Fate, Can’t Live With It, Can’t Get Away From It

Shortly after Oedipus left he ran into a group of people. Oedipus believed he was killing in self defense, so he did not think about it much, and certainly did not think he just killed his father. eks believed that your fate was decided at the beginning of your life, and you could not escape it. He only made it worse for himself by leaving. Oedipus, thinking that the prophesy meant he was going to kill his adopted father and marry his adopted mother, left home and without realizing it killed his father, then later married his mother to become king.

When Oedipus found his true heritage, he was not pleased with the results. Oedipus should have known this and just stayed where he was. Harsh words were exchanged, and Oedipus ended up killing them all. Oedipus, a respectable king, had become an incestuous outcast a short time. Oedipus was probably afraid that the group of people was going to kill him, because thieves usually hid in the forests to ambush unsuspecting travelers.

When Oedipus heard that he was going to kill his father and marry his mother he had left home. If Oedipus would have just stayed at home he would have at least known that his fate was inevitable, but leaving just made it harder for him later on. Oedipus probably would have not stabbed out his eyes, and exiled himself because he would have known when fate had caught up with him. Oedipus had tried to escape his fate, but he should have known that is impossible.