Introduction
Oedipus the King is a play by Sophocles in which Christopher Plummer lays the role of the psychologically disturbed Oedipus. This play is about a successful kingdom, which begins to fall apart as the king discovers that he had killed his own father and married his mother. The play carries a strong message or moral lesson. The moral lesson is so clear in the play. Prophecies and fate should not control life. The play reinforces the idea that we should strive to do what is right and shy away from doing what is wrong since it comes with consequences. The mistakes or wrongs that Oedipus did brought untold suffering and misery to him and the entire monarch. Fate only exists to teach people a lesson but not to determine future.
The setting of the play is at the Thebes Palace. This is the same palace from which king Lauis (Oedipus father) ruled. It is quite disturbing and ironical for Oedipus to know that downfall strikes him at the same place that he ascended to power. It is also paradoxical that Oedipus sleeps in the same bed that he was conceived with his mother. These facts disturbs Oedipus mother to an extent that she commits suicide. This leaves Oedipus at a very desperate position, fighting back a heavy past full of mistakes which cannot be rectified.
However, all the happenings had earlier been prophesied. This prepares audience for the tragedy in the play. The play lacks a narrator and the emotional aspects of the play are taken care of by a chorus, which carries the various moods and feelings with it.
Throughout the play, Sophocles points out that it is wrong to believe in fate. We should not tie our lives to what has been predicted or prophesied to happen. As much as we cannot control certain events in our lives, it is important to do what is right. It is inexcusable to do what is wrong because, it was prophesied to be so.
