Prophecies In The Odyssey

When the man’s eyes open, he is standing on a small strip of land. In front of him, there are two caves. Both look identical in size and shape and he cannot spot even the smallest of differences between the two. In fear and confusion, he looks around him and sees that for miles on end, there is absolutely nothing. He begins to panic as he cannot see a single soul, building or animal in sight. Suddenly, his ears fill with a voice which explains to him what the two caves represent. The voice is bell-like and has an instant calming effect on his heart. The only word he can use to describe it is “godly”. The voice tell him that the right cave leads to a blissful place, where happiness and acceptance are guaranteed and the promise is made that he

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. Later in the play, after Oedipus and Jocasta have gotten married she says, “An oracle was given to Laius… What came of it? Laius… was killed by outland robbers… There, then, Apollo did not so contrive it. The offspring did not kill his father…” (Sophocles 711-721). It was Jocasta’s belief in the oracle’s words that set off a cause and effect reaction of the queen believing she was able to avoid the prophecy instead of adhering to it. This is an example of hubris and it is this flaw which she possessed, along with her beliefs, which was able to convey the theme of the play through character. This same prophecy also factors into the shepherd’s actions. He is given the child, “[but] still the word of Apollo- and human

The foundation of the play is based on the dangers of prideful thinking when trying to exercise free will in a world where fate and the word of the Gods is predominant. Specifically it was the belief of the characters in the gods as well as prophecies/prophesiers which resulted in the play’s message being the one it was. The man has been walking down the cave for a while now. He is tired, nearly collapsing from exhaustion on many accounts yet he carries on. Until suddenly, he sees a door. He cannot contain his joy, because after so long, after trudging the cave for what seemed like years, he was finally going to enter his own heaven. Except… when he opens the door, the only thing he can hear are the screams of terror, the only thing he can see is fire and pain personified. Devastated, he falls to his knees, feeling helpless. How could that godlike voice have done this to him? But he does not realize that it was not the gods doing, he only has himself to blame. When he opens his eyes, he turns around, away from the door, and his jaw drops at what he sees. There are two entrances and with shocking realization he realizes that both caves had always led to this one door. And although he does not understand, that door will always be just that. His