In the play "Oedipus Rex," by Sophocles (rpt. Place Literature: A reader for Freshman Composition ll, 2nd ed. [Boston: Pearson, 2012] 120-166) the Oracles had prophesied that Oedipus would kill his father and beget children by his mother. By the end of this terrific play the prophecy had become true and everyone knew it. But, the main arguing point is to decide whether or not Oedipus was the puppet of fate or the creator of his own fate. But what it really is conveyed as is a combination of both throughout the play.
As a baby, Oedipus' mother and father sent him away with a shepherd to put Oedipus in the mountains to die. This was all because they received a prophecy from the Oracles stating that their son will kill its father and beget children by his mother. But, when being brought into the mountains by the shepherd, the shepherd ran into a shepherd from another place called Corinth and gave the baby to him to bring back to Corinth as he could not let a little baby suffer like that. So, the shepherd of Corinth took the baby back to land and gave it to the king and queen to have as a child because they did not have one and wanted one for some time.
As time went on, Oedipus grew older and was out one night and heard a drunken man say that there was a prophecy saying that he was to kill his father and beget children by his mother. Oedipus obviously believed that the king and queen of Corinth were his real parents and so he did what he could do to not let the prophecy become true, he ran as far away from Corinth as he could. Oedipus heard this statement because it was all part of the plan to send him running away. Oedipus was being controlled by a greater force. But, little did he know he was going to encounter things to make the prophecy become true. Oedipus was sent in this way of direction by being a puppet of fate.
Oedipus was also the creator of his own fate because while running away from Corinth he came to a split road where he ran into a man in a carriage and men guarding around him.
"Oedipus Rex Essay Number 1- The stories Antigone and Oedipus Rex were written by a Greek philosopher named Sophocles. ... In Oedipus Rex there was a very interesting prophecy. Before the prophecy, Tiresias and Oedipus had an argument. ... In Oedipus Rex the prophecy Tiresias gave Oedipus was a foreshadow of what was to come. ... The prophecy Tiresias gave to Oedipus had now come true. ...
Iokaste the Downfall of Oedipus Rex From the beginning of Oedipus Rex there are prophecies that insist the ultimate fate of Oedipus. Although these prophecies are excruciating, they are prophecies that in the end all come, true and lead to the destruction of Oedipus Rex. ... Iokaste through love and concern for her son tries to prevent these awful prophecies from happening, but in the end she is the ultimate cause of Oedipus Rex's grief and downfall. ... The Iokaste says Oedipus! ... Iokaste although it is not obvious was really the cause of Oedipus Rex's downfall. ...
"Oedipus Rex" is a classic Greek tragedy. ... Oedipus does not know about this prophecy or that Laius was his father. ... However, "Oedipus Rex" is a tragedy. ... "Oedipus Rex" is a play of destiny. ... "Oedipus Rex" is a much deeper work than that. ...
The entire concept of Oedipus Rex is enough to leave a sour taste in a reader's mouth. ... Contrary to this, however, Oedipus Rex is one of the most highly regarded plays in literary history. ... The mix of pleasure and disquietude create the volatile emotions that make Oedipus Rex a legendary play. ... However, he ended up doing just as the prophecy predicted. ... Overall, the tragic nature of Oedipus Rex incites more sympathy from the audience than the initial disgust. ...
This oracle was visited a number of times throughout Oedipus Rex. ... Both parties were told the same prophecy, that Oedipus would kill his father and marry his mother. ... In Oedipus Rex, the prophet Teiresias was called to tell Oedipus who had murdered Laius. ... Teiresias's prophecy turns out to be correct. ... As previously stated, there appear to be three major themes in Oedipus Rex. ...
Oedipus Rex Oedipus Rex, by Sophocles, is the story of a king named Oedipus. ... In Oedipus Rex, when Oedipus is traveling from Corinth he encounters a man in a carriage. ... In turn the prophecy of Oedipus killing his father would not have been fulfilled. ... If Oedipus was a woman, hence ending the prophecy of killing his father and marring his mother, she would not have suffered the same tragic and violent fate if she were a he. ... Oedipus Rex was written about the fifth century B. ...
In Sophocles's play "Oedipus Rex- Oedipus Even though "fate" seems to determine Oedipus' life, . he does infact have a free will. His choices brought the prophecy to life. ... The prophecy drove the Oedipus away from home; the terror of the predictions was too much to live with. Oedipus tried everything not to meet the prophecy, and still when he came to Thebes and became a king Oedipus married an older lady. ... Yet in terms of Sophoclean drama, specifically Oedipus Rex,...
Oedipus Rex follows the clear nature of a tragedy, in that it encompasses the common conventions of a Greek Tragedy, with ones life being controlled by fate and the gods. ... In Oedipus Rex, it is not so much a hamartia that leads to his downfall, but more the role played by fate and destiny. ... From birth, a prophecy existed that he would kill his father and marry his mother, and so his downfall seems inevitable. When Oedipus discovers his parents are not who they seem to be and later discovers the prophecy, in a similar way to which Laius tried to manipulate fate by sending Oedipus away, ...
Oedipus Rex is a fascinating insight into the nature of a human being's need for control. From the opening lines of the play we see King Oedipus as the strong leader of his city. ... We know that Oedipus fled his home town to avoid a prophecy that foretold that he would kill his father. It is later revealed that he did in fact, albeit unknowingly to Oedipus himself at the time, kill his father. ... The story of Oedipus Rex teaches this moral brilliantly. ...
