comparison of Oedipus Rex and The Outsider

Existentialism is in essence a belief that the world we live in is fundamentally meaningless and absurd. Most Existentialists or Absurdists believe that each individual-not society or religion- is solely responsible for giving meaning to life and living it passionately and sincerely, or ‘authentically’. The ideas of Existentialism are discussed in not only Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex but also in Albert Camus’ The Outsider. Many aspects of both texts incorporate Existential beliefs and readings. Including the concepts that fate and chance affect our lives, that we can expect crime and punishment as part of our fate, and therefore a man cannot be fully content with his life until he dies, such is the unpredictability of life. Another Absurdist reading incorporated into both texts is that man constantly searches for the truth, and how we as an audience feel sympathy to the tragic hero of a text or play. It is in these ways that Sophocles’ play may be seen to represent some of the Existential or Absurdist ideas discussed during The Outsider, and convey and support some of these readings during both texts.
The Existential belief that fate and chance have an effect on our lives is one that is raised at various times during both texts, in Oedipus Rex this is outlined in an exchange between Teiresias and Oedipus, where the convention of dialogue provides an Existential viewing of life. “ Well it will come what will, though I be mute.” “Since come as it must, thy duty is to tell me.” “I have no more to say; storm as thou willst, and give the rein to all thy pent up rage” This exchange is Teiresias insisting to Oedipus that, regardless of what he says or does, fate will play itself out. This belief is backed up by Meursault in The Outsider who says “I would rather not have upset him, but I couldn't see any reason to change my life. Looking back on it, I wasn't unhappy. When I was a student, I had lots of ambitions like that. But when I had to give up my studies I learned very