Theme Of Fate In Oedipus - 1048 Words

â€Å"The journeys we as humans take over our lifetimes are all a matter of choices. As we age, our daily decisions shape the overall outcome of our collective destinies† (Java, 2009). We usually take this for granted, but in Sophocles’ Oedipus the King, no one in the play can change or escape their tragic fate. There are three aspects of the play that show that. First, several characters try to change their fates, but it ends up backfiring on them and causing their ruins. Second, no matter how hard they try fate still has its way and the characters have no say in the matter. Lastly, Oedipus’ actions, causes pain and suffering to those around him. Oedipus and several other characters try to change their fates, but it ultimately leads to†¦show more content†¦First, the king and queen of Thebes were warned by an oracle that their child will grow up to kill his father and marry his mother. As mentioned before they try to get rid of the child, but it unknowingly failed since a shepherd saves him. Despite their efforts fate worked its way around to coming true to the oracles word. Oedipus, also mentioned before as well, after being told by an oracle that he will kill his father and marry his mother tries to leave the people he believed were his parents and sets out for another kingdom and blindly fulfills both prophecies. This is Oedipus’ flaw says Richard Bockman of the St. Petersburg Times, â€Å" he thinks hes smarter than everyone else. This flaw prompts him to do what at the time he thinks is right† (Bockman, 2005). After believing that he defeated fate and saved Thebes from the sphinx he also feels that he can help the people overcome the plague. Oedipus, mainly ends up leading the people around him to their own ends and agonizing because he tried to change his own fate. Despite others also trying to change fate, Oedipus is the cause of their agonies. If Oedipus was not trying to be so smart by leaving his home, unknowingly killing Laius at the crossroads, saving Thebes from the Sphinx, and ultimately having four kids with Jocasta, he probably wouldn’t have caused so much pain to others. The play starts with a plaque falling over Thebes that Oedipus promisesShow MoreRelatedTheme Of Fate In Oedipus708 Words   |  3 Pagesthat fate has led him to be ignorant of his the fact that those he considers his parents are not really his biological parents. The play portrays Oedipus as a man with much love for his family. Though he wishes to see his parents, he vows not to return to his home in Corinth for fear of falling into fate’s hands. Had he known who his parents are beforehand, he never would have slain his father and married his mother. His actions are noble and meant for the greater good however, twist of fate corruptRead MoreTheme Of Fate In Oedipus The King778 Words   |  4 PagesThe greek myth told by Sophocles, Oedipus The King. Along with George Lucas’s popular modern film The Empire Strikes Back, a part of the Star Wars trilogy address questions that have been prevalent from the Ancient greeks and are still being pondered today. Both tales address Fate. In Oedipus The King, our protagonist Oedipus is constantly living with dreadful prophecies that are inevitable to prevent. While Luke Skywalker deals with his fate to become a Jedi Master. Likewise these stories deal withRead MoreTheme Of Fate In Oedipus1095 Words   |  5 PagesAn Acceptance of Fate At this point in the play, Oedipus is mentally processing his actions and their consequences in a stream of consciousness. Oedipus delivers this monologue after learning that he has killed his father and married his mother, finding Jocasta dead due to suicide, and, ultimately, blinding himself. This is the moment where Oedipus finally accepts his fate. Although Oedipus is speaking to the Chorus, he delivers this speech to help himself understand the situation that he isRead MoreFate is the Key Theme in Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex and in Chekhov’s The Seagull622 Words   |  2 Pagesdefines fate as the development of events beyond a person’s control, regarded as determined by a supernatural power. The forgone conclusion of fate is a key theme in Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex and in Chekhov’s The Seagull. These story fascinated readers the way that forgone conclusions are sent by playwright and how the actions of the characters contribute to and heightened their fate. There is a distinction to the approach during which Oedipus and, to a lesser extent, Nina builds their fates by theirRead MoreOedipus Rex And The Kite Runner1367 Words   |  6 PagesOedipus Rex and The Kite Runner are both profound works of literature that share two immensely universal themes, those themes being fate and freewill and divine justice. These two themes are quite prominent throughout both pieces of writing and serve to facilitate a very human connection between the audience and the story. Although both of these stories consist of the two themes mentioned, they each express them in a unique fashion. Oedipus Rex focuses more so on the concept of fate whereas TheRead MoreA Comparative of Shakespeares Othello and Oedipus Rex1511 Words   |  6 PagesShakespeare’s Othello and Oedipus Rex In Shakespeare’s work Othello: The Moor of Venice, Othello’s over trusting nature was revealed when his trust in false accusations about his wife Desdemona’s unfaithfulness causes him to kill her and himself, conveying Othello as a tragic hero. Oedipus, the main character in Oedipus Rex, is characterized as a tragic hero when he tries to run away from his fate and finds out that the cause of his fate was his attempt to escape it. Oedipus Rex and Othello share aRead MoreSimilarities Between Oedipus Rex And The Kite Runner1391 Words   |  6 PagesFate versus Destiny: Is divine justice righteous when fate or destiny is present? Oedipus Rex and The Kite Runner are both profound works of literature that share two immensely universal themes, those themes being fate/free will and divine justice. These two themes are quite prominent throughout both pieces of writing and serve to facilitate a very humanistic connection between the audience and the story. Although both of these stories consist of the two themes mentioned, they each express themRead More The Role of Teiresias in Sophocles Oedipus Rex Essay1410 Words   |  6 Pagesdestruction that Oedipus will encounter after he learns the truths of his life. Teiresias is also responsible for further developing the theme of blindness by using his own physical blindness to reveal to Oedipus his mental blindness. 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Work: Oedipus Rex (Davis, 2) The play starts with an important piece of cultural information in the form of the quote â€Å"I thought itRead MoreOedipus Rex: Imagery of Blindness and Sight as a Medium to the Themes1218 Words   |  5 PagesIn the play, Oedipus Rex, written by Sophocles, an honourable and admirable Greek king named Oedipus rules the town of Thebes. He is left in mental turmoil and decay as his unknown, corrupt and immoral past is slowly revealed during his quest to find the culprit who murdered King Laius. The newly exposed past suddenly transforms his glory and respect into shame and humiliation. After he learns about his wicked past he stabs his eyes, which lead to his blindness. During the course of the play, references