Fate Unravels Catharsis In Oedipus The King
Fate Unravels Catharsis in Oedipus Rex
Oedipus expresses that “no man in the world can make the gods do more than the gods will” (Sophocles 38). Sophocles allows no thought, no word, and no action of the humans to determine their destinies in Oedipus Rex. This aspect interweaves with the intention of forming compassionate responses from the audiences, which signifies a core attribute of Greek tragedy. Sophocles’ presentation of an inevitable fate employs catharsis to heighten the fear and pity brought out of the audience.
As the play begins, Thebes is wrought with a plague, and its future is placed in the hands of fate. Oedipus himself claims the people of Thebes “shall be saved [with the help of God], or else indeed [they] are lost” (Sophocles 10). No action a man takes can relieve Thebes from its situation. The unavoidability of predetermined events of the future develops a fear for the mystery of what is to come in the audience. The only thing they can surely grasp is that fate will follow its path. The sole question is if “[God] will send doom like a sudden cloud, or weave it like nightfall of the past” (Sophocles 10). This simile emits a negative …show more content…
Oedipus believed that “he pronounced this malediction upon [himself]” (Sophocles 43). When Oedipus left Corinth to protect “his parents,” it was his choice to murder a man travelling aside Oedipus. However, at the time, Oedipus could not fathom the man as his own father, the king of Thebes. He committed this crime while trying to escape the very prophecy that he was the one to lead his father to death. The irony of the situation draws pity among the audience. Although Apollo was the one who “brought this sick, sick fate upon [him]… the blinding hand was [his] own” (Sophocles 72). Sophocles uses the “blinding hand” as a symbol for Oedipus’ actions leading to his downfall. These acts
Oedipus expresses that “no man in the world can make the gods do more than the gods will” (Sophocles 38). Sophocles allows no thought, no word, and no action of the humans to determine their destinies in Oedipus Rex. This aspect interweaves with the intention of forming compassionate responses from the audiences, which signifies a core attribute of Greek tragedy. Sophocles’ presentation of an inevitable fate employs catharsis to heighten the fear and pity brought out of the audience.
As the play begins, Thebes is wrought with a plague, and its future is placed in the hands of fate. Oedipus himself claims the people of Thebes “shall be saved [with the help of God], or else indeed [they] are lost” (Sophocles 10). No action a man takes can relieve Thebes from its situation. The unavoidability of predetermined events of the future develops a fear for the mystery of what is to come in the audience. The only thing they can surely grasp is that fate will follow its path. The sole question is if “[God] will send doom like a sudden cloud, or weave it like nightfall of the past” (Sophocles 10). This simile emits a negative …show more content…
Oedipus believed that “he pronounced this malediction upon [himself]” (Sophocles 43). When Oedipus left Corinth to protect “his parents,” it was his choice to murder a man travelling aside Oedipus. However, at the time, Oedipus could not fathom the man as his own father, the king of Thebes. He committed this crime while trying to escape the very prophecy that he was the one to lead his father to death. The irony of the situation draws pity among the audience. Although Apollo was the one who “brought this sick, sick fate upon [him]… the blinding hand was [his] own” (Sophocles 72). Sophocles uses the “blinding hand” as a symbol for Oedipus’ actions leading to his downfall. These acts