Odipeus vs Appointment in Samarra
Uploaded by tminnock (53) on Mar 3, 2005 |
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Fate
Oedipus in “Oedipus the King” by Sophocles and the servant in “The Appointment in Samarra” by W. Somerset Maugham learn ironically that they cannot run away from their individual fate. The destiny of Oedipus and the servant is foreseen. Oedipus and the servant attempt to run away from their destiny. The servant and Oedipus learn that they cannot escape their fate by running away.
The servant in “The Appointment in Samarra” and Oedipus in “Oedipus the King” have their individual destiny foreshadowed. Upon returning from an errand for a merchant, the servant in “The Appointment in Samarra” tells him: “When I was in the marketplace I was jostled by a woman in the crowd and when I turned I saw it was Death that jostled me” (page 4, lines 3 & 4). Oedipus is told of his fate. Oedipus says Apollo told him: “I must make love with my own mother, shed my father’s blood with my own hands” (page 1408, lines 1091 & 1092).
Oedipus in “Oedipus the King” and the servant in “The Appointment in Samarra” play into fate’s hand by running away from their own homes. Oedipus gives the city of Corinth, the city in which he grew up, “a wide berth” (page 1408, line 1093) in order to avoid letting the prophecy come true. Oedipus then becomes king of Thebes by solving the riddle of the Sphinx. After being jostled by Death in the marketplace, the servant requests a horse from his boss in order to leave for the city of Samarra.
The servant in “The Appointment in Samarra” and Oedipus in “Oedipus the King” fulfill their destiny by living their lives just as fate has determined. The merchant in “The Appointment in Samarra” speaks with Death to find out why she jostled his servant earlier that day in the market. Death explains: “I was astonished to see him in Bagdad, for I had an appointment with him tonight in Samarra” (page 4, lines 12 & 13).
Oedipus plays into fate’s hand by moving to the city of Thebes in order to avoid Corinth. He also learns through a couple of twists of fate that he fulfills his prophecy. One of these twists becomes known when the people of Thebes appeal to Oedipus to try to get rid of the plague. The oracle explains to Creon how to get rid of the plague: “Drive the corruption from the land, don’t harbor it any longer, past all cure, don’t nurse it in your soil-root it out!” (page 1370, lines 109 -111). Creon tells Oedipus that the killer of the former king, Laius, must be found in order to get rid of the plague. Oedipus vows to kill or exile the person that is responsible for the death of King Laius. After his vow to the people of Thebes, Oedipus realizes that it is he who is responsible for killing King Laius at the crossroads intersection in Phocis.
Another twist of fate is revealed when the truth of how Oedipus is related to Queen Jocaste and King Laius. Frag When Oedipus becomes king of Thebes, he marries the widow, Queen Jocaste. Jocaste is the person who gave the shepherd her baby boy to kill because she was afraid of the “frightening prophecies” (page 1420, line 1296). The prophecies said to her that “he’d kill his parents” (page 1420, line 1299). The shepherd tells Oedipus the story of taking the baby and giving him to the messenger to raise as his very own child. The baby turns out to be Oedipus.
Another bit of irony is upon learning of his Jocaste’s death, Oedipus sees the truth but then blinds himself. The knowledge of the truth drives him to rip “off her brooches, the long gold pins holding her robes-and lifting them high, looking straight up into the points, he digs them down the sockets of his eyes” (page 1423, lines 1402-1405). Oedipus then cries: “You, you’ll see no more the pain I suffered, all the pain I caused! Too long you looked on the ones O never should have seen, blind to the ones you longed to see, to know! Blind from this hour on” (page 1423, lines 1405-1409).
The servant in “The Appointment in Samarra” and Oedipus in “Oedipus the King” learn that they cannot run away from their fate. The fate of the servant and Oedipus is foreseen. Oedipus and the servant attempt to escape their fate by fleeing their homes. In the end the servant and Oedipus learn that a person cannot escape his destiny.
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