Oedipus Fate Essay

Fate is the development of events beyond a person's control, regarded as determined by a supernatural power. It is a very common theme used in literature. We’ve seen examples from stories such as: Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet and Iliad. We’ve been reading Oedipus the King written by Sophocles. My main thesis that I would be talking about is if: Oedipus was actually a victim of fate, or did he deserve what he got.

If life, ones actions can determine the depths of their fate. In Homer book of the Odyssey this fate appeared throughout the entire book towards Odysseus and his men. Odysseus and his men couldn’t get back home because of the enigmatic gods. Therefore, fate does control Odysseus life; in particular his journey back to Ithaca.

In Sophocles' Oedipus the King, the element of fate versus freewill shows up frequently all through the play. It is foreseen to Oedipus' parents, Jocasta and Laius, that their child would grow up to slaughter his father and wed his mother. Jocasta and Laius endeavor to dispose of their child, however, fate triumphs. Oedipus' fate all through the play has been chosen by the fate which adds to his annihilation. Various societies and cultures all through history have embraced similar perspectives, accepting a fate or destiny for their lives. Such points of view are very common is Greek myths who had confidence in "the three Fates" — goddesses who controlled the lives of individuals and the world in general. Clotho the youngest spins the thread of human life. She decides who will be born and when. Lachesis, a matron, measures the thread deciding a person’s lot in life. She is shown with a measuring stick, a scroll, a book, or a globe that represents the horoscope. Atropos, the oldest, choses the mechanism of death and ends the life of each mortal by cutting their thread. She is usually portrayed with a cutting instrument, a scroll, a wax tablet, a sundial, or a pair of scales. Even in modern day, some Christian philosophies incorporate destiny as fate. Many Jews acknowledge that their God has an arrangement for their people and nation.

“Every man has his own destiny: the only imperative is to follow it, to accept it, no matter where it leads him.” In other words, the connotation of this anonymous quote states that despite whatever one chooses to decide, the outcome of their choices and decisions will still result to their predetermined fate. Sophocles’ tragedy, Oedipus the King, demonstrates this statement throughout the play in the role of his tragic hero Oedipus. In the course of Oedipus’ actions of trying to escape his predestined fortune, his fate and flaws of being human played major roles to bring about his downfall.

Fate as defined by the Merriam Webster dictionary is ‘an inevitable and often adverse outcome, condition, or end’. Sophocles discusses fate vs free will in his plays. In the play Oedipus Rex there was a prophecy that Oedipus was destined to kill his father and marry his mother, he attempts to escape his destiny by running away to Thebes where he meets his fate. In the play Antigone, that main character Antigone decides to go against Creon’s (her uncle who has inherited the throne) decree and bury the brother, Polynices, knowing the consequences would lead to her death. In Sophocles’ plays Oedipus Rex and Antigone, the theme is mankind not being able to escape their fate.

Oedipus soon realized that all his efforts of trying to prevent the inevitable, was just fate’s way of completing the Prophecies. Whether it was predicted before his birth, told at the time of his birth or orchestrated throughout his life, Oedipus had a per-determined lot to follow. No matter the derailed plans or unplanned events could stop the sad, tortured life that Apollo had laid out for

There was an oracle told to Oedipus when he was younger that he would kill his father and wed his mother. Jocasta tells Oedipus that prophets are not correct all the time. She went on to tell him that she once bore a child to Laius, and Apollo told them that this child would grow up to kill his father and marry his mother. At that point Oedipus was scared because of the oracle told to him when he was younger. It is ironic that Oedipus could have this much guilt placed on him in this short amount of time. He replied to her, "As I listen, my queen, my thoughts went reaching out and touched on memories that make me shudder..."(lines, 759-760). Oedipus has just reacted to what Jocasta, his wife/mother, has told him. He is terrified because he believes that he may have been the one who killed Laius. Oedipus goes on to ask Jocasta multiple questions about who, what when and where this all happened. After every answered question Oedipus reacted with more and more grief. Every question showed more and more evidence that Oedipus had been the murderer of Laius. When the messenger

Oedipus is a man of unflagging determination and perseverance, but one who must learn through the working out of a terrible prophecy that there are forces beyond any man’s conceptualization or control. Oedipus’ actions were determined before his birth, yet Oedipus’ actions are entirely determined by the Gods who control him completely. In the beginning of this tragedy, Oedipus took many actions leading to his own downfall. He tried to escape Corinth when he learned of the prophecies that were supposed to take place in his life. Instead, he

Oedipus, from the play Oedipus the King, is a very unique character whose different aspects are revealed throughout the play. As he talks with characters such as Creon, Jocasta, and Tiresias, we get a well painted portrait of the aspects of Oedipus’ character.

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.

Are all events predetermined? Does everyone have a prophetic destiny that they must fulfill? If so, who determines their fate? Who—or what—binds them to their fixed ending? Is there really no way to resist? Is fatalism—the theory that all events are preset and inevitable—true? And if it is—is there ever such a thing as free will?

Oedipus Rex is a story that can be interpreted on many different levels of thinking. The ancient tale has existed for centuries and has been subjected to countless forms of analysis. What is it that makes Oedipus the King such a fascinating story? Is it the suspense of a developing mystery that captivates the audience? Or perhaps the wonderful feeling the readers get after vicariously experiencing the horror Oedipus feels? And if not that, could it be that the reader is intrigued at Sophocles' description of one man's disbelief in the gods? Whichever way one looks at it, Oedipus Tyrannus was, and remains, one of the "most highly admired plays of all time" (Wood, et al, 163).

Hans Rockwell 8/26/17 Question 1 Question 1.) One of the responses people usually have about Oedipus is if he really deserved the fate that he ended up with. It’s not his fault that Jocasta and Laius tried to outsmart fate and dispose of him.

Oedipus the King is a play explaining the journey of man who tries to run away from his destiny, but by doing so, he ends up fulfilling it. When Oedipus hears his fate, that he must kill his father and marry his mother, he runs away from Corinth, what he believes is his birth place where his “birth parents” rule. On his journey away from destiny, he encounters a man who ends up killing, however, this man ends up being his birth father. He then stumbles across the city of Thebes where the people are terrorized by the female Sphinx. He defeats the sphinx and becomes the king of Thebes, marrying the queen, who also happens to be his birth mother. While on his journey away from fate, much can be discovered about the gods in terms of character and importance as well as Sophocles’ view on cosmic order which leads into the development of one’s own view on cosmic order.

The story of Oedipus the king talks of a tail in which the city of Thebes has been plagued by Apollo the God himself, Throughout the entire play Oedipus is trying to end the plague that has cursed the city of Thebes. Reading this in highschool I thought that it was his fault for causing the unnecessary tragedies occurring around him. However now I understand that it was not his fault but rather it was fate that brought his demise. I think that all of the events that had led to Thebes being plagued started from Oedipus's parents when they learned from the oracle that their son would kill his father and marry his mother they tried to challenge fate and get rid of the Oedipus. The Irony here is not lost on anyone as oedipus grows up in another neighboring city. And on his way to Thebes he kills the king of thebes (his father) and defeats a sphynx giving him the right to marry the queen of thebes (his mother) whom he falls in love with and has children with. Which brings us up to point in which the plague strikes the town and oedipus is king. Oedipus sends his brother in law creon to the Delphic Oracle to find out how to stop the plague. On creon’s return he tells Oedipus to speak in private, However Oedipus refuses and says to him to speak out so the people can hear him. Creon then tells what he has learned from the god Apollo, who spoke through the oracle: the murderer of Laius(former king and father of oedipus), who ruled Thebes before Oedipus, is in Thebes. He must be driven