ipl-logo

Essay On Fate In Oedipus The King

517 Words3 Pages

Fate in Oedipus the King

Do people have control over their lives or is everything already set in place to happen? In “Oedipus the King”, fate is the foundation of the story. Fate is this predestined force that cannot be defied or changed. Fate is something that will always be there until it is fulfilled. Fate is pretty much like the root of all good and evil. Some fate is good, but others can be horrific. Fate is like a grenade, it gives the person enough time to figure it out and then BOOM it explodes after they’ve found the answer they were looking for. This is exactly like “Oedipus the King” because Oedipus was issued a prophecy, Oedipus seeked for answers, and finally he began to realize and make sense of everything.
The main character …show more content…

He was angry because he was appalled that Teiresias would issue such unfavorable prophecies to him. This anger pressured him to seek for answers. Oedipus went to Jocasta for advice. Jocasta is Oedipus’s wife and the mother of his children. Jocasta told Oedipus not to worry about the prophecy because her and her old husband were given a prophecy that they thought they had changed. Jocasta’s old husband used to be the king of Thebes. His name was Laius. Laius was killed one day where three roads meet, by who that thought was a stranger to the land. The prophecy came from those who assist the god, Apollo. The prophecy stated that Laius was fated to be killed by a child conceived by him and Jocasta. But, before the child was three days old, Laius fused his ankles tight together and ordered other men to throw him out on a mountain rock where no one ever goes. And so this led Jocasta to believe Apollo’s plan that the child would be the one to kill Laius didn’t work and Laius never suffered what he feared , that his own son would be his murderer. Jocasta’s disbelief in the prophecy triggered Oedipus’s journey to seek the

Show More
Related
977 Words | 4 Pages

Imagine being told your future fate without knowing if it’s true, when it will happen, or even if you can prevent it. One king, Oedipus, in particular, was living that very reality. His fate was uncovered early on by a prophecy, so he lived life trying to run from that fate. Yet, he unknowingly lived that very life later on. He led a life of incest, committed a heinous crime, and was burdened with suffering after the acts were revealed.

Read More
1736 Words | 7 Pages

Oedipus’ peripeteia occurs when he comes to the realization that he fulfilled the prophecy by killing his father and marrying his mother. The panic and fear Oedipus carried with him of the prophecy coming to fruition becomes his reality, where everything he knew was never his decision. In the midst of his panic before the reality he knows is pulled under his feet, Jocatsa attempts to calm Oedipus down, by telling him that prophecies can be defied. Jocasta tells Oedipus how her previous husband, Laius, and herself defied their prophecies, just like he can. She tells Oedipus of her prophecy, “It was said Laius was fated to be killed by a child of ours, one born to him and me.”

Read More
1377 Words | 6 Pages

In the playwright “Oedipus the King”, by Sophocles, the protagonist Oedipus has learned that his prophecy is destined for him to marry his mother Jocasta

Read More
732 Words | 3 Pages

Benjamin Disraeli wrote, “Circumstances are beyond control of man; but his conduct is in his own power,” in his book, Contarini Fleming. In other words, a man cannot control the situations of everything that happens in both the world and in his life; however the way he reacts to the circumstances in his own power. This quote is true to the characters of many works; none were able to forcefully change the circumstances of their surroundings. Even then, they were able to behave however they wanted to, which would alter the environment and the outcome of their lives. The same applies to Sophocles’ Oedipus the King-- he was presented with many situations he couldn’t control, but was able to react to them based on his own judgement.

Read More
1947 Words | 8 Pages

These prophecies and messages are distributed throughout the plot and all act as a factor in the fate and development of hubris within characters. The first prophecy which is introduced is within the Theban legend and is told to the current king of Thebes, Laius and his wife Jocasta. Apollo’s oracle conveyed to the couple that their unborn child was to murder his father and marry his mother. The knowledge of this prophecy thus set into motion a belief in the couple’s minds that they could be smart and presumptuous enough to alter their fate. In attempting to do so, they give their child to a shepherd to be left for dead.

Read More
408 Words | 2 Pages

In Sophocles' Oedipus the King, the themes of fate and agency are very strong throughout the play.  Both sides of the argument can be greatly supported.   The attributes of a person have either a positive or negative affect on the choices that they make.   For Oedipus, his main attribute was the desire for knowledge and understanding about his own life. Because of this strong will and desire, this was Oedipus’ driving force in the play to lead him to the truth of his beginnings.

Read More
477 Words | 2 Pages

Vile acts, of which you know nothing and which you cannot see.” (7)Tiresias is trying to hint oedipus that he is the boy in the prophecy and that it has come true. Jocasta explains the past prophecy “Once, an oracle came to laius saying that it was his fate to die by the hand of his son his. His and my son! However, word has it that laius was killed by strangers, thieves,at a three way crossroad.”

Read More
1707 Words | 7 Pages

Philosophers and scientist have been having the Fate vs. Freewill controversy for centuries. Fate vs free will is a predominate theme in these two classical tragedies Sophocles’, hamlet and William Shakespeare’s, Oedipus. Ask yourself,” Is our life predetermined by a preeminent power or is our life a result from the decisions we make for ourselves?” Fate is the advancement of events in a person’s life that happen beyond a person’s control, as predetermined by a supernatural power. Free will is the power to act at one’s own judgment.

Read More
1441 Words | 6 Pages

Jocasta was also blind to the fact that Oedipus very well may have murdered Laius. Jocasta heard the oracle state “It said Laius was fated to be killed by a child of ours, one born to him and me.” (Sophocles Line 710). Jocasta should have been more wary of a stranger who arrived immediately after the murder of her husband. She was not however, and it lead to her marrying her own

Read More
979 Words | 4 Pages

Oedipus seems relieved that he did not kill his father, thinking it is senseless to fear the Pythian hearth when his father is now dead. However, he looks to Jocasta explaining how he still fears the other half of the prophecy that he should sleep with his mother. He explains to her that “All that you say would be said perfectly if she were dead; but since

Read More
479 Words | 2 Pages

Oedipus was getting hints of his prophecy and knowledge. King Oedipus hears Laius prophecy, thebes is looking for laius murder to bring healing to the city. Jocasta doesn't want him to keep searching because she is afraid. “I feel that my own curse now begins to descend on me.” (line 703, part 2)

Read More
405 Words | 2 Pages

Her story of how Laius was murdered seemed familiar to Oedipus. He told her his story of how he was told by the oracle that he would murder his father and sleep with his mother, so he ran away from home. While running away, he killed some travelers who harassed him near the spot where Laius was murdered. Later, a messenger comes to tell Oedipus that his father died of natural causes and he is now the new ruler. However, he still fears what the oracle said.

Read More
1224 Words | 5 Pages

The destiny that Oedipus was attempting to avoid, was the destiny that he was also fulfilling. Fate is defined as a destined outcome; nothing can alter that no matter what is tried. Anyway, it was too late for Oedipus to do anything about it, for the many factors that contributed to his death were irreversible and dormant until the very ironically tragic end. Oedipus tried to master fate and it ultimately mastered him.

Read More
848 Words | 4 Pages

The Queen, Jacosta, Oedipus’ wife tells him not to believe in the prophet, because they’ve been wrong before, she then tells Oedipus about how she and King Laius had a son who was prophesied to kill Laius and sleep with her but since the child was supposedly dead the prophecy couldn’t be true. Oedipus becomes a bit weary because as a child an old man told him he was adopted and that one day he’d kill his real father and sleep with his mother, Oedipus did also kill a man at a crossroads which sounded like the way Laius died. Oedipus continued questioning the messenger and found out that he was the man everyone spoke of and Jacosta then comes to the realization that Oedipus is her son and kills herself.

Read More
692 Words | 3 Pages

Since the earliest of times, there has always been debate over the concepts of fate and free will. The most frequent dispute is whether or not man truly has free will, or if fate is the ultimate determinant of how one's life will turn out. One play that depicts this concept is Sophocles' Oedipus Rex. In this tragedy, Oedipus receives a prophecy that he would bed his mother and murder his father. After learning of this prophecy, Oedipus attempts to undo fate and utilize his free will to escape what would be his destiny.

Read More

More about Essay On Fate In Oedipus The King

Related Topics

Open Document