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King Oedipus's Journey

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Oedipus Rex is a well-known play of a tragic hero written by Sophocles around 430 B.C in Athens Greece. The play revolves around the prophecy given by the oracle Delphi who predicted the son of King Laios and Jocasta will murder his father and marry his mother. Terrified of the prophecy, King Laios and Jocasta selfishly and drastically decide to bind the baby’s feet together and leave him in the forest to die. Miraculously the baby is rescued by someone passing through the same forest and was later adopted by the King and Queen of Corinth. They named the baby Oedipus, who then learned about the prophecy and decided to run away from his adopted parents to avoid his cruel destiny. Oedipus embarks in a journey to prevent the prophecy from coming …show more content…

However, the town began to suffer from a plague that would not go away until the killer of Laios was found. Desperate to help his people Oedipus was determined to find the killer at all costs, “I’ll stop at nothing to trace his murderer back to the killer’s hand” (715). In his attempts to find answers he seeks the elder Tiresias in hopes that he might reveal to him who is Laios’ killer. Arrogantly and ruthlessly Oedipus dismisses Tiresias’ advice to not seek answers. Oedipus on the other hand wishes to hear the truth from Tiresias by forcing him to speak. Oedipus then is filled with rage after hearing Tiresias accusations that Oedipus is the “plague” and has “poisoned his own land” (717). Oedipus believed that Tiresias is a traitor and is lying about his accusations to harm him. Oedipus then decides to banish Tiresias and continues to seek answers. Oedipus’ freewill is limited because he is misguided by his ambitious character. He is not willing to hear and try to understand Tiresias advice because he wishes to be the savior and hero of his town. After the injustice of banishing Tiresias from Thebes, he blindly continues to seek answers he later regrets to learn. Oedipus has a strong character and wishes to help the town, even at his own costs. The dramatic irony kept building up as Oedipus kept cursing the individual responsible for his …show more content…

However, he kept making the wrong decisions and actions. His actions led by his flawed character is why he ended up fulfilling the prophecy. Oedipus is a tragic hero who by his own hand caused all his misfortune. Although in the beginning of the play, it is clear of his faith there was instances where Oedipus had a say in the upcoming events. Throughout the play Oedipus had freewill and was ultimately responsible of his future. However, he did not approach the situation in the best matter because he often let his aspiration and rage control his actions as a man and as a

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640 Words | 3 Pages

This quote showed that Oedipus can be petty and stubborn, thus he reviled Tiresias even more but later that ate up his own pride. Although upon hearing this, he still sentenced himself to exile and it seems like he cares for his own people first before himself which in the end, Oedipus was the most perfect and righteous

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509 Words | 3 Pages

Oedipus denies the truth and faces the consequences later on in the play. He gets furious when everyone is blaming him for killing Laius. As he is blaming others, hubris appears within his personality. Oedipus becomes blinder as hubris takes over him.

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614 Words | 3 Pages

From the beginning Oedipus was destined to fulfill a terrible prophecy, but through particular events that follow the steps of the Hero’s Journey, Oedipus becomes a powerful king of Thebes, only to be destroyed by the prophecy that should have ended his life as a child. The Hero’s Journey typically leads to self-confidence and power, however; the Hero’s Journey of Oedipus leads to his tragic demise. The Hero’s Journey lays out the steps of Oedipus’s future actions, which create suspense, fear, pity, and other emotions that captivates the audience. Similar to many famous stories, Oedipus the King, written by Sophocles in 430 B.C., follows the Hero’s Journey path, which is evident in Oedipus’s departure, initiation, and return.

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551 Words | 3 Pages

The riddle shows how ignorant and also how knowledgeable Oedipus really was. Like mentioned earlier, Oedipus knew the riddle was about him, but he chose to deny it. He chose his ignorance over his knowledge. This shows that even though he chose ignorance then, when he confronted Tiresias he chose knowledge over ignorance. It is known that “ the truth shall set you

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595 Words | 3 Pages

As Oedipus interrogated the old man he refuses to answer for he knows Oedipus will not be ready for the traumatic response he will receive. The more Tiresias denies the king’s requests the more hostile the king becomes causing Tiresias to spew out

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879 Words | 4 Pages

On doing so, Oedipus does not reflect on how his actions are causing him to dishonor the gods. Because Tiresias was a person through whom a god was believed to speak, and Oedipus did not believe Tiresias, Oedipus was seeking for the gods to take revenge on him as a consequence of his own

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188 Words | 1 Pages

Oedipus is a mystery play starting out with the town of Thebes in a crisis. The plague that has taken over the town has affected not only citizens of Thebes, but also the livestock and land. Oedipus turns to the gods for help, and they say that the land will be cursed until the killer of Laios, the king who ruled before Oedipus, is found. Oedipus then starts a thorough investigation to find the killer so the land can prosper again. Oedipus summoned a blind prophet named Tiresias to find out more details about the murder, but Tiresias accused Oedipus of committing the horrible crime.

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1707 Words | 7 Pages

They left their prophesy vague and to the point, so Oedipus would assume then run into his fate. The tragedy starts with the first king, Laius. Laius learns of his fate and attempts to change it, a prophet foreseen the kings future, the prophecy was that the king’s son with Jocasta would grow up then Laius would meet his death by his own son. Oedipus dad, Laius bound Oedipus legs together and left him in a field to die. There Oedipus was found and adopted by a loving family.

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562 Words | 3 Pages

On the contrary, the consistency of Oedipus’ hubris is actually another evidence demonstrating the gods’ control over his fate. Supposedly, the plots develop as the gradual discovery of his origin, and Oedipus has the “freewill” to choose. In effect, his behaviors can be explained as a path set up by God. Normally, a person’s personalities significantly affect his decisions, and the arrogance embedded in Oedipus’ nature gives rise to his determination to quest the truth; hence, he claims firmly: “Nothing will move me, I will find out the whole truth” (Sophocles 61). He is destined to never stop the pursuit of the truth because his stubborn and arrogant personalities are designed as components of his fate.

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500 Words | 2 Pages

The tragedy is filled with dramatic ironies due to Oedipus’ ambition in finding King Laius’s murderer. As Oedipus was addressing the people of Thebes about the consequences that will follow the murderer, “Be driven from every house, being, as he is, corruption itself to us”(Sophocles 227-228). The dramatic irony is that Oedipus is the murderer himself but he does not know it yet, so the proclamation that he said should be applied to him. Alternatively, Tiresias replied to Oedipus after he insulted him for being “sightless” and “ senseless” and said, “There is no one here who will not curse you soon, as you curse me.”

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769 Words | 4 Pages

When the blind prophet Tiresias tells him the truth and reveals the horrors of Oedipus’ past, rather than accept it, he lashes out. This is clear when Oedipus retorts: Sirrah, what mak’st thou here? Dost thou presume To approach my doors, thou brazen-faced rogue, My murderer and the filcher of my crown? Come, answer this, didst thou detect in me Some touch of cowardice or witlessness, That made thee undertake this enterprise?

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577 Words | 3 Pages

Oedipus was a tragic hero he was seen as a great man and was king,but he fell to misfortune because of his disability to see past his pride and anger which led to his demise. By not being able to see past his pride and anger Oedipus was not able to to avoid his prophetic destiny. He was blinded by his pride and anger so much that it became his tragic flaw ultimately leading him to his

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975 Words | 4 Pages

His character and temper are depicted in his relentless persistence for seeking the truth. After the initial decision to find the murderer of Laius, Oedipus sets off a series of decisions and events that lead to his tragic discovery and downfall. The first obstacle is old Teiresias “master of the wise and hidden mysteries,” whom Oedipus poses many questions in order to find out the answer. Teiresias provokes Oedipus, alluding to his sin, but avoids telling him the truth. After being irritated and aggravated Oedipus becomes rough and starts insulting blind man.

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1159 Words | 5 Pages

Introduction The story of Oedipus the king is gloomy, yet captivating. Going from a child bond around the feet and abandon by the mountainside, to marrying his mother, his story is intriguing. In search of the truth about the prophecy and putting an end to a plague Oedipus, search for king Laius’s killer, did somethings inadvertently, making him a tragic hero. His search for truth in the death of Laius the king, as well as his birth led to the ultimate destruction and downfall of his life.

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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.

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