stand revealed at last cursed in my birth, cursed in marriage, cursed in the lives I cut down with these hands”. (631). Oedipus knew that his fate had indeed come to pass and feels cursed by it. Oedipus was guilt, of killing his father and marrying his mother. He punishes himself for the sins he committed by gouging out his eyes. The true sin is when he attempts to raise himself to the level of the gods by trying to escape his fate. Oedipus is accepting the full burden of his acts and knows that he must be punished for his sins. Therefore, this last act of gouging out his eyes was the result of Oedipus’ free will and his tragic fate came about because every sin must

Sophocles states that “Fate has terrible power. You cannot escape it by wealth or war. No fort will keep it out, no ships outrun it.” Fate derives from a Latin word, fatum, meaning that one’s future is predetermined. In Oedipus Rex, Sophocles unfolds the misfortune of a noble king who searches for knowledge. Evidently, Greek heroes like Oedipus are destined to rule, but are also bound to fall, therefore, he cannot alter his own fate. This tragic play proves that the power of fate is indeed stronger than one’s free will. Despite his attempts to fight his destiny, Oedipus can never outrun his fate. Regardless of his parents’ desperation to evade the predicted outcome, fate guides his journey for knowledge, leading to his destruction.

Once Oedipus finds out the truth regarding his birth and parents he has to come to realization that the course he so desperately tried to avoid came to pass. He killed his father and married his mother the fate the gods had in store for him ultimately came true. Although he tried to change the outcome by fleeing the parents he thought was his parents. Oedipus lacked the insight as well

Throughout the vast history of literature, various concepts have come and gone. The idea of fate or fatalism has been a concept that has survived the test of time. Numerous characters have succumbed to the power of fate and the character of Oedipus from Sophocles’ Oedipus the King is a prime example of the vast power of fate within literature. Sophocles effectively depicts the wrath of fate as he portrays how Oedipus fell victim to fate and his efforts to disregard fate were futile. Once again fate manages to triumph and displays no character whether king or slave can avoid its gaze.

In this story Oedipus figures out that he fulfilled his fate by killing his father, and marrying his own mother. Another sad experience shown is Oedipus couldn’t deal with what he had done, so he stabs his own eyes out. Lastly, another sad event told is that because of his fate, Oedipus’ children will have to suffer for his mistakes.

Teiresias is trying to steer clear of telling Oedipus the truth. Oedipus is angered when Teiresias refuses to tell Oedipus the truth of what happened. Oedipus pushes Teiresias to the point where Teiresias tells him that he is the murder of his father. Teiresias’ actions cause Oedipus to engage in irrational actions. Oedipus speaks out to Teiresias and says, “It has, but not for you; it has no strength for you because you are blind in mind and ears as well as in your eyes.”

Teiresias, the blind prophet, is goaded into asking Oedipus about his “mother and father’s curse” while asking how he has “eyes” and yet still doesn’t “see” his “own damnation” or “whose son” he truly is. With one final statement that “he that came seeing, blind he shall go” Teiresias leaves (37-38). Blindness, due to the pain it brings and how it must be felt daily, symbolizes acceptance of fate, and so by telling that Oedipus will be blinded, Teiresias gives the audience a look into the ending where he will finally understand the answers to the questions he asked earlier. Oedipus, having heard his fate before, should have recognised that the prophet was speaking the truth, but because of the fear that the prophecy brought him, he denied the obvious answer. Similarly, when Jocasta repeats this exact prophecy to him, and he recognises that he committed murder in the spot she told Laius was killed in, he almost accepts it, calling it “too clear” (46).

Oedipus's ignorance early on in the play is cast aside in the latter portion when he proclaims, “No more. I must know it all, must see the truth at last” (Sophocles 1168). This proclamation, partnered with Oedipus' self-assurance that he has established dominance over his fate, blinds him to it and perpetuates the fall led to his hasty gouging of his eyes. Thus he becomes the victim—rather than the conqueror — of

A tragic hero is a character, that no matter what they choose to do, whether it is to run and hide or fight, their fate is sealed leaving them destined for downfall some point in their life. No matter what happens to the hero, whatever the gods have decided, it will happen. Oedipus tries to escape his dreadful fate which has been bestowed upon him; his horrible feud with his fate is his ultimate downfall and was always meant to be his demise. His fight is the good and evil he has to battle through. The prophecy of Oedipus; when he is born, his parents are told of the fate bestowed upon them all. “Shortly after Oedipus’ birth, his father, King Laius of Thebes, learned from an oracle that he, Laius, was doomed to perish by the hand of his own son” (Maston). Oedipus is to kill his father, Laius, and wed his mother Iocasta. Afraid of what was said, Laius gives his son to a herdsman who is to take the child and murder him, but he then pities the child and decides to pierce Oedipus’ feet, hence his name Oedipus, and send him with another herdsman far away. Fortunately for Oedipus, the

Moreover, Sophocles’ insightful word choice is used to further explore the themes of free will and fate. While Jocasta is trying to convince Oedipus to go no further in his quest to learn his lineage, she tells him in her dialog, “You’re doomed --/may you never fathom who you are!”(4-5). Sophocles’ choice of the word “doomed” is again a word implying an inescapable fate. However, since Jocasta knows the prophecy has already been fulfilled the ill-fated future that she foreshadows is Oedipus’ tragic fall. Thus it is of significance that with her next line in the script in response to Oedipus calling to a servant to fetch the shepherd, Jocasta says to Oedipus, “Man of agony--/ that is the only name I have for you,/ that, no other-- ever, ever, ever!”(10-12). This is a turning point for Jocasta, not only has her speech become reduced to short clauses, she has also come to the conclusion that Oedipus has inflicted his physical and mental trauma on himself by his choices. As Jocasta exits the stage to commit suicide after

In all, Oedipus murdering his father highlights the strength of a predetermined future, validating the belief that one cannot escape destiny. The prophecy made by the oracle at Delphi being fulfilled, further assures one that this perceived prediction, is rather the truth. Moreover, the many coincidences indicating Oedipus as the killer, were not remarkable occurrences, rather fate hinting to the criminal. Once Oedipus had realized of the crime he had committed and the toll fate fell upon him, he felt guilty and shameful for what he had done. Throughout the play, Oedipus was not able to accept the prophecy told to him, as he believed that he had full ownership over his life and his decisions.