Fate : The King The Theme Of Fate

From the very beginning of Oedipus, it is made clear "that his destiny be one of fate and worse". The irony is that Oedipus unknowingly repeatedly predicts his own fate: "It was I who called down these curses on that man." Oedipus has unconsciously married his mother and killed his father, just as the Oracle predicted. Fate is proven to be unavoidable to Oedipus as the play

The ancient Greeks acknowledged the role of Fate as a reality outside the individual that shaped and established human life. There are many themes in Oedipus the King; among them is whether man or a higher power crafts fate in this play, we can see that men have limited control over their destiny. Their fate is already decided by a higher power and cannot be avoided. No matter what path you choose or how you react, your destiny will be fulfilled one way or another. The first clear example of this can be seen when Laius, the king of Thebes learns from an oracle that "doom would strike him down at the hands of a son” (Sophocles, 04).

“Oedipus the King” is a tragic story written by Sophocles. Oedipus is a king that is trying to escape his fate. An oracle had predicted that he was going to be the killer of his father, and was going to sleep with his mother. When he was first born, his parents attempted to kill him yet he survived and was adopted. Instead of getting away from the atrocious future that was predicted, Oedipus walks right into his fate. This Greek tragedy is about transitions. He starts off as arrogant, unknowing, and full of ego but this drastically changes as we reach the end of the play. Oedipus becomes a wise man and has accepted how life is. No matter how much power or knowledge you have there is no way of tampering with fate, instead accept and learn from it.

Fate is defined as the development of events beyond a person’s control, regarded as being determined by a supernatural power. In Sophocles play ‘Oedipus the King”, fate has taken its toll on the main character Oedipus. Sophocles exposes how manipulative factors come into play that allow Oedipus to use his own judgements in attempt to escape his fate, that eventually fail. All knowledge that is gathered by Oedipus is futile, being that the prophecy was still meant to happen beyond the control of Oedipus. While Oedipus is not restricted by his fate, he is restricted by what he understands about his fate.

Fate is the development of events beyond one person's control, sometimes regarded as a supernatural outside force. Essentially no one can change their destiny and usually in the process of trying to change their destiny, they are the catalyst to the event altogether. In the play Oedipus Rex written by Sophocles, fate works exactly like this, it is a used as an instrument to bring about the terrible prophecy to fruition that Oedipus were to kill his father and share a bed with his mother. Certain events take place in order to make this happen because no one will willing do anything of the sorts. In the events that take place that make this happen it is hinted at the end of the play that it is all Oedipus fault due to his hubris, when in fact that is not the case and it is actually the actions of other people around him that led this to happen.

Throughout Oedipus the King, the concept of fate and free will plays an essential part in Oedipus’ destruction. This story describes the suffering of Oedipus as a result of a misfortune of which he has no control over. Oedipus is a play that demonstrates how a person’s life can either be destined to take a certain path or be based on the decisions a person makes throughout their life. There are no oracles or prophecies that can determine how an individual’s life turns out to be, but according to Sophocles the gods cursed Oedipus even before he was born. This is a tragic event of a conflict between the powerful gods, his blindness, a man’s inability to change his destiny and his intelligence.

     From the very beginning of Oedipus, it is made clear “that his destiny be one of fate and worse”. The irony is that Oedipus unknowingly repeatedly predicts his own fate: “It was I who called down these curses on that man.” Oedipus has unconsciously married his mother and killed his father, just as the Oracle predicted. Fate is proven to be

The clearest demonstration of how fate controls the life of Oedipus is the ending. Despite the entire foundation of his life from the time he was a young adult was predicated on him running from the fate that he was prescribed, he still fulfilled exactly what the Delphi of Apollo said that he would. Some would say that

The play “Oedipus the King” favors the idea of fate because both Oedipus and his parents, Jocasta and Laius, make futile attempts to avoid the fate given to them by the god Apollo. However, no matter the extent to which these characters go to change their fate, they always return back to their original path of fate and it remains true.

In the current world, fate and destiny are not things to be believed in. Anyone who says so is often deemed as a fake or a fraud, which is usually true. In stories, however, things like fate and destiny play a large role. It is a common trope found in most novels. There are peaceful fates, but in the case of Oedipus, it was an unruly one, in which he was set on a path to his own demise. The story itself starts at the point in time in which all the Oracle of Delphi had told was true, but everyone was oblivious to it. Oedipus had already killed his father and married his mother, even bore children with her. It is a tragic end to who was once a glorious man, but one must think whether or not these chain of events happened because Oedipus

We also find that 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 corrupt them, and lead him closer to his unwanted destiny. We can argue that fate has it that he comes to learn the truth about his family when it is too late.

Let the storm burst, my fixed resolve still holds,To learn my lineage, be it ne 'er so low.It may be she with all a woman 's pride Thinks scorn of my base parentage. But I Who rank myself as Fortune 's favorite child,The giver of good gifts, shall not be shamed. She is my mother and the changing moons My brethren, and with them I wax and wane. Thus sprung why should I fear to trace my birth? Nothing can make me other than I am. (1077-1086) (Shmoop).” Oedipus is trying his hardest to escape this fate and not listen to the

Oedipus’s life and destiny was said to be set by the god’s, but together with his parent’s lies and his own ignorance, he brought upon his downfall foretold so long ago. It was only when he was born that a prophecy of Oedipus, who was to kill his father and marry his mother. Terrified and without much thought of the consequences, Iokaste and Laius abandoned the child to die. Oedipus did not die. Instead he became a strong and well respected prince, who believed his real parents were king and queen of Corinth. Oedipus’s adoptive parents kept him in the dark about his true identity. For this reason, when ignorant Oedipus hears of his prophecy, he runs away terrified. Ironically, on his journey away from home, he encounters his real father, Laius King of Thebes, which he kills due to an argument. Moreover, he goes on to become King of Thebes and husband of Iokaste, his biological mother. So, without realizing, the fate that Oedipus wanted to impede so badly occurs right before his eyes, showing that fate “lies within Apollo’s competence/As it is his concern” (Oed.

In Oedipus the King, Sophocles leads the story with two things: fate and free will. Throughout the play, there are examples of both, making either a probable cause of the occurrences in the narrative. On one hand, many of the choices made by the characters have direct side effects which help the story progress. On the other hand, there are seemingly random events which are very important and could be a result of destiny. The question of fate or free will applies to the three main factors which influence the plot: the characters, the gods, and prophecies.

Oedipus, having heard his fate from an oracle, attempts to escape it, but only fulfils it through his attempts to elude it. As a young and naive mortal, Oedipus, attempts to evade the gods and cast them to the side by trying to set his own fate, but this very disrespect of the gods unravels his fate before him. This escape from fate, however, does not begin with Oedipus, but with his true father, Laïos, who “had pierced the baby [Oedipus’] ankles and left him to die,” in attempt to prevent the future events (38). The father, who had also been told of his child’s fate, endeavors to kill this child and prevent the soiling of his lineage and his ultimate downfall. Laïos, in trying to avoid fate, sets a precedent for his son, giving light to the old maxim of “the apple doesn't fall far from the tree,” and shows that the corruption is not inherent in their fate, but of their