Humanities
Everett Young
Ms. Marlyn Thomas
Humanities 201
Fate/Prophecy of Oedipus Rex It is always said that we are all predestined with a set prophecy. No matter how much one tries to escape it, our fate will always conquer. Whether it’s finding the right person who you are going to marry or the career path a person chooses, it’s all up to the decision of fate. Knowing ones fate can either uplift or destroy a person because of the path it permits the person to take. Oedipus Rex by Sophocles is a prime example of how one’s fate destroys him and he couldn’t escape it. Oedipus being the main character, gains knowledge of his horrid fate and attempts to break away from it. Because Oedipus gains knowledge of his fate and does try and run from it, he mistakenly kills his father and marries his mother, denies the truth, and blinds himself. Oedipus fate is proclaimed that he is going to kill his father and then marry his mother. Oedipus was told this information while living with his adopted parents, (which he does not know), and immediately he wanted to escape from it. This caused him to go into the upmost rage and to leave his adopted parents so he can escape the prophecy. In the text it says “I was fated to lie with my mother, . . . and I was doomed to be murderer of the father that begot me. When I heard this I fled . . .” (lines 865-869). Even though Oedipus tried to escape this prophecy he ended killing his father anyway and marrying his mother. This is a prime of example of fate being inescapable. Escaping fate is a major theme in Oedipus Rex and it teaches a good lesson. No matter how much one runs from his or her fate it is going to hurt you in the long run. Although Oedipus fate is already out in the open Oedipus has a hard time accepting it. Oedipus is told his fate plenty of times but yet has a hard time accepting it. For an example, Oedipus was eager and willing to find the person who killed King Liaus (his father) and exile them from the country. But when
Ms. Marlyn Thomas
Humanities 201
Fate/Prophecy of Oedipus Rex It is always said that we are all predestined with a set prophecy. No matter how much one tries to escape it, our fate will always conquer. Whether it’s finding the right person who you are going to marry or the career path a person chooses, it’s all up to the decision of fate. Knowing ones fate can either uplift or destroy a person because of the path it permits the person to take. Oedipus Rex by Sophocles is a prime example of how one’s fate destroys him and he couldn’t escape it. Oedipus being the main character, gains knowledge of his horrid fate and attempts to break away from it. Because Oedipus gains knowledge of his fate and does try and run from it, he mistakenly kills his father and marries his mother, denies the truth, and blinds himself. Oedipus fate is proclaimed that he is going to kill his father and then marry his mother. Oedipus was told this information while living with his adopted parents, (which he does not know), and immediately he wanted to escape from it. This caused him to go into the upmost rage and to leave his adopted parents so he can escape the prophecy. In the text it says “I was fated to lie with my mother, . . . and I was doomed to be murderer of the father that begot me. When I heard this I fled . . .” (lines 865-869). Even though Oedipus tried to escape this prophecy he ended killing his father anyway and marrying his mother. This is a prime of example of fate being inescapable. Escaping fate is a major theme in Oedipus Rex and it teaches a good lesson. No matter how much one runs from his or her fate it is going to hurt you in the long run. Although Oedipus fate is already out in the open Oedipus has a hard time accepting it. Oedipus is told his fate plenty of times but yet has a hard time accepting it. For an example, Oedipus was eager and willing to find the person who killed King Liaus (his father) and exile them from the country. But when