The Tragic Fate of Oedipus the King
In the play Oedipus the King, Oedipus the main character meets with a
tragic fate. In the beginning he is a mighty king, ruler of the city of
Thebes. Then the people of Thebes come to him with a problem. The city is
tragically on the surge of death. Oedipus, being the mighty king he is, is
determined to solve the problem. Oedipus saved the city once before and
became a hero. Now faced with this problem he would like to be a hero
again, but things don't always take a turn out good.
When the priest and the people of Thebes come to Oedipus, the
priest tells Oedipus, "Your own eyes must tell you: Thebes is in her
extremity and cannot lift her head from the surge of death." (802). They
then tell Oedipus that they know he is a great king and they turn to him to
find a remedy. Oedipus saved the city once before from the Sphinx by
solving the riddle and destroying her. Now faced with this new problem he
has no choice but to solve the problem and save the city once again.
Oedipus then sends his brother Creon to get whatever information he
can. Creon leaves the city and then comes back with some information. He
tells Oedipus that the gods command them to expel from the land of Thebes
an old defilement that it seems they shelter. The gods tell them to take
revenge upon whoever killed there past king. Oedipus, now the mighty king,
is determined to find out what happened. He says, "Then once more I must
bring what is dark to light. You shall see how I stand by you, as I should,
to avenge the city and the city's god." (804).
The first thing Oedipus does is to call on Teiresias who is the
holy prophet in whom, alone of all men, truth was born. When Teiresias
arrives he tells Oedipus, " Let me go home. Bear your own fate, and I'll
bear mine. It is better so: trust what I say." (808). Oedipus can not
accept this and demands to know what Teiresias knows. He calls Teiresias a
tragic fate. In the beginning he is a mighty king, ruler of the city of
Thebes. Then the people of Thebes come to him with a problem. The city is
tragically on the surge of death. Oedipus, being the mighty king he is, is
determined to solve the problem. Oedipus saved the city once before and
became a hero. Now faced with this problem he would like to be a hero
again, but things don't always take a turn out good.
When the priest and the people of Thebes come to Oedipus, the
priest tells Oedipus, "Your own eyes must tell you: Thebes is in her
extremity and cannot lift her head from the surge of death." (802). They
then tell Oedipus that they know he is a great king and they turn to him to
find a remedy. Oedipus saved the city once before from the Sphinx by
solving the riddle and destroying her. Now faced with this new problem he
has no choice but to solve the problem and save the city once again.
Oedipus then sends his brother Creon to get whatever information he
can. Creon leaves the city and then comes back with some information. He
tells Oedipus that the gods command them to expel from the land of Thebes
an old defilement that it seems they shelter. The gods tell them to take
revenge upon whoever killed there past king. Oedipus, now the mighty king,
is determined to find out what happened. He says, "Then once more I must
bring what is dark to light. You shall see how I stand by you, as I should,
to avenge the city and the city's god." (804).
The first thing Oedipus does is to call on Teiresias who is the
holy prophet in whom, alone of all men, truth was born. When Teiresias
arrives he tells Oedipus, " Let me go home. Bear your own fate, and I'll
bear mine. It is better so: trust what I say." (808). Oedipus can not
accept this and demands to know what Teiresias knows. He calls Teiresias a