Oedipus Fate Essay - 956 Words

In the tragedy, Oedipus the King, fate is a predetermined course of events and is also an important factor that caused Oedipus’s downfall. Oedipus is ultimately a victim of his own fate because, despite his and Jocasta’s efforts, he could not escape the prophecies. Though others say that Oedipus created his own fate because he had the free will to handle the prophecies in becoming his own outcome, in the end, there was no chance that Oedipus could escape the prophecies. It was the fate for Oedipus getting saved after being left to die by his parents. Also, the gods brought the plague into Oedipus’s city, which caused him to search for the murderer of Laius. The truth behind the prophecy was also planned for Oedipus before he even knows it.†¦show more content†¦The plague is also Oedipus’s fate because it is like a curse from the gods to Oedipus which causes the city to be in danger. Because of this situation, Oedipus sends Creon to find a cure for the plague, thus, Creon brought a message back, which was killing the murderer of Laius will save the city. For this reason, Oedipus begins searching for the murderer, but he doesn’t know that he himself is the person who murdered Laius. â€Å"My birth all sprung revealed from those it never should, myself entwined with those I never could. And I the killer of those I never would† (267). Before, it could be a coincidence that Oedipus happens to run into Laius without realizing it is him, gets angry when forced off the road as a result of his bad temper, and kills Laius. But it seems too perfect for a plan to be a coincidence, making it clear that this must be the work of fate. It is also fate that Oedipus was cursed and has to avoid it. Because the prophecy applies to him, he tries to avoid the outcome by escaping it, but he can’t escape his fate. â€Å"Revealed at last, brother and father both to the children he embraces, to his mother son and husband both--he sowed the loins his father sowed, he spilled his father’s blood!† (281). The truth was revealed by Tiresias and in fact, it already had happened to Oedipus even though he tried so hard to avoid it. But after the truth was revealed, Oedipus cannot change what he had already done. Similarly,Show MoreRelatedOedipus Fate And Fate Essay777 Words   |  4 PagesFate as defined by the Merriam Webster dictionary is ‘an inevitable and often adverse outcome, condition, or end’. Sophocles discusses fate vs free will in his plays. In the play Oedipus Rex there was a prophecy that Oedipus was destined to kill his father and marry his mother, he attempts to escape his destiny by running away to Thebes where he meets his fate. In the play Antigone, that main character Antigone decides to go against Creon’s (her uncle who has inherited the throne) decree and buryRead MoreOedipus Fate Essay843 Words   |  4 PagesOedipus the King is a story about a prominent king torn by fate and the effect his own actions have upon his destiny. Much can be learned from the catastrophic story of Oedipus, who was prophesied to kill his father, to marry and have children with his own mother. As soon as Oedipus learns of this prophecy, he tries desperately to escape it, by running from his hometown, and even avoiding his supposed parents. Despite the fact that fate may have played some role in Oedipus demise, it ultimatelyRead MoreOedipus Fate Essay1478 Words   |  6 Pagesresponsible for their actions or is it fate? Is fate inescapable? A persons fate is the events that are destined to happen to them. Fate is decided the moment someone is born. People cannot change their fate and it is unavoidable. 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