Accepting In Sophocles 'Oedipus The King'

Ludnie Rene
February 3, 2016 Throughout Sophocles’ “Oedipus Rex”, there are examples of an individual who denies his fate and suffers for not accepting it. Sophocles demonstrates this through Oedipus’ late realization in his racing battle against fate. Even with the best of intentions to avoid his tragedy, Oedipus is lead directly to his end. But, by choosing to run away and defy the gods, he is condemned to a suffering like no other. Furthermore, the Greeks believed that fate should be accepted because ultimately it cannot be avoided, thus the tragedy of Oedipus Rex. Throughout “Oedipus Rex,” Sophocles proves fate is inevitable and one must learn to accept his end because the attempt to avoid fate is destructive. Oedipus is led
Without further investigation, Oedipus curses the killer of Laius, “I pray that the man’s life be consumed in evil and wretchedness … May the gods deny them the fruit of the earth, fruit of the womb, and may they rot utterly!” (14-15). Oedipus’ fate was to kill his father and marry his mother, he was not sentenced to be blind and live in isolation for the rest of his life. But through Oedipus’ suffering, Sophocles emphasizes the repercussions of one who attempts to avoid his fate because ultimately no can defy the gods, “He struck at his eyes — not once, but many times; And the blood spattered his beard, bursting from his ruined sockets like red hail,” (69). “And then he will leave Thebes, self-exiled, in order that the curse which he pronounced may depart from the house,” (70). Upon realization that he has already carried out the prophecy, Oedipus suffers because of the idea that he could defy the gods and avoid his
Sophocles emphasizes those who go against the gods, “Will be caught up in a net of pain,” (46). All his life Oedipus deals with the nature of fate by moving around, just to avoid killing his father and marrying his mother. Although Oedipus would be criticized for killing a man and marrying a woman at the time the oracle of Delphi was forewarned to him, the prophecy is and will always be, “a revelation that will fail to please,”(24). Proven through Oedipus’ character those who are aware of their fate try to escape it, but what Oedipus refused to understand was fate, like a rollercoaster, is a predetermined course. The ride cannot be escaped once fastened to the seat. When Oedipus attempts to escape, he only intensifies his situation and ironically brings about that of which he so desperately tried to avoid. Sophocles suggests, those who are aware of their fate must learn to accept their end or upon realization of their current situation, it will be too late, “Ah God! It was true! All the prophecies! I Oedipus, Oedipus damned in his birth, in his marriage, Damned in the blood he shed with his own hand!” (64). Ultimately fate is not what humans have the control to change, no matter how dreadful the circumstance