Oedipus The King : The Presence Of Gods

Many times in life, people think they can determine their own destiny, but, as the Greeks believe, people cannot change fate the gods set. Though people cannot change their fate, they can take responsibility for what fate has brought them. In the story Oedipus, by Sophocles, a young king named Oedipus discovers his dreadful fate. With this fate, he must take responsibility and accept the harsh realities of what’s to come. Oedipus is a very hubris character with good intentions, but because he is too confident, he suffers. In the story, the city of Thebes is in great turmoil due to the death of the previous king, Laius. With the thought of helping his people, Oedipus opens an investigation of King Laius’s murder, and to solve the mystery,

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!“

     Throught Oedipus Rex, Oedipus displays his heroism many times. From the Prologue of the play to the moment in which he leaves Thebes, Oedipus' heroics are extremely apparent; however, at the same time, the decisions which make Oedipus a hero ultimately become the decisions which bring him to shame and exile.

Temperance is defined as moderation or self restraint which means how one controls himself. Wantonness is the exact opposite as it expresses recklessness and malice towards another being. These two words can be expressed as polar opposites or they can be seen as being the unity of opposites as suggested by Heraclitus. The unity of opposites states that the existence of one thing depends on the existence of two or more opposite conditions. When there is temperance then there will be wantonness which often causes a struggle. The Odyssey shows the struggle of temperance and wantonness through the main character Odysseus, and the Gods of Mount Olympus. Throughout the epic several examples are given that show this struggle amongst Odysseus and the Gods.

In Oedipus, the King, the main character, Oedipus, starts the play in the highest prestige, he is the King of Thebes and is held in high regard to almost all citizens for his prosperous reign. By the end of the play, Oedipus is vilified by his citizens and almost all the people of Thebes. I argue that Oedipus’ downfall is directly linked to his rejection of religious guidance and omens; namely, the Gods and the oracle. One could argue that no divine entity openly acts out toward Oedipus, however this analysis will focus on more indirect patterns and instances of divine action. Oedipus’ constant disapproval of religious consultation and figures is seen as a slight to the Gods and so they contribute to his fall from reign. These divine

One major aspect that caused the destruction of Oedipus and his family is Apollo’s oracle at Delphi. When Apollo’s oracle told Oedipus about the two prophecies, Oedipus tried to avoid them by moving to another city, and walked to meet his fate in Thebes. This shows Apollo’s advantage

Tragedy deals with unexpected or unfortunate events that usually results in negative outcomes that affects the downfall of the main character in a play. Tragedy within Greek drama incorporates the time within the their lifestyle of religious and superstitions. Greek writers use tragedy as a theme in literature because it represents their civilization. Sophocles uses this theme in his dramatic plays because the audience is able to correspond to the story line. It allows the audience to relate and be able to feel vulnerable and let go of all the feelings such as sadness, anger, fear or pity. A Greek tragedy symbolizes the ability of a man or hero that has no control over the destiny God intended him to have. In Sophocles’ Oedipus the King, he illustrates Oedipus as a hero who encounters a tragic end. When Oedipus was born, the prophecy predicted that he would murder his father and marry his mother. His parents wanted to avoid his destiny by leaving him to die on a mountain. A shepherd found Oedipus who then gave him to the King and Queen of Corinth. They took him in and raised him as their own. Apollo told Oedipus what the out come of his destiny would be and did not want to face his fate so he left the city of Corinth, not knowing the king and queen of Corinth were his foster parents. He was seen as a hero because he saved the city of Thebes from the curse that was created by the Sphinx by solving its riddle. It was not until the city of Thebes broke out in a

“Fate has terrible power. You cannot escape it by wealth or war. No fort will keep it out, no ships outrun it.” Sophocles explains in this quote that no force can stop the unbeatable power of fate, a theme that is present throughout his play, Oedipus the King. Oedipus, the protagonist, is fated by the gods to marry his mother and kill his father. Therefore, he moves away from Corinth in order to try and avoid his fate and becomes the king of Thebes. A few years later, Thebes is wracked with plague and hardships, and Creon, Oedipus’s brother-in-law, is sent to find out why. When Creon returns with an oracle from Apollo, he explains that the hardships of Thebes are happening because the murderer of Laius, the former king

In “Oedipus,” Sophocles writes about a man who is hunted down by his cruel fate, and whose life is ruined in attempt to run away from it. The ancient Greek perspective reflects on the matter of the story and how the god’s highly influence the lives of humans. This viewpoint basically shows the unbounded power the Greek gods have; by being the gods of destiny, and leaving man at a helpless position. Fate plays a massive role in the lives of humans and as was believed by the ancient Greeks, their lives were simply directed by a decision of gods and goddesses. Oedipus knew his fate set by a curse cast on him; however, even when being aware it is impossible to escape fate, he still attempted to run away from it. As the play progresses Oedipus begins to understand the unbearable truth as he states “I’ve called down a dreadful curse upon myself,” followed by a response “I simply didn’t know!” (1103). It is the will of the man to realize what is inevitable and what choice is. In the Ancient Greece, Gods were praised and worshiped and any command stated by them is the undecided future. Oedipus acting as a blinded man who did not know of such fact led him to his fate and ironically is what later led him to blind himself (Gould). When Oedipus stabs his eyes out with the

Throughout the tragedy, "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles, the authority of the gods and their power is challenged. Gods are a key element in driving the plot of "Oedipus Rex”. This shows the author's sense of cosmic order, and this belief is reflected in the characters he writes. The citizens of Thebes, and their attitude towards the gods, help show the beliefs of Sophocles through a multitude of ways. By analyzing the text written by Sophocles, it is evident that he believed the gods to be cruel, powerful, and that they commanded respect.

Anyone who is familiar with Greek mythology has heard a story about tyrannous Zeus, throwing thunderbolts, turning people into animals, or causing other supernatural events while releasing his wrath. He proves time and time again that he is more powerful than any mortal who tries to compete with him. Though Zeus is the mightiest, there are stories about many other gods demonstrating their power over mortals. Two such gods are Apollo and Dionysus. In the stories "Oedipus Rex" and "The Bacchae", these gods conflict with men that are not just average mortals, but respected kings. Although the political position of these kings makes them feel superior to all, the gods in the two stories show them that immortals are far superior to any

The role of the gods/fate in human affairs is a central theme in most works of literature. In Greek literature, particularly, the will of the gods is commonly attributed to human experiences. In Oedipus the King, for instance, the oracle’s message that Oedipus will kill his father and marry his own mother suggests that he was a puppet in the hands of the gods, who manipulated the events that led to his fall. However, the character’s fate is not entirely attributable to the work of the gods. In the play, Oedipus meets his fate due to his determination to unravel the mysteries surrounding the king’s death, despite warnings by the prophet Tiresias and his wife/mother, and his quest to prove the oracles wrong in their declaration that he is

In ancient Greece, there was veneration for the gods as mystical powers who governed the universe. There were gods for all the important aspects of life and the ancient Greeks believed the gods influenced all human activity. Today we would generally refer to such beliefs as religion. Interestingly, the Greeks did not have a word for “religion”. Such beliefs were not a distinct aspect of everyday life, but rather a fundamental part of it (Garland). It may seem ironic to analyze “religion” in Oedipus Rex; but, in reality, the Greek’s relationship with the gods is a fundamental aspect of the story of Oedipus. “Certain forms of behavior did offend

In the tragic play, Oedipus Rex, the Gods and religion greatly influence the social structure which in turn has a profound effect upon how the events unfold. Oedipus is the head of the state. There is a direct parallel in the demise of his household and city state which eventually comes to a full circle to destroy him. Even though Oedipus is praised by his people for being a responsible and honest king, he possesses a major character flaw in his attitude towards the gods which causes the tragic torture he faces in the end. Over the duration of the play, there is a strong sense of contamination towards the state, because it is facing a time of plague, and towards the leader Oedipus, because he is unknowingly in a relationship with his own

Parry associates sheol as “the realm of the dead” or “the dead zone”. It is “inaccessible to the living”. For him, YHWH represents the living that gives life to people, and death is the “opposite of the living God”. So when Korah and his company decide to rebel against Moses and Aaron, YHWH opened up the ground and swallowed the wicked men; they went “down alive into sheol”. This shows how YHWH punishes those who distance themselves from Him, the living, by sending them away to Sheol that “devours the earth”. Parry describes these wicked men who “cannot remember God … they are cut off”.