Oedipus Rex: A Series of Bad Decisions

             Oedipus Rex, by Sophocles, is a Greek tragedy about a man who is destined by the god, Apollo, to kill his father and marry his mother. But, how accurate is this statement? Does Apollo actually intervene and force any of the tragic events to take place? Or does he simply send a warning to Oedipus' father, Laius, so he can prevent these atrocious actions from taking place? Misjudgments made by a few people, including the rulers of Thebes, as well as the rulers of Corinth, and Oedipus are the true origins for Oedipus' terrible fate.
             Oedipus' birth mother, Jocasta, states, "It was foretold to Laius [...] that when his fate arrived he would be killed by a son who would be born to him and me" (Sophocles 716-719). This prophecy is brought to Laius' attention even before the birth of Oedipus and even so, "Laius flaunts Apollo by fathering a child" (Walton 1 of 2). This is the first mistake on behalf of Laius and Jocasta. It clearly comes to their knowledge that it is unwise to procreate, yet they proceed to anyway. Frightened by the terrible happenings to come, the King and Queen of Thebes continue to err. Jocasta gives birth to her child, and Laius, "not three days passed before he yoked the ball-joints of its feet, and cast it, by others' hands, on a trackless mountain" (Sophocles 722-724). But why go through all that trouble? Laius can put and end to all this madness at the very beginning by simply killing the child himself. If he can pierce his child's feet and send him off to meet his demise in the middle of nowhere, he can probably kill him right on the spot as well. There is no need to hand him over to "others' hands" (Sophocles 724) either. That is simply leaving more room for a mishap. Both the King and Queen of Thebes are in part guilty for the misfortunes brought upon their family.
             Next, the "others' hands" (Sophocles 724) which are those...

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Oedipus Rex: A Series of Bad Decisions. (1969, December 31). In MegaEssays.com. Retrieved 03:03, March 29, 2024, from https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/26466.html