The play Oedipus the king, written by Sophocles, was written in the era of classical Greek tragedy. It involves a king, who promises a lot to his people, yet through trying fight his destiny, meets an ironic fate. The main character, Oedipus, is a protagonist. He has very little control over what his fate will decide for him. Oedipus is constructed as a character which impacts us deeply, not because we admire his character, but the way in which the reader is positioned to feel involved in his struggle.
             The way in which Oedipus is constructed relates a lot to the context of the time. These themes such as fate and destiny, allow us to know more about the context of the time period, but also helps us to understand what Oedipus is going through. Fate is defined as, "a power beyond human control that is believed to determine course of events, a person's destiny". Fate is referred to a lot in the play Oedipus the King. The word fate isn't often used, but words involving the fate of the city, and the fate of its people are often used. The way in which Oedipus talks about his authority, and the way he puts himself above the gods, automatically shows that he is trying to decide his own fate. On line 115 and 116, Oedipus asks who's fate Creon is referring to. The God's determine the fate of every mortal human in Greek mythology. The way in which Oedipus puts himself above the God's in line 245 "you pray to the God's? let me grant your prayers". This is showing Hybris, and that Oedipus is once again, putting fate into his own hands. The way which Oedipus is denying his own fate, makes us feel involved, as we know that he will eventually meet a fate which he would never imagine. Whether we feel sorry for Oedipus that he doesn't see his fate, or we feel angry towards Oedipus, because he is trying to go against his fate. The character of Oedipus and the theme of fate, is a wa...