Oedipus the King
Oedipus the King: A tragedy of fate By definition a tragedy satisfies the moral sense, it brings forth pity or fear and it tells a story of misfortune by reversal of situation, all of which are fulfilled by Sophocles' Oedipus the King. This being said, I will argue that this play is actually a tragedy of fate: "its tragic effect depends on the conflict between the all-powerful will of the gods and the vain efforts of human beings threatened with disaster." In tracing the events throughout Sophocles' play it becomes evident that the will of the gods wins out, causing the collapse of Oedipus, his land and the people of Thebes. Being a leader of high stature and having won acclaim as the savior of Thebes, Oedipus was well regarded by the Thebian people; however with all of his worldly accomplishments and high standing, he could not overcome the destiny prescribed to him by Apollo, at Delphi. In order to call Oedipus the King a "tragedy of fate" we have the burden of proving that the tragedy does not develop from acts of free will, but rather are unavoidable events of chance. We must show that Oedipus' journey to the oracle indeed sealed his fate a
At the climax of this recognition scene Oedipus takes his punishment upon himself, gouging out his own eyes so to never again look upon those he had shamed. In closing, without question Oedipus the King is a tragedy, not only does it satisfy the moral sense, it also tells a story of unfortunate reversal of situation and excites pity for Oedipus. After Apollo foretold a "dreadful, calamitous future" for Oedipus he ran away, far from his supposed parents who lived in Corinth, in an attempt to dodge the horrible fate he was to face. To argue that the misfortunes of Oedipus were brought on by acts of his own free will would defile the Sophoclean meaning behind this play. Ironically, he was not running away from his destiny, but rather running towards his demise. This knowledge along with the oracle of Apollo, at Delphi marked the reversal of situation that saw one of "the great men" of this world fall from power only to become a disgrace to himself and the Thebian people. The fact that Oedipus indeed took the breath of life from another man surely is an act of free will, but this is not in question. Here he would gain power, respect and authority; still yet he would not escape the uncontrollable destiny he was now sure to fulfill. This having been illustrated, it becomes evident that Sophocles' Oedipus the King is indeed a tragedy of fate; however, the irony, the misfortunes, nor the tragedy would stop here. As the story goes, Oedipus would solve the riddle of the Sphinx, become king of Thebes and marry the wife of the late Laius, Jocasta. . It is obvious now that Oedipus would not be able to escape his predestination, he would not be able to avoid the oracle of Apollo. It should now be quite evident that Oedipus was cursed with a predestination fit for no mortal human being. This predestination or this curse, if you will, that Oedipus would "lie with (his) mother and beget children men's eyes would not bear the sight of - and to be the killer of the father that gave (him) life" (Sophocles pg 56) gives meaning to the play and allows irony to unfold into a tragic tale of misfortune and the ultimate reversal of situation.
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