Oedipus the King and Oedipus at Colonus: Acceptance of Fate
Greek tragedy is the quintessential expression of ancient Greek culture, acknowledging the importance of religious, familial, and community dynamics as chief moral ideals of the time. Greece was established into many cities, each governed by a king, where community life was essentially self-contained. Overall, Greek values emphasize a submissive relationship with the gods, allowing the deities to have full control over one’s fate. However, individual thought was also becoming a more common notion at this time, and people were often conflicted between their own views and Greek tradition. Many of these ideals as well as social concerns are expressed in the stories Oedipus the King and Oedipus at Colonus, through Oedipus’ relationships with his family, his kingdom and most importantly the gods. His character evolves throughout the story, from the beginning where Oedipus identifies himself by the way he is seen by the community, to the end where he is blinded and forced to look inwardly to identify himself. In order to achieve this transformation, Oedipus experiences the complete destruction of his life and ideals, and is able to accept himself not only for the person who he is fated to become but also for the person he has
Oedipus at Colonus shows a humbler, more retrospective Oedipus that no longer speaks of his greatness but rather addresses his past sins. He is no longer the powerful king he once was, but a mere beggar led by his daughter, wandering the world to realize his fate. He gives a heartfelt speech about his misfortunes, saying “Pity this wretched shade of the man Oedipus; the body that was once Oedipus is no more (lines 121-122).” Here, he acknowledges his fallibility and capacity for suffering, but does not accept that it had been his fate all along. Rather, he separates his current self with the man of his past that had a flawless and triumphant life. This proclamation signifies his transition from a godlike mentality back to humanity, but is also a rejection of his fate and identity, because he does not believe that the Oedipus that he once was could revert to such a pathetic life. At this point he no longer exalts himself as more powerful than the gods, but has not yet fully grasped their influence on him. He still lacks the self-knowledge needed to fully establish his identity. When Teiresias the prophet comes to visit Oedipus and advise him on the fate of his city, he tells Oedipus that it is he who is to blame for the strife of the land. Oedipus refuses to believe him, even though Teiresias is a reliable prophet with word from the gods. By refusing this prophecy, Oedipus shows that he listens to the gods selectively for good news, rather than fully submitting himself to anything that may be prophesized. He sees himself as so powerful and prosperous that he does not need the advice of the gods. Even when Teiresias tells Oedipus, “A deadly footed, double striking curse from father and mother both, shall drive [him] forth out of this land (lines 416-418),” Oedipus refuses to believe it, even though this prophecy shares some likeness to the one that he ran away from years ago. This refusal to believe the prophecy is Oedipus’ direct denial of his own fate. Denying his fate is like denying his true identity, because he was meant to be the person who fulfilled the prophecy sent by the gods, no matter how tragic it might be. Oedipus attempts to avoid his fate on more than one occasion throughout his lifetime, all the while not accepting his inevitable doom and rejecting his own identity. When it is time for Oedipus to die, he gets a signal of a thunderous storm from Zeus, showing him where it is that he must go to die. He accepts the fact that Zeus will choose his time to die, and by doing so acknowledges the power of the gods over him. At t
Some topics in this essay:
Oedipus Colonus,
King Thebes,
Laius Jocasta’s,
Colonus Oedipus’,
Oedipus King,
Overall Greek,
,
King Oedipus,
one’s life,
prophecy oedipus,
power gods,
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oedipus king oedipus,
people city,
believe prophecy,
role world,
accurate self-image,
relationship gods,
establish identity oedipus,
oedipus refuses believe,
greek tragedy,
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Approximate Word count = 1741
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)
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