Is Oedipus a Victim of Fate?

plenty the un-avoidable Throughout the vast report of literature, various concepts give way come and g sensation. The idea of depute or fatalism has been a concept that has survived the test of time. legion(predicate) consultations have succumbed to the power of caboodle and the character of Oedipus from Sophocles Oedipus the King is a prime example of the vast power of need within literature. Sophocles effectively depicts the wrath of fate as he portrays how Oedipus trim victim to fate and his efforts to disregard fate were futile.Once again fate manages to triumph and dis tackles no character whether king or slave tooshie avoid its gaze. One can attempt to change his or her fate. Numerous beings have put their entire lives into avoiding fate. Even if the strength of the earth and paradise united, what is decree as fate can only manifest itself accord to time. However, in various spots ones fate can be determined before the being is tied(p) given life. This is the pr ecise situation Oedipus was unknowingly born into. Before Sophocles would begin his play viewers would already have an idea of the plays prologue.The prologue detailed Oedipuss snarf to king and more importantly his connection with fate. Oedipus was born to Laius King of Thebes and his married woman Queen Jocasta. Before his ancestry Laius and Jocasta were given an ominous message by the god Apollo stating that their give news would kill his father and marry his mother. in short after the revelation of this message, Oedipus was born. In order to avoid his fate, Laius crippled Oedipuss ankle and gave him to a shepherd instructing the shepherd to leave Oedipus to die in the mountains. The saying Father like Son is ironically portrayed here.Laius did the same(p) thing Oedipus tried throughout the play, avoiding fate. Even while planning his own sons demise Laius was just portraying the qualities his own son would grow to inherit. As Oedipus falters in his clash with fate so does La ius as one learns in the prologue, Oedipus grows up and unknowingly kills Laius. This effectively follows the path preparation out by fate and Oedipus blindly follows this path while actively denying it. This denial would sprout into an utter defiance of fate by Oedipus and the net result would not be in his favour.Wisdom is an attribute that can be utilized in numerous ways. The most important grimace of the usage of wisdom is whether it benefits or harms the user. During the play a key broth is said by the character Tiresias, the local prophet. When called upon by Oedipus, Tiresias states, Wisdom is a dreadful thing when it brings no profit to its possessor. This is a very(prenominal) significant statement. It clearly defines the situation Oedipus puts himself through. Oedipuss lust for knowledge and starve for admiration by his subjects spells his own demise.Through constant pressuring by Oedipus, Tiresias reveals Oedipus was the one who killed Laius. It seems Oedipus broug ht upon his own fate through the pestering of Tiresias. The unaccounted itemor is the reason for Oedipuss actions. Fate is responsible for a series of plagues that have engulfed Thebes and have determined Oedipus in a scenario where he must find the killer of Laius to change by reversal the plagues. The forcefulness of Oedipus is fuelled by fate ensuring Oedipus has a viable reason to nurse knowledge no matter the consequence.Once again Oedipus is inadvertently on fates path which only harm him by its end. Chance is a very interesting concept. The belief things happen unknowingly and by mere luck. In the play chance is over shadowed by fate, a pre-determined destiny. A prime example of the contrast between these two factors is the arrival of the man-about-town messenger. One can say the messenger came by chance and fortuitously found Oedipus. Realistically the messenger was just a pawn in the pre-determined plan of fate. The messenger relays to Oedipus that the king of Corinth , Polybus has died.This news over joys Oedipus and Jocasta due to the fact fate supposedly stated Oedipus would kill Polybus his biological father. As the fit rejoice and mock the concept of fate, the messenger informs Oedipus that Polybus was not his biological father. This is fate playing another go by to ensure Oedipus continues on to his pre-determined destiny. Fate direct the messenger and it ensured the messenger shed light on Oedipuss developed origins. This was no portrayal of chance Oedipus faced the cold hard humans of fate.Oedipus due to his crazed nature went into a frenzy to determine who birth parents were. One can understand what follows and how the play climaxs as Oedipus goes to obtain the last piece of knowledge required to seal his fate. Oedipus was blind by a thirst for knowledge and fate ensures this blinding becomes a reality. Fate is one word that can have momentous effects. No matter what period of history is examined, fate within literature has forever and a day held importance. Numerous characters no matter how great or influential have fallen into the hands of fate.Perhaps one of the greatest characters to fall into fates gazed was Oedipus from Sophocles play Oedipus the King. Sophocles used his mastery of the human mind to portray the fact even though Oedipus thought he was all knowing, he unknowingly was forever on fates pre-determined path. No matter what Oedipus did his fate had been determined before hand and the concept of fate emphasized no character could avoid it. Fate added another character to its intricate web of pre-determined destinies. Works Cited Knox, Bernard. Oedipus the King edition New York Simon & Schuster inc. 1994