Oedipus A Victim of Fate
Uploaded by colakid on Oct 30, 2004
In the play Kind Oedipus, by Sophocles, Oedipus is caught in a series of tragic circumstances. When only a few days old he is left on a mountainside to die because of an oracle telling that he will grow up to be the murderer of his father the king. However, the baby is found and taken to the nearby city of Corinth, where Oedipus is adopted as the son of the king and queen. He is never told about his true past. After growing up, and having returned to Thebes, Oedipus becomes a victim of fate due to his strange circumstances and inability to escape the oracle.
The oracle, put upon Oedipus’ life from his birth, condemns him from the start. Firstly, the fear of this prophecy that Laius and Jocasta have, causes them to have their son‘s feet nailed together and have him left to die on a mountain. The second time the oracle is told, Oedipus is a young man, and hears it for himself. Assuming that it applies to Polybus and Merope, he flees Corinth. “As this I fled away, putting the stars between me and Corinth, never to see home again, that no such horror should ever come to pass.” (795-797) Lastly, instead of just living out his life and destiny, Oedipus tries to run from it. This causes Oedipus to think he has overcome the oracle. By running, however, he just makes it worse by coming closer to his real problem. Oedipus can’t escape the relentless fate that pursues him. Inevitably the oracles prophecies are fulfilled.
By being kept in the dark about his true past, Oedipus is living a lie. Not knowing the true identity of his parents causes him to murder his father. “Quick as lightning, the staff in the right hand did its work; he tumbled headlong out of the carriage, and every man of them there I killed.” (813-814) Soon after that Oedipus reaches Thebes, and by answering the Sphinx’s riddle, he becomes king and marries his mother, the queen. Of course he does not know this is his mother. For years Oedipus lives this sin and lie, and rules Thebes in wealth and prosperity while having four children. With all these things done, the world seems to be trapping Oedipus into a fateful...