First his denial of being the source of the plague. Second, his egotistical abilities that will form his plot to change his fate. And lastly, the consequences of his denial that will lead him to his physical and emotional destruction. It would seem that in this case, Oedipus’s fate is his own enemy.
Oedipus fails to overcome the fate that has been set out for him by the gods. Though the case was different for him, as unlike Hamlet, Oedipus really couldn’t have done anything to avoid his fate of killing his father and marrying his mother. He believed that his real parents were in Corinth and the best way to avoid his fate was to flee the city. Unfortunately for Oedipus, what he had not known was that he was adopted, and his real parents lived in Thebes, the city he fled to. It was nearly impossible for him to have avoided his fate.
With the realization of his demise, Oedipus tries to protect himself from punishment and shame by gouging out his own eyes and exiling himself out to die in the place destiny prevented him from dying originally. After many years of luxurious living, Oedipus’s predestined fate tears his life apart and returns him to the place he should have died as an infant, the mountain. Through the use of, departure, initiation, and return, Sophocles displays the journey of Oedipus. Not only is Oedipus the King evidence of the use of the hero’s journey throughout many famous plays, movies, and books across all cultures and time periods, but it also seen as a perfect tragedy, in which the audience experiences both pity and fear for the main
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.
The people of Thebes seeked aid from the true gods , the real protectors and deciders of one's fate , and he puts the cities problems on his shoulders, A gods duty is not a mortal mans job. Oedipus just didnt understand. “ As I should , to avenge the city and the
To close, Oedipus’ curse was caused by the gods but his pain was a consequence from himself. He banished himself and stabbed his own eyes, but he also married his mother and killed his father. Despite this, it is known that those events would not have happened if the gods had never said anything. It is a harsh story but it brings out good questions about blame and cause that I hope have been cleared up.
In Greek myths kings play a big role in their kingdom and they have a moral responsibility to do what is ethically right for their people. In the story of Oedipus, the king, by Sophocles, Oedipus the ruler of Thebes must deal with the repercussions of a plague that is infiltrating his city and the consequences of committing a heinous crime. Oedipus has a moral responsibility to leave Thebes because he is the reason as to why the plague was brought upon the city and he deserves to get punished for committing the horrific crime of murder. Oedipus was once known as the wisest person for saving the people of Thebes from the torment of the sphinx, but he is also the reason as to why the people are in such agony because of the plague. In line 93 it says, “A murder blew the deadly plague breath on our city.”
During the course of the play, the idea that Oedipus has no control over his fate is supported numerous times. First, the philosophical view that we don’t control our fate is supported by the play when the plague hits Thebes in the beginning of the play. The fact that Oedipus’s prophecy has been fulfilled is unknown to him at this time; he is in the clear. But then the plague hits, and the only way to stop it is too avenge King Laius's death.
In ancient Greek literature, diseases and afflictions often play key roles within the story. In Sophocles 's tragedy Oedipus Rex, the presence and recurrence of afflictions are central elements to the plot. Oedipus and his city both possess conditions that determine the outcome of the play. The motif of ailments, like the plague and blindness, highlight the hubris and failures of Oedipus to demonstrate his reliance on the gods.
This personal tragedy for Oedipus was discovering the truth and becoming blind because of it. It completed the prophecy that Oedipus had received from Tiresias, the blind prophet. Tiresias told Oedipus that he had come into Thebes with his sight but would leave Thebes without it. The physical blindness that Oedipus had also left him with wrongs of his life, with nothing to look at Oedipus was forced to think about his life, wrongdoings, and what had happened. Essentially he was forced to deal with it.
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
In many people’s eyes, it is seen that fate is something that one can not escape. In Oedipus Rex, by Sophocles, Oedipus gives a speech to the citizens of Thebes, about the murder of their previous leader, Laius. And in this speech, he explains the hardship that the murderer will have to eventually face. In Oedipus’s speech from Oedipus Rex, Sophocles uses the literary device of dramatic irony to develop the central idea that fate is destined to happen, and can possibly bring more intensified consequences when avoided. If one tries to escape their fate, the conflicts that occur can be more severe than they were supposed to be. One can infer that what Oedipus is stating will eventually happen to him in the end of the play, if he is classified as the murderer.
The Freedom of Oedipus is the Freedom of Thebes: Why Oedipus Cannot be Free Until the Truth is Exposed In Sophocles’ Oedipus Tyrannus, the theme of human fate versus free will is explored in the age-old tale of the king of Thebes who inadvertently murdered his father and married his mother. The play opens with Oedipus, a strong man and compassionate leader whom the audience can easily admire. By the closing of the play, a journey of self-discovery has lead Oedipus to his fall from kingship and exile from the city he loves, as well as the suicide of his wife and his self-blinding.
Even though it seems that Oedipus has not been a particularly good monarch, having a king put to death could have serious repercussions on the rest of the kingdom. The only way to cure the plague and keep the kingdom stable seems to be the banishment of Oedipus. In this case, the question of whether or not he deserved to be punished seems irrelevant; Oedipus ' only goal was to stop the plague and by leaving, he has accomplished that goal. Banishment was the only choice.
Dodds mentions major events from the play where Oedipus chooses to keep looking for the truth, resulting in his ruin. One of the events that Dodds mentions is the first cause of the play, the plague. In this scenario Oedipus choose between leaving the ‘plague to take its course’ or to find the solution, which for the good of his Theban people chose to find the solution. Then he investigated the murder of King Laius resulting in devastating information, Oedipus destruction (224).
