Archetypes In Oedipus

Archetypal Tragedies

Archetypes are prevalent in all forms of literature, but sometimes fate isn't as transparent as people perceive it. Choices lead us to fate, and fate occurs through what we do. From choosing to sleep on a warm Sunday afternoon, to killing a bunch of children in a school, choices lead us to our so-called fate. Anakin from Star Wars had his destiny created through his own free-will while Oedipus from Oedipus Rex had his created through fate. This is important because this demonstrates how Oedipus’s destiny can be accounted to fate while Anakin’s destiny is accounted to free-will. Oedipus and Anakin both tried to outrun their fate, but Oedipus made fewer choices related to his fate than Anakin, however, Anakin let himself

Anakin was trying to save Padme’s life. Padme’s fate was to die; Anakin saw Padme dying in his dream. Anakin’s dreams are prophetic; they predicted his own mother’s death. Anakin’s attempt to outrun fate was him trying to save Padme’s life. Oedipus was told by a prophecy that he would kill his father and sleep with his mother, but he didn’t believe in it. Regardless, he fled from Corinth, “This was the man whom Oedipus, long ago, feared so, fled so, in dread of destroying him-but it was by another fate by which he died” (Sophocles 15). Oedipus’s attempt to outrun fate led to him meeting his fate, which proves that Oedipus’s fate is more related to his destiny than Anakin’s making Oedipus Rex a better Archetypal

Anakin’s attempt to save Padme actually led to her death. We can infer that Padme died because of Anakin’s submission to the Dark Side. Padme was in good condition and good health, but she slowly became ill after Anakin joined Darth Sidious. Anakin’s association with the Dark Side was the actual cause of Padme’s death. In contrast, Oedipus had no idea about his fate. He didn’t know he was sleeping with his mother, or that he killed his father till the messenger told him of what he did, “No man living is more wretched than Oedipus” (Sophocles 19). Oedipus actually thought he had successfully outrun his fate, “They prophesied that I should kill Polybos, kill my own father ; but he is dead and buried, and I am here-I never touched him, never” (Sophocles