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Oedipus The King Fate Quotes

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Throughout “Oedipus the King”, the idea of fate, destiny and predestination controls most of the play. The play begins with Oedipus on the throne and Thebes being attacked by plague. As a responsible king, he is searching for a cure: “My search has found one way to treat our disease and I have acted already. I have sent Creon my brother-in-law to the prophetic oracle of Apollo to find out what action or speech” (Sophocles). Right at the beginning of the play, author has shown his bias by giving Oedipus that line. Logically speaking, Oedipus could have used his own free will and knowledge to go find out what is the cause of the plague, but he has decided to ask God what to do instead. The quote shows that Oedipus does trust God even though he …show more content…

Teiresias knows the horrifying truth and after being contemptuously mocked for his blindness by Oedipus because he does not give the answer Oedipus wants to hear, he proceeds to say: “You see straight now but then you see darkness. You will scream aloud on that day; there is no place which shall not hear you…” (Sophocles). Tiresias is the living God. Every word from his mouth is indeed prophetic. The quote acts as a catalyst to make the theme of predestination even clearer; it also foreshadows the tragic ending of Oedipus: he would be living with blindness and shame. During Oedipus’ quest for the truth, there are many times where the hints are being given. Nevertheless, it is not until the shepherd’s full explanation that he completely comprehends. Once he does, he shamefully yells: “O God! It has all come true. Light let this be the last time I see …show more content…

God knows us even before we are born, or even before we are in the womb. He knows us and has plans for our live beforehand. However, He creates us unequally as John Calvin- a second-generation reformer, a lawyer, an intellectual writes: “God determined with himself whatever he wished to happen with regard to every man. All are not created on equal terms, but some are preordained to eternal life, others to eternal damnation; and, accordingly, as each has been created for one or other of these ends, we say that he has been predestined to life or to death.” (Keller). The quote explains why the world is a mixture of the good and the evil. In addition, the evil will be punished without any mercy whereas the good will be

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642 Words | 3 Pages

This choice of logic is what causes Buckingham to change sides which leads to Richard’s downfall. Oedipus on the other hand, desires to help the citizens with the power he possesses. His selflessness is what causes him to do everything in his power to help find the solution to the plague: “But when he comes, than may I prove a villain, if i shall not do all that God commands” (Sophocles 85). However, the deeper he digs for the cure, the more he dives into his own past. By attempting to help the citizens of Thebes, instead of digging for the solution he digs his own grave.

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737 Words | 3 Pages

While Audre Lorde's "Power" and Jacqueline Woodson's "South Carolina at War" differ greatly in their use of form, tone, and imagery, both poems convey powerful themes of injustice and the ongoing struggle against oppression. In "Power", Lorde adopts a cynical and graphic tone to highlight the visceral imagery of police brutality and a rigged justice system. She suggests that in the face of such a corrupt system, the only way to achieve justice is through reciprocal violence. In contrast, Woodson adopts a more optimistic tone in "South Carolina at War" to convey the metaphor of protest as a war through the inspiring voice of the grandfather.

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183 Words | 1 Pages

"Evil not done unconsiously, but willed. The greatest griefs are those we cause ourselves." (Page 130, Right column) Point This shows that it was Oedipus's fault that he did as he did, that is was not the profacyes fault.

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628 Words | 3 Pages

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.

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Because of this action it allowed for Oedipus to grow up to then become king and marry Jocasta thus setting the prophecy into motion to be fulfilled. This shows that no mortal can change the path that the gods have set for them. The God that Stated Oedipus’ fate was the son of Zeus, Apollo. This is found out through one of Oedipus’ messengers that read the oracle of the gods and when Oedipus found out he stated, “Apollo said though his prophet that I was the man who should marry his own mother, shed his father’s blood with his own hands” ( Sophocles 3. 945-947). Even when the prophet of a god tells Oedipus that he will do all these horrible acts he still denies it and continues to try and find out the truth of who his parents really are and who killed the late king Lausis while avoiding what the gods are saying will happen

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427 Words | 2 Pages

Although Oedipus appears to be an angry tyrant, his search for the truth, at the risk of losing his established reputation confirms his righteousness. A plague has struck the city-state of Thebes due to the mysterious murder of Laius, the late king of Thebes. As a result, Oedipus tasks himself with finding the truth of this crime in order to save the people of his city. While doing so, a key witness, a Shepherd, appears and Oedipus begins to question him. In the beginning of the questioning between Oedipus and the Shepherd, Oedipus simply asks for basic information regarding Laius’ death.

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526 Words | 3 Pages

This quotation shows how Oedipus pride in his intellectance and his belief that

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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.

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1856 Words | 8 Pages

In this quote from the play, Oedipus has no idea that he could be at fault. He believed that he must be correct, as he could not recall killing the king. At the end of the book, when he realized that Teiresias was right all along, he blinded himself as a punishment for not believing Teiresias and then outcast himself to save the people from the plague. In this way, he learnt that he had been overconfident and it stopped him from seeing all of the possibilities.. Other examples of this lesson take place in Protagoras, the title character and Socrates debate back and forth constantly.

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677 Words | 3 Pages

However, Oedipus's arrogance blinds him to the truth of Teiresias' words, and he accuses the prophet of treachery. Additionally, the chorus invokes the gods throughout the play, imploring them for mercy and guidance in the face of Oedipus' tragic fate. Fate, as depicted in Oedipus the King, is portrayed as an immutable force that governs the lives of mortals, transcending their attempts to defy or alter its course. Despite Oedipus' efforts to evade his destiny, his actions unwittingly fulfill the prophecy, leading to his tragic downfall. “Once again, I must bring the darkness into the light...slaughtered king”( Sophocles 677).

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1707 Words | 7 Pages

Oedipus worked hard to avoid his fate, the more he tried to intervene with fate the further he drove him and many others to their death. Oedipus spun through his fate like a whirlwind. This play’s setting was during the time of ancient Greek. The ancient Greeks believed their gods could see the future, and prophets or seers could foresee the things to come. Prophets and seers played a huge role in the fate of Oedipus.

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694 Words | 3 Pages

Oedipus calls the prophet to him in order that he may begin to clearly see. Oedipus desperately wants to know the truth but Teiresias denies him saying, “How dreadful knowledge of the

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656 Words | 3 Pages

Differences Between the Regions In the fifteenth century, native civilizations flourished. Two thousand years ' worth of knowledge, astronomy, agricultural, arts and mathematics sprouted. In result, the people who created this knowledge were the Mayans. The art is formed into paintings, sculptures, the showing in their rituals, gods and rulers.

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585 Words | 3 Pages

He thinks that he is above the gods and their prophecies. In the end this leads to Oedipus’ pride leading him to fulfill the prophecy he was trying to

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1233 Words | 5 Pages

It means that the curse affected him and caused his blindness, from what he is already knew since he was born. Consequently, his reactions also were affected. That’s true, but at the end of the story, Oedipus blinded himself as a punishment and took responsible for his undoing and committed it saying “the hand that stuck my eyes was mine, mistake no one else I did it all my self” . A question to think about is why would Oedipus blame and punish himself, even though he recognized his misfortune and that he is predestined from Gods. Of course he is responsible for that irrationality.

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