Free Will In Oedipus The King
Austin Jones
December 2, 2012
English Period B
Ms. Mazz
Oedipus the King:
1. Free will plays a greater role than fate in this play. Fate plays a greater role because the characters make their own decisions. They make the decisions that lead to their downfall. An example of how free will plays a greater role than fate in this play is when Oedipus decides to continue his search for his real parents. Jocasta warns him and tells him to call of the search. “Stop. In the name of god, if you love your own life, call of this search! My suffering is enough.” (Page 939 Lines 1162-1163) He doesn’t listen to her. He decides to continue his search and it ultimately leads to his downfall. Even though Oedipus was given his fate, it was his choices that led to it. If he didn’t choose to do continue his search, his fate …show more content…
Sophocles uses dramatic irony throughout the tragedy. Sophocles uses tragedy when Tiresias is the one who can see the truth, but he is blind. Oedipus can’t see the truth, but he can see. This is ironic. “So, you mock my blindness? Let me tell you this. You with your precious eyes, you’re blind to the corruption of your life, to the house you live in.” (Page 923 Lines 467-471) Tiresias tells Oedipus that he cannot see the truth with his own eyes. Another way Sophocles uses irony is when Oedipus says that he will find Laius’ murderer. It is ironic because Oedipus eventually finds out that he is the person that he had been looking for all along. He is the one who murdered Laius, his own father. “I will speak out now as a stranger to the story, a stranger to the crime. If I’d been present then, there would have been no mystery, no long hunt without a clue in hand.” (Page 918 Lines 248-251) Oedipus says that he is a stranger to the crime and that if he had been at the crime, he would know who the murderer was. This is ironic because he is the murderer and he was there. Those are two examples of how Sophocles uses dramatic irony throughout the
December 2, 2012
English Period B
Ms. Mazz
Oedipus the King:
1. Free will plays a greater role than fate in this play. Fate plays a greater role because the characters make their own decisions. They make the decisions that lead to their downfall. An example of how free will plays a greater role than fate in this play is when Oedipus decides to continue his search for his real parents. Jocasta warns him and tells him to call of the search. “Stop. In the name of god, if you love your own life, call of this search! My suffering is enough.” (Page 939 Lines 1162-1163) He doesn’t listen to her. He decides to continue his search and it ultimately leads to his downfall. Even though Oedipus was given his fate, it was his choices that led to it. If he didn’t choose to do continue his search, his fate …show more content…
Sophocles uses dramatic irony throughout the tragedy. Sophocles uses tragedy when Tiresias is the one who can see the truth, but he is blind. Oedipus can’t see the truth, but he can see. This is ironic. “So, you mock my blindness? Let me tell you this. You with your precious eyes, you’re blind to the corruption of your life, to the house you live in.” (Page 923 Lines 467-471) Tiresias tells Oedipus that he cannot see the truth with his own eyes. Another way Sophocles uses irony is when Oedipus says that he will find Laius’ murderer. It is ironic because Oedipus eventually finds out that he is the person that he had been looking for all along. He is the one who murdered Laius, his own father. “I will speak out now as a stranger to the story, a stranger to the crime. If I’d been present then, there would have been no mystery, no long hunt without a clue in hand.” (Page 918 Lines 248-251) Oedipus says that he is a stranger to the crime and that if he had been at the crime, he would know who the murderer was. This is ironic because he is the murderer and he was there. Those are two examples of how Sophocles uses dramatic irony throughout the