Oedipus the King
Oedipus the king is a play written by Sophocles. The play involves many characters like Oedipus. The protagonist in the play is the son of King Laius. After Laius learns from the oracle that is cursed and that he will be killed by his own son, he orders Jocasta to kill his own son Oedipus. Jocasta does not agree to kill Oedipus, but he orders a servant to do so. The servant does not kill Oedipus, but instead abandons him in the fields leaving the fate of the child to the gods. Oedipus is rescued by a shepherd and the shepherd takes him to the king where he is raised in the court.
Fate and free is a major theme in the play. Fate is a theme that occurs in most of the Greek plays like Oedipus the king. Oedipus fate is predestined. This is because many people in the play influence Oedipus life. There are many oracles and actions in the play that influence Oedipus fate. For example, Laius’s oracle makes Oedipus fate to be predestined and also the gods. Oedipus has to fulfill what is stated in the oracles (Sophocles &Johnston 2007). In the ancient Greek society, people believed that one life’s was predestined and ones fate is also sealed. This is because what was meant to happen will happen no matter what one does. The same belief is evidenced in the play Oedipus the king. Since Oedipus the king is an ancient play the same notion applies in the play. The characters in the play believe that, what was predestined to happen will happen (Sophocles &Johnston 2007).
In the play Oedipus the king, Oedipus was doomed from the time he was born. This is because of the sins committed by his ancestors. One of the Oedipus ancestor committed rape and the act did not please the gods. This forced the gods to punish Oedipus family for several years. The family has been doomed from one generation to another. The curse from the gods has played an important role in Oedipus life. The curse has led to Oedipus fate as Oedipus is made to suffer like other generations. Oedipus faces difficulty situations in the play as he is meant to fulfill the prophecy in the play (Sophocles &Johnston 2007).
In the play, Oedipus fate is predestined as shown by his parents’ actions. Oedipus parents plan to kill him so as to avoid the fate predestined to face them. The parents fear to kill him, but they order a servant to do so. Oedipus fate is predestined because he is supposed to kill his father one day. Oedipus mother argues that Oedipus will one day kill his father so as to fulfill the prophecy. It was prophesied that one day Oedipus will kill his fathering addition, Oedipus meets with Laius and informs him of a prophecy he heard when he was young.
Oedipus heard that he will one day kill his father. The oracle is fulfilled later in the play as Oedipus meets with his father on the way and kills him. Oedipus does not know whether Laius is his real father and they start quarreling. Oedipus refuses to let his father pass and Oedipus father moves to hit him with his scepter. Oedipus resists the attack and throws his father down the chariot and kills him. Oedipus is influenced by the oracle to kill his father as he has to fulfill the prophecy. If he was not influenced by the oracle, Oedipus could not have killed his father. Thus, Oedipus kills his father out of influence and he fulfils one of the predestined fates in the play. For example, the quotation below shows the oracle Oedipus fulfilled by killing his own father. Also, the oracle shows how Oedipus was doomed from birth (Sophocles &Johnston 2007).
“(The oracle) told him
that it was his fate that he should die a victim
at the hands of his own son, a son to be born
of Laius and me”.
Moreover, Oedipus fate is predestined as he is doomed to marry his mother. In the play Oedipus hears of an oracle that he will one day marry his own mother and lie with her. Laius informs him about the oracle, but he does not agree with what Laius says. Oedipus learns from the oracle while leaving Corinth. Oedipus learns that Polybus and Merope are not his own parents and questions them about his own parents. To confirm that Polybus and his wife are not his own parents, Oedipus questions the Delphic oracle who his biological parents are.
The oracle does not give Oedipus a good answer, but instead it informs him that he is destined to lie with his own mother and shed the blood of his own sire. After Oedipus learns that he is predestined to sleep and marry his own mother he leaves Corinth’s. Later on in the play, Oedipus fulfils the Delphic oracle. Oedipus is influenced by the oracle to sleep with his mother and marry her. He does not sleep with his mother out of his own will, but he does do out of influence. Thus, it’s clear that Oedipus fate is predestined (Sophocles &Johnston 2007).
The quotation below shows how Oedipus was predestined to lie with his mother and kill his owns mother. The oracle explains why Oedipus left Corinth’s (Sophocles &Johnston 2007).
“That I was fated to lie with my mother,
and show to daylight an accursed breed
which men would not endure, and I was doomed
to be murderer of the father that begot me”
Further, Oedipus in the play is supposed to free his own people and be rewarded. The reward Oedipus is supposed to get is marrying his biological mother. In the play Oedipus frees his people and gets his biological mother as a reward. Thus he fulfills the prophecy that he will one day sleep and marry his own mother (Sophocles &Johnston 2007).
Another evidence that shows Oedipus fate is predestined is his death. Oedipus realizes that he is not responsible for his fate on his way to colsus. Oedipus was predestined by the gods to rest on the holy land of Eumenides. Oedipus was destined to be buried by Thebes so as to fulfill the promise made by the gods. The gods wanted Oedipus to be buried by Thebes so as to give the city the protection and blessings predestined by the gods. Oracles contribute a lot to his fates in the story as he has to fulfill the promises made in the oracle. For example, when Creon justifies his actions to get hold of Oedipus and force him to go Thebes, Oedipus argues that the gods predestined his fate. He argues that his fate was predestined by the gods.
Though, pride contributes to his fate, the gods contribute a lot to his fate as a he has to fulfill the oracles predestined by the gods. Hence, the play is in accordance with the myths of the ancient Greek society. People in ancient Greek believe that people have to fulfill what was destined by the gods in some oracles. Oedipus fulfils the oracles destined by the gods. Oedipus argues that his fate was destined by the gods and he did not cause any of it (Sophocles &Johnston 2007).
Thesues goes to bring Oedipus daughters back and Oedipus promises to reward Thesues by giving Athens his body to bury. This was in order to fulfill his promise as foretold by the gods. The gods foretold that Oedipus body has to be buried for the blessings of the gods. Later on in the play Oedipus gives his body to the Thesues to bury it and fulfils his promise.
Oedipus has a moral flaw. This is because pride contributes a lot to his fate. Oedipus did not allow his father to pass because of his pride. This resulted to Oedipus killing his father. Lack of respect has contributed a lot to Oedipus fate. Odepuus does not respect Laius and refuses to allow him to pass. This results to an argument and later death. If Oedipus had respect and humble, he could not have faced fate. In conclusion, Oedipus fate is predestined as shown in the play. Oedipus is not responsible for his fate, but the gods are responsible for Oedipus fate (Sophocles &Johnston 2007).
Reference
Sophocles., &Johnston, I.C.(2007).Oedipus the King. RicherResourcesPublications, 2007
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