Who Is Responsible For Oedipus's Downfall

In Oedipus the King by Sophocles, Oedipus is responsible for the tragedy of his downfall. Fate and free will are two opposing ideas that Sophocles seamlessly blends into the play. Sophocles ultimately leaves it up to the audience to interpret the reality behind this argument. Oedipus is presented with a series of choices throughout the play, and his arrogant and stubborn nature push him to impulsively make the wrong decisions, the decisions that ultimately lead him to his downfall. While Oedipus and those around him consider "fate" the source of Oedipus' problems, Oedipus' decisions show the audience that it is he who is responsible. Sophocles is able to drive his message about the pitfalls of human arrogance through Oedipus' fatal flaws and
Oedipus states, "Now loathed by the gods, son of the mother I defiled coupling in my fathers bed, spawning lives in the loins that spawned my wretched life. What grief can crown this grief? It's mine alone, my destiny-I am Oedipus!" (Sophocles 1492). Oedipus clearly declares that he defiled his mother, he coupled with her in his father's bed. The grief is his alone. Even though he may believe that this was his destiny, he takes responsibility for fulfilling it. Oedipus has no trouble seeing the error of his ways by the end of the play, as he states, "...I was so wrong, so wrong" (Sophocles 1557). Although Oedipus takes responsibility, he is not the only person to blame. Ultimately, the blame could fall on Jocasta and Laius, Oedipus' biological parents. The couple was warned that their child was cursed early on, but instead of having Oedipus killed and actually seeing it through, they carelessly had baby Oedipus pinned down on a mountain. Jocasta and Laius never actually made sure that Oedipus was killed. Oedipus references this at the end of the play: "If I'd died then, I'd never have dragged myself, my loved ones through such hell" (Sophocles
What is Sophocles trying to say to the audience about human nature? If it truly is an inescapable fate that gets Oedipus where he is, then no point can be made about the danger of arrogance, hubris, and temper. If Oedipus really had no way out of his "fate", if he truly was on some sort of rail, then his flaws are essentially rendered obsolete. If it is solely fate that takes care of Oedipus' life, then the subtext of Sophocles' point through Oedipus is that no man really has free choice; no man can learn from his mistakes because he is trapped inside of a one-track life, a life that is governed by something other than himself. Instead of leaving the reader with this message, Sophocles leaves the argument of fate versus free will far more ambiguous. By the end of the play, two facts remain: Oedipus' downfall is prophesized, and Oedipus does fulfill the prophecy. The truth of the matter is that Oedipus' choices are what led him to fulfill the prophecy. If the play is viewed in this light, then Oedipus' hubris becomes far more consequential, thus giving the play further meaning. While Sophocles never blatantly states, "What happens to Oedipus is a result of his own choices," the subtext of the play is rife with evidence that nobody is more responsible for Oedipus than Oedipus. Through Oedipus, Sophocles shows the audience the consequences of carelessness in decision-making and