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Bound by Fate

            
             Only a few of the stories and plays that were written hundreds of years ago still remain. Through the years most stories are either lost or forgotten. However, one story has lived through the centuries and still makes an impact on people today. The story of Oedipus was written around 420 B.C. by a leading playwright named Sophocles. The theme of Oedipus is fate. Oedipus is a story of about the life of one man who before birth was prophesized to kill his father and marry his mother. Oedipus seeks to learn if the prophecies that he will kill his father are true. He does not know that he has already killed him. .
             The Latin meaning of the word Oedipus literally translates into bound or tied feet. As predicted, Oedipus was rejected by his parents as an infant and he was left to die on a remote hill-side with his feet tied. A passing Shepard saw the young boy and saved him from a sure death. Oedipus grew up to be a strong and wise man. When he grew older, he left the Shepard's protection and traveled to Thebes. A magical Sphinx was destroying the city and would not stop until someone could answer its riddle. Everyone that tried to answer the riddle was killed. Oedipus found the solution and defeated the Sphinx. As his reward, he became king of Thebes and he marred the widowed queen. The queen, unbeknownst to him, was his mother. He ruled with a strong hand but is still a very noble character. .
             Oedipus ruled Thebes for many years without any difficulties, until a blind man named Teiresias reminds Oedipus of Apollo's prophecies. Teiresias tells Oedipus that he killed his own father. Oedipus does not believe Teiresias but is concerned because Teiresias has never been known to lie. In order to determine if Teiresias was lying, Oedipus tracks down the man who gave him to his foster parents as an infant. The Sheppard said that he found Oedipus on a hillside with his feet tied. Oedipus's legs are still scared from his bondage as an infant and he is forced to believe Teiresias.


Essays Related to Bound by Fate

1. Chains of Fate in Of Mice and Men

... stopped doing it." (Steinbeck 49). The cards represent George's life, and rippling the edges of the deck symbolize how George tries to control his life. However, George is bound by his fate, and does not have control over his destiny. This is shown when George only ripples the edge of the deck instead of actually rearrange the order of the cards. Steinbeck ... the end of Lennie and George's dream. Their dream, which they worked so hard toward, dies due to Lennie's fate of being mentally disabled. The stalls and chains represent fate, and the horse represents George. George is always try...

  • Word Count: 905
  • Approx Pages: 4
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2. Fate and Chance in Shakespeare's Macbeth

... that is bound to happen. Everyone and everything is destined to do something or become something. In Shakespeare's play "Macbeth," the issue of predestination vs. free will arises. Who actually controls our actions, fate or man itself? This point can be argued either way, however in Shakespeare's play "Macbeth," ... off when Macbeth and his best friend Banquo encountered the three witches. The witches predict Macbeth's fate that he would become the king and the Thane of Cawdor, and Banquo's son, Fleance was also bound to become the king. The witches' prophecy had gave Macbeth a head sta...

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3. Prometheus in Theogony, Prometheus Bound

... the myth is the same in both works. There is no denying that Prometheus tricked Zeus. However, trickery is not Prometheus" only trait. In fact, Prometheus Bound portrays Prometheus as an all-knowing, brave and heroic rebel against a tyrant leader, Zeus. In the opening scene, Hephaistos, the blacksmith, is reluctant to chain ... comes from Prometheus." (Aeschylus, 738) Later, when Io visits him, we learn that Prometheus knows all and can even foretell the future. Prometheus knew his own fate when he stole fire for man! This makes him a complete rebel, as well as a hero to mortal men. He ...

  • Word Count: 467
  • Approx Pages: 2
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4. Fate

... that makes its owners immortal and goes in search of it. However, when he finally obtains it, it is quickly snatched out of his hands by a serpent. From this we see that Gilgamesh is bound to his fate set by the God Enlil. "O Gilgamesh, this was the meaning of your dream. You were given the kingship, such was your destiny, everlasting life was not ... Ancient Greece, it was believed that everything was predestined by the Fates and the Gods. The Greeks believed that fate was essential, the only choice a man had was whether to accept his fate or attempt to run from it. However, no matter ...

  • Word Count: 675
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5. Prometheus Bound VS The Iliad

... V.12, p.334). Persuasion is utilized in many of the Greek stories, including Prometheus Bound, by Aeschylus, and The Iliad, by Homer. The art of persuasion is best exhibited in these passages: lines 308-31 in Prometheus Bound, and book twenty-two, lines thirty-seven to seventy-eight in The Iliad. The persuasion ... differences in the plot of the two stories, along with disclosing information about the emotions, pride and suffering of many of the characters. In Prometheus Bound, Oceanus is trying to persuade Prometheus. Oceanus is a longtime and loyal friend of Prometheus. He is at Promet...

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6. Passing - Clare's fate

... the Harlem Renaissance. This literary movement involved a social revolt against racism and centered the culture of African-Americans. The movement was triggered by the growing migration of blacks from the South to northern cities like New York, Chicago and Washington D.C. between 1919 and 1926 and ... and to accept the revelation of her secret Irene begins to panic. - It was that smile that maddened Irene". (271) As long as Clare is bound to her husband she is no endangerment for Irene's idea of life but "she couldn't have her free" (271). Therefore it seems most likely that ... and end...

  • Word Count: 1808
  • Approx Pages: 7
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: High School

7. Oedipus & Jocasta - Fate or Punishment?

If you were born into an African-American family in the early 1900's, your fate was slavery. You spent all day, sunrise to sunset, picking cotton in the fields. You were controlled by your owners and they decided how you would spend your day. No matter how hard you tried to change where you ... . They wove a man's life and each was bound to his own destiny which was given to him. Though unfair, Oedipus' fate was that he was going to kill his father and marry his mother. All the Greeks know that their actions are not by choice, they are by fate; actions of the Gods. He even says this ... twic...

  • Word Count: 1469
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8. Fate?

... two more summers wither in their pride, Ere we may think her ripe to be a bride." (I, II, 7-11). This could have been part of fate's plan to have the two fall in love. Old Capulet, here, is discussing the marriage proposal of Paris to Juliet. If Capulet had not thought his ... to fall in love in the first place, but because Romeo did attend the party, knowing that he should not be there, something awful was bound to happen. For Romeo and Juliet, Tybalt was the awful encounter that had to happen for the disjointing, and he overhears Romeo at the masquerade and ... is evident that Romeo ...

  • Word Count: 2219
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9. Prometheus Bound

... feeling of humiliation or distress caused by awareness of wrong or foolish behavior," or, "a regrettable or unfortunate thing." In Prometheus bound, shame was defined by any action that would cause a god to act like a human ( lesser of a god). In Plato's Apology, shame was defined by an action that one was willing ... actions because they truly believed in what they did and that it was not "a regrettable or unfortunate thing". In Prometheus Bound, although Prometheus was sentenced to being bound in chains for eternity, he continued to believe that his actions were justified, and he did ...

  • Word Count: 1376
  • Approx Pages: 6
  • Grade Level: High School

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