Reading through the Odyssey and the writings of Sophocles I explored many new ideas, however when I trace all of these ideas back to there simplest root I discovered that they all seemed to branch from the topic of destiny and fate.
Lessons may be taught in many ways, they may be preached, they may be written, or they may be told in a story. In each of Sophocles" Three Theban Plays he teaches a lesson through a story. These lessons are taught and projected to the audience through the plot, characters and theme of the play. The plays teach lessons on loyalty, keeping promises, fate, courage, prejudice, and the manners in which humans relate to each other. Each of these lessons is valuable and although these plays are approximately two thousand five hundred years old they still manage to teach lessons that apply to life in present day. .
In Sophocles" first Theban play, Oedipus the King, there are many lessons that are embodied by the characters, the plot and the theme. The most obvious lesson is that a person, despite honest and great efforts, cannot avoid his fate. Oedipus goes to great efforts to attempt to escape his terrible fate of murdering his father and marrying his own mother; however, his efforts all seem to be in vain when he discovers that in his great attempt to avoid his frightful destiny, he stumbles upon it. Fate is what is destined to occur in a person's life. This means that destiny cannot be avoided, for if it were, then it would not occur in life and therefore not be destiny. .
Another lesson that is not as clear but is told to us through Oedipus the King, is to accept what is true, especially when one does not wish to do so. We must face reality with a strong, confident attitude and not shy away from it into our own dream world. This is shown in the play as many characters are telling King Oedipus that he is responsible for the death of his father Laius; however, Oedipus is not willing to accept this although all of the evidence that he himself had discovered on his own accord does imply this conclusion.
