Oedipus the King: A Victim of Fate Essay

It might be argued that Oedipus' killing of his biological father was a result of inferior morals. In this time period, however, such a killing was viewed as reasonable, what any reasonable human being would have done under similar circumstances, and should not be used to disqualify Oedipus under Sophloles' definition of tragic hero (Ades 358). This was not a murder for gain and neither was it a murder resulting from hatred. It was simply a socially acceptable means of settling a dispute.

When Oedipus hears that he is the killer, his pride is wounded for he cannot accept the truth. His judgment is so blurred that he also begins to view Creon as a traitor for using Tiresias. Creon’s words sum up Oedipus’s rage when he said, “Oedipus, your husband, he’s bent on a choice of punishments for me, banishment from the fatherland or death” (715-717). Jocasta is even surprised with Oedipus’s unusual character, as she said, “For the love of God, Oedipus, tell me too, what is it? Why this rage? You’re so unbending” (767-769). The reason why Oedipus pride is so wounded can be because his negative experiences with the Gods. As a baby, he was condemned to death, yet he survived and learned the horrible truth of his prophecy. In attempt to escape that life, he lost belief in the word of the gods because he refused that the prophecies should come true. This struggle between God and Oedipus only tears his moral beliefs as he has to be stone cold to survive his tribulations. This meant giving no consideration against people who presently posed a great threat to him.

Sophocles’ powerful tragedy, Oedipus Rex, details the tragic fall of Oedipus, the king of Thebes. Oedipus’ false claims of certainty of knowledge and justice, as well as his rash actions based on these presumed certainties are some of the main drivers of the prophecy stating he will marry his mother and kill his father. As the scholar Bernard Knox states, “these attributes of divinity - knowledge, certainty, justice – are all qualities Oedipus thought he possessed – and that is why he is the perfect example of the inadequacy of human knowledge, certainty, and justice.” Oedipus did not consider the possibility that he was wrong, but instead denied any attempts by others to help him see the truth of the situation. This hubris, coupled with his false beliefs based on these certainties, led to his tragic downfall at the end of the play.

In the Sophocles play, “Oedipus Rex,” discrepancy between whether Oedipus is the main culprit for murdering King Laius or if Oedipus has become the scapegoat for the cause of the city’s plague that took many lives. The murder of King Laius strikes the interest of many readers and therefore creating the discussion of who would be a culprit for the crime. One side of the argument shows the Greek Gods set a curse upon Oedipus making his destiny one of wrongful conviction for a murderous crime. On the argument’s opposing side the goddesses determine Oedipus’s fate will be to murder his own father unknowingly on his way to becoming King of Thebes. Also, a third argument can be made as to Oedipus did murder his father to save his family from a

Sophocles’ Oedipus the King classifies as an unmistakable tragedy. Featuring several deaths, banishment, and eye-gorging, very little of the play offers any cheerful juxtaposition. Upon completion of the play, the question that first comes to mind is where to place the blame for the tragic outcome. While arguments could be made for Oedipus, Laius, or even the entity fate, the blame truly lies with the first oracle who revealed the prophecy of Oedipus’ future to Laius and Jocasta. The prophet’s disclosing of the divination directly caused Laius to enact understandable preventative measures in effort to prevent such a terrible event from coming to pass, which, unfortunately, actually ensured its happening. Had the oracle been forced to divulge

In Greek tragedy, it is said that as individuals we fail because of our actions. However, the gods play a major role in determining an individual’s fate. The play, Oedipus The King, is about an orphan who runs away from his adoptive parent’s home.

Oedipus’ disgustingly brutal fate makes us question whether or not he actually deserved it. Kennedy and Dana Gioia’s include this point in their criticism on Sophocles’ “Oedipus the King”. I completely agree with what they state. They bring up the interesting point how the tragedy makes us (the audience) feel somewhat sympathetic for Oedipus’ horrific inevitable fate. They mention how “we are not altogether sorry” for Oedipus downfall. We are led to believe this because he does show hubris and impiety a few times in the tragedy, but we also know that every person has flaws. This makes us feel like he possibly did not deserve the tragic fate that he received. They mention how “Oedipus does not curse God and die.” Instead of doing this he accepts

Oedipus refused to let this prophecy come true; therefore, he decided to never return to Corinth and hurry off in the direction of Thebes where he could be far away from his adoptive parents. This revealed Oedipus character to possess such a pride that made him fight against the idea that the gods are in charge of the lives of mortals. In addition, his pride pushed Oedipus to believe that he could control as well as create his own destiny. This tragic flaw that Oedipus possessed is what started the path towards the prophecy becoming true. As a matter of fact, his refusal to accept the fate he was set up

Oedipus has a very short temper building anger, leading him to have poor judgement. Rash anger led him to unknowingly kill his real father, King

     Free will pertaining to the play is what the character in this case oedipus does to avoid the fate that the oracle has set out for him.

As a result he kills his father, bears his mother's children, and marries his own mother, in his blindness to the truth of his origin. Sophocles through this explains how the fate the gods set out to each person is inevitable, thus everyone should “Bear [their] own fate [for] it is bound to come. ”(1280) Sophocles uses the victimized Oedipus to demonstrate that Oedipus is a “tragedy of destiny… that man has no free will but is the puppet in the hands of gods. ”(Dobbs

Throughout history many authors, including Sophocles, wrote incredible, emotional Greek tragedy masterpieces which focused on a tragic hero. The author, through these dramas, invited the audience in all while playing on their emotions and taking them on a journey through a character’s life, exposing their tragic flaw and ultimately their destiny. Aristotle once said, “A tragedy is that moment where the hero comes face to face with his true identity.” Through his ability to preserve his wisdom and virtue, Oedipus is the epitome of Aristotle’s definition of a tragic hero, despite his tragic flaws and downfall. In Oedipus the King, written by Sophocles, “there is a struggle about knowledge, the wanting and not wanting to know the truth” (Zachrisson, 2013). When the truth is discovered by Oedipus it rips out his heart to come to terms with the unknowing evil he has done.

Although Oedipus the King was written by Sophocles when the Ancient Greek civilization was at its peak, far before the textbook you will read it from was created, its ideas and themes can still be applicable. Despite being far older than the simple platitude, one theme of Sophocles’ tragedy is perhaps best explained with the phrase “ignorance is bliss”. Oedipus the King also has a second theme, people pick and choose what they want to believe as it suits them. Both themes, developed through the symbolism and irony throughout the tragedy, cause us to question our own pursuits and beliefs, making it a story worth examining further.

"Oedipus the King" is a play written by Sophocles. Oedipus is the main figure and legend of Sophocles ' play. After Oedipus ' birth into the world, his father King Laius of Thebes heard from a prophet that his own child was destined to kill him. Sophocles ' play begins from past to present and starts to unravel the journeys Oedipus goes through. Oedipus isn 't an evil character as one would think while reading the story. He never had the intention of harming anyone in any way, shape, or form. It 's his actions that make him seem like the person he is when really he 's just full of regrets and guilt from what he has done.

truths. It is his free willing reactions to those truths that depicts what kind of hero Oedipus is.