Preview

How Does Oedipus Lead To His Fate

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
736 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
How Does Oedipus Lead To His Fate
A man is the architecture of his own fate. This can be seen in Sophocles play “Oedipus rex” where the protagonist Oedipus chooses to be blind to the truth , and choose to make impulsive decisions, which leads to his tragic fate . thus oedpipus is the architechure of his own fate.

Oedipus blindness to the truth is a factor that affects his fate. This can be seen when odp tells Jocasta about the incident in python , “I went to python; but came back disappointed of the answer to the question I asked , having heared instead a tale of horror and misery ; how i must marry my mother…. – and kill my father.”( Sophocles pg 47) due to the horrific prophesy , oedp goes into shock , causing him to forget the question he initially, who are his biological parents . This shock is making oedp blind because he does not know whohis parents are meaning he does not how who he is going kill and marry. Thus this is showing his lack of focus on the question in hand . this is aspect of his blindness which leads to his tragic fate .

as oedp and jocasta conversation continues , jocasta is telling oedp of her first child , “as for the child , it was not yet 3 days old ,
…show more content…
Oedp ‘ impulsive decisions are a factor that affects his fate. This can be seen when oedp is telling jocasta about his incident at the crossroad , “it was the driver that thrust me aside , and him I struck , for I was angry . the old man saw it leaning from the carriage,… Quick as lightning , the staff in the right hand did its work ; he tumbled headlong out of the carriage , and every man of them there I killed. 48. oedp kills lauis , he does it b/c oedp is feeling threaten so in self defence he kills everyon , shows hoe he is impulsive ( quick as lighting more) and short temper he is . thus showing that oedp chooses to make an impulsive decision which is a factor to his tragic fate

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    The main concentration of Oedipus was preventing his downfall in the story, but due to his inner blindness and the rest of his character flaws he was unsuccessful in this journey, which is the reason that Oedipus was a static character throughout the whole story. He has various flaws, which always started multiple conflicts in the story, all of which gradually directed him to his downfall in the plot of the play. All of the shortcomings of Oedipus are the reason for his quick, horrific downfall from his kingliness into poor, ever-wandering blind man he has become by the conclusion of the story.…

    • 553 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    A person of noble birth with heroic or potentially heroic qualities, defines a tragic hero. A young man known by the name Oedipus, died a tragic hero. Throughout his life, he was faced with situations that he just could not surpass which led to his gruesome destiny. He was born into a world where the future held nothing but lies and despair.…

    • 471 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    A tragic hero is defined as “a [great] man who is neither a paragon of virtue and justice nor undergoes the change to misfortune through any real badness or wickedness but because of some mistake” (“Aristotle”, n.d.). Therefore, a tragic hero has some sort of tragedy that surrounds their life. A tragic hero also makes dramas more interesting and makes readers think. Dramas sometimes either exemplify or refute Aristotle’s definition of a tragic hero. Oedipus by Sophocles exemplifies Aristotle’s definition in four different aspects. The first aspect involves both Oedipus’ ignorance and knowledge of his life situations, the second involves his hamartia, the third involves the actual plot itself, and the fourth involves the characterization of…

    • 1506 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Oedipus learned that sometimes is necessary to listen to what others have to say. Also he had to learn the truth that he neglected for so long. Whenever someone tried to tell him the truth he denied the evidence and arguments that were presented to him. An example, Oedipus was mad at Tiresias because he said to him you are the murdered that you seek (721).…

    • 1024 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Fate In Oedipus The King

    • 565 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The concept of fate is a controversial theme in literature, but the dilemma faced by Vulcan and Cryos shows that human destiny is inevitable and should be embraced instead. Inevitable is often defined as an unavoidable situation, one that is associated with impending doom. One such example is found in the tale of Oedipus Rex, the tragic hero of Thebes who is destined to kill his father and marry his mother. Oedipus learns that in attempting to run away from the prophecy, he fulfills it instead. After blinding himself in shame, Oedipus bemoans to his friends that “my measure of ills fills my measure of woe; Author was none, but I” (Sophocles 47). Oedipus laments the fact that he was the one who authored his fate as he tried to run away from it.…

    • 565 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Oedipus' Downfall

    • 759 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Prompt: In a well-developed essay, consider whether hubris, fate or both are the use of Oedipus’ downfall. Use evidence from the text to support your support.…

    • 759 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Throughout the play of Oedipus the King, Oedipus and other members of the play makes some decisions that ultimately decide Oedipus’s fate. Some of Oedipus’s decisions are a result from an oracle, but his personal decisions ultimately lead to his fall to death. His decisions of running away from his home kingdom, pushing the oracle to speak more, and searching for the shepherd that knew where Oedipus came from leads to Oedipus’s fate.…

    • 567 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Antigone Essay

    • 560 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Oedipus was one of the reasons for death in his family. The prophet Tiresias said that one day Oedipus would kill his father and marry his mother one day. And because of this his parents sent him to die. But he still lived and fulfilled the prophecy without anyone even himself knowing at the time. Once the shepherd came, he was able to create the picture for Oedipus and he knew he was the one who killed his father. He was blinded to the truth all this time by the amount of pride he had within him. Jocasta his wife killed herself because she found out that she had married his son and even had kids with him. And because of this Oedipus kills himself. Sophocles once said, “…He digs them down the sockets of his eyes, crying “you’ll see no more the pain I suffered, all the pain I caused!”(237) this reveals that Oedipus realizes what he has done and wants to end all the suffering going on. Oedipus once said, “It’s mine alone, my destiny-I am Oedipus!” This shows who he really is now and what he was destined to become.…

    • 560 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    “An ignorant person is the blind instrument of their own deconstruction.” (Bolivar) In the story “Oedipus the King,” Oedipus, not knowingly, tried to change his fate. A person’s fate is there to stick with them, it is inevitable and is not something to be tampered with. He did not know as much about himself as he thought he did and in the end, his stubbornness leads to a very tragic downfall.…

    • 840 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Would you rather have an acute awareness of your own fate in life, or be blissfully ignorant of what the gods have in store for you? Sophocles’ Oedipus the King, translated by David Grene, explains knowledge as an awareness of the future, or fate. This knowledge can lead to a greater understanding as to one’s purpose in life, but in the end results in misery because humans try to control fate, which is impossible. Oedipus the King shows the results of learning fate and the moral price that comes with attempting to change the future. These results clarify the sorrows that knowledge brings to life through the predetermination of fate and the futility of divining one’s fate.…

    • 1539 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    One of the best examples of Greek tragedy is Oedipus the King, written by ancient Greek playwright Sophocles. Oedipus Rex is about the downfall of Oedipus, the king of Thebes, and how his tragic faults affected that. Sophocles’ purpose is to demonstrate the negative effects of pride and other various personal reasons causing his downfall instead of just fate, as was told in his prophecy. Sophocles uses various tragic flaws and symbols to send this message to the reader/audience, the most important symbol being the use of blindness and sight, and the most important tragic flaw being excessive pride in Oedipus.…

    • 1272 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Oedipus as a Tragic Hero

    • 349 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Oedipus has misfortune and down fall brought about by some error in judgment that comes from some inner flaw or weakness, not because of some horrible thing he does. First, he’s stubborn and arrogant. He accuses Creon of trying to steal his thrown. Even though he should have been listening to Creon and Tiresias and believing them. Yet, he was too stubborn and arrogant to believe the…

    • 349 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Living a life as a sovereign ruler is not always the peaceful, golden roads of glory one would think. In the tragic play of “Oedipus the King”, Oedipus completes a dreadful and long journey in which his respected and well-known position in the Greek city of Thebes crumbles because of his tragic flaw of ambition and hubris. The claws of the past are at the throat of the king and the audience begins to feel pity for Oedipus when his renowned name tragically falls down from grace.…

    • 669 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Oedipus Rex was a simple, yet noble man who had became a king. It wasn’t until years later that he would begin his search for justice that would ultimately change his life. Throughout the story, Oedipus searches for a murderer of a past king, but as the story unfolds, he starts to question himself. He begins to wonder who he really is due to lack of information about his very own life. Oedipus’s search for justice brings him an understanding of completeness and shame.…

    • 667 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Oedipus Selfish Quotes

    • 1428 Words
    • 6 Pages

    At the beginning of the play Oedipus proclaims justice for the death of Laius. Oedipus claims that he will avenge Laius’ death with the bloodshed of his killer. Being willing to fight for what is right for your people, or in this case your wife, is a more than heroic quality. Not only is he willing to fight for just but he is adamant about it. Throughout the entire play he is in search of the Laius’ killer. A hero overcomes the obstacles and brings victory out of defeat by strength of might and wisdom. Yet most of the Greek heroes had an Achilles’ heel that doomed them. Oedipus is no different. He runs away to protect those he loves, only to find he destroys those he loves as well as himself. He kills his own father with strength of might and ignores the wise warnings of Tiresias. When did he begin to realize that he was sitting on the throne of his own father, whom he had murdered? Oedipus fits the profile of a tragic hero because though he spent the whole play fighting for justice and searching for the answer he is longing for, searching for the cold killer of Laius and promising vengeance by spilling the blood of the murderer. He crumbles and becomes the fool when he finds out that his blood is the answer. In the end his people win their battle over the chaos, but he loses the fight inside himself. Oedipus realizes the metaphorical blindness that has been hindering him throughout the play and decides that the only way to make it right is to physically blind himself with Jocasta’s…

    • 1428 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays