The chief theme in the play, Oedipus the King

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Literature

31 May 2012

Oedipus the King

The chief theme in the play, Oedipus the King, is fate and free will. While free choices are critical in making individual decisions, fate, also plays a critical role that must not be underestimated. As a consequence of free choice, Oedipus decides to pursue knowledge of his identity. Consequently, fate is responsible for Oedipus’ abnormal actions including incest among other inhuman events that unfold in the play. The essay aims to elucidate the tension between fate and free will, which exists in the play besides provision of a description of Greek’s view of the two concepts and comparing such views with those of the contemporary society. Certainly, the essay suggests that there exists tension between the two concepts throughout the essay.

In fact, man cannot control his fate but his response to the outcome of fate purely lies in his hands. In the play, Oedipus tries as much as possible to avoid some awkward circumstances. As demonstrated in the play, there was a prophecy that Oedipus would murder his father and marry his mother. Despite the fact that he lives with a step father and mother, he strongly believes that the two are his real parents and therefore elopes from the city in order to avoid the prophecy from happening.

Oedipus moves to another city in an effort to avoid the prophecy as outlined earlier on in the essay. However, before he settles in Thebes, he murders a man on the road and after arriving at the city, he marries a queen by the name, Jocasta. At this instance in the play, Oedipus has already fulfilled the prophecy but he is unaware. While still in Thebes he encounters a false prophet who informs him of the sin he had committed. Besides, while talking, Oedipus frankly tells his wife that he had a prophecy since his youthful age, that he would kill his father and marry his mother. Consequently, Jocasta give a similar prophesy that her son would grow big and kill his father.

Understanding that he is fated to kill his father, he flees to Corinth but ultimately goes back to Thebes as a husband to his mother. Oedipus runs away from fate but fate gradually catches up with him. At this point in time, the audience makes out that human beings have no choice but to go by fate. However, the best attitude towards life is self humility.

The author of the essay strongly believes that the major cause of awkward circumstances in Oedipus life is not largely attributed to free choice but rather fate. The main character is punished by the gods despite his efforts to pursue his destiny. As a result, there is a great conflict between his own efforts and fate throughout the play. Indeed, there is a felt role of the gods in determining Oedipus’s destiny.

According to the ancient Greek culture, gods are a very important icon in the society. Indeed, the gods have the power to determine the destiny of individuals. In line with this, no one has the capacity to escape his fate as proposed by the gods. The supreme power was highly respected in the ancient’s Greek culture. In today’s societies, individual destiny is determined by ones personal decisions. A person’s choice would possibly determine his destiny.

In the play, the audience understands what exactly will happen at the tail end. In fact, this brings about irony since, the main character, Oedipus, thinks that he may escape his fate by eloping from his home city but the audience understand that ultimately, the prophesy will come true.

In summary, it would be fair to suggest that indeed, there subsists a tension between fate and free will as demonstrated in the essay. In addition, the Greek culture view the gods as a major cause of fate and that individuals’ efforts may not necessarily change ones fate. Consequently, dramatic irony has been used end to end in the play as indicated earlier on in the essay.

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