Oedipus Rex

Oedipus Rex

  • Submitted By: duderuggles
  • Date Submitted: 11/02/2008 7:55 PM
  • Category: English
  • Words: 1202
  • Page: 5
  • Views: 2

At times individuals in this life find themselves in predicaments that are caused by human frailty or poor decisions which cause pain and grief. These situations or consequences are justified because of that individual’s behaviors, but why must an individual suffer such great pain when the consequences are not warranted or deserved? “Oedipus Rex”¹ was written by Sophocles, who is one of the three great writers of ancient Greek tragedies. In this tragedy, Oedipus the king of Thebes, has been running from a prophecy that was brought to light before he was even born. It was prophesied that he would kill his father and marry his mother. While running from his destiny, he killed a man on the road who so happened to be the King of Thebes, who was his father, and then married the Queen who turns out to be his mother. Is Oedipus’ tragedy a result of his own weakness or is it the result of forces beyond his control?
Each individual is born into different situations in life, one appears on this earth and is given different challenges and opportunities to learn and grow in order to become better individuals. One must ask what happens when the fates are sealed and one is destined for pain and destruction according to the gods. Oedipus Rex lived most of his life running from the terrible prophecy that would destroy him as well as his parents. “ I abandoned Corinth,/from that day on I gauged its landfall only/by the stars, running, always running/ toward someplace where I would never see/the shame of all those oracles come true”(876-880). According to the Greek religion the Gods planned that certain individuals where destined for certain fates and would complete specific acts. Those that resisted or even fought what the God’s wanted would have been seen as a rebellious act because they would not have been showing respect to their wishes. There are certain things that must be done here in this life. It is as if a person’s fate is sealed upon them before birth, as...

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