Oedipus Rex

Oedipus Rex is a play pervaded with conflicts, dramatic irony, and disputes. Sophocles avoids the traditional tragedy storyline of the downfall of a protagonist. Instead of the standard protagonist who suffers due to his own actions, Sophocles presents a character who is simply a victim of fate, and therefore, a puppet of the Gods. Sophocles presents several themes in this play including the quest for identity, and the abuse of power. However, the main theme presented is human will versus fate. Was Oedipus' fate etched into stone, or was there any way he could have altered the end result? Do Gods have the ultimate power, or is there some way humans can determine our own fate?

Oedipus, the king of Thebes built himself a reputation by solving the Sphinx's riddle, and saving the city of Thebes. However, his fate spiralled downward when he learns that the oracle he faced years ago and though had escaped, had come back to haunt him. Oedipus was son of King Lauis and Queen Jocasta of Thebes. Shortly after their son was born, an oracle was prophesized that he would murder his father, and take his mother's hand in marriage. To avoid such events from occurring, King Lauis and Queen Jocasta had made arrangements with a shepherd to leave Oedipus to die, with his ankles pinned together. The shepherd feeling sorry for the poor child, gave him to the King and Queen of Corinth. Oedipus, unknowing that he is not the son of the King and Queen of Corinth, became aware of the wretched oracle. To avoid such tragedies, Oedipus fled from Corinth and traveled to Thebes, and unknowingly, was back to where he started from. The history of Oedipus' life suggests that once an oracle has been prophesized by a God, no matter what human actions one takes; (in this case, Jocasta and King Lauis attempt to kill Oedipus, and Oedipus fleeing Corinth) it is inevitable that the oracle will come true.

However, one can also argue that Oedipus was in complete control of his fate. Although it was prophesized that Oedipus would kill his father and marry his mother, it was not the Gods that chose the actions Oedipus carried out. The Gods merely acted as an external force, influencing Oedipus' decisions. Therefore, Oedipus always had the choice to act, and ultimately, his actions led to his unfortunate fate. After fleeing Corinth, Oedipus felt that he would be safe from the oracle, and it would no longer be problematic. This belief caused him to lose his focus. The Gods were not involved in any way when Oedipus lost his temper, and killed a man he encountered at the crossroads. (His father, King Lauis). Because Oedipus relieved himself of the oracle, he did not think twice of it, therefore conducting a careless act. The murder of the man was completely in Oedipus' hands, and no external influence was implicated.

Most tragedies involve the downfall of the protagonist due to their unwise actions and flawed character. However, Sophocles' does not follow the traditional style. In most cases, the protagonist is at fault for their own demise, but in Oedipus' case, he is simply a victim of fate. Many can argue that Oedipus was a puppet of the Gods and had no control over his fate. Oedipus took drastic measures to avoid the oracle that plagued him, and was so concerned about the oracle that he