The application of oracles and prophecies in Ancient Greek playwrights are often used to display the almighty power that the will of the Gods has over mankind. This predetermination of a mans life in accordance with the Gods desires leaves a questionable margin of freewill or control over ones own fate. In Sophocles drama, Oedipus the King, the main character Oedipus brings about his own prophesized fate by attempting to flee from it and continues to cause his own destruction with an unyielding demand for confirmation that he has defeated his own foretold destiny. Through this play Sophocles uses foreshadowing to remind the audience that man is unable to control a fate certainly desired by the Gods, however the dominion of freewill exists in the ability to react to destiny with either prideful defiance or cautious humility.
The theatrical drama of Oedipus begins in the middle of his life story, after he has grown up and become the King of Thebes, with the assumption that the theater audience is aware of the ultimate outcome of the play. This allows Sophocles to use foreshadowing in order to exhibit the tension between fate and individual action that is present throughout the account of Oedipus. The foreshadowing in this play also displays the limit of free will to control predetermined outcomes, and therefore frames one of the most vital points of the drama. For instance, when Oedipus claims “I pray god that the unseen killer …/be cursed with a life /as evil as he is, a life/of utter human deprivation” (296-300), the audience is previously aware of the true identity of Laios killer and is left anticipating the actions of Oedipus in his pursuit to uncover his own true fate. Oedipus, as a king, speaks of such hate for a man that is eventually revealed to be himself, instilling a sense of anticipation and pity in the audience. Sophocles invokes pity for Oedipus through the unveiling of events before their occurrence and therefore imparts fear in the audience...