There are many historical pieces of literature that continues to be read, studied and analyzed in order to understand the characters and events in, both, broader and focused, respects. Who are the heroes and who are the villains? What is the lesson to be learned? Is the ending happy and just or is it simply tragic. In the case of “Oedipus the King” the story has very taboo subject matter, dark foreshadowing and an entirely tragic ending. Oedipus’s choice to blind himself is not a selfish act and the story does not really have a just ending. It is a tragedy through and through. One that cannot be blamed on Oedipus or any of the characters involved, because fate shared the prophecy of the events that would take place, taking choice out of individual hands.
In “Oedipus the King” the author tells a very tragic tale of murder, fate and incest. The story, as with many Greek stories, began years before the play begins, when King Laius and, his Queen, Jocasta, had a son. A prophecy warned that the child would one day kills his father and would, ultimately, result in having romantic relations with his own mother, as explained by Jocasta in lines 817 through 832. So the two attempted to have him killed, but instead the baby was rescued and adopted by a humble farmer. Many years later, Oedipus, now a young man, got into a fight with a man at the crossroads and killed him. When he arrives in Thebes it is determined that the King was gone. Oedipus defeats the sphinx’s riddle saving the city and he married the widowed Queen, Jocasta, and becomes King. This should seem like a fantastic “rags to riches” story. Unfortunately, that was not in the cards for any of these characters.
Oedipus was considered to be arrogant and overconfident and that he was dedicated to his own importance and acts as King. It is the issue of the plague, which is outside Oedipus’s control, which led to the downward spiral that would result in the tragic knowledge soon to come. As explained early in the play by the Priest in line 130, “come to our rescue and stay the plague.” Meaning that fate, like the Gods, are ever-present. In his pursuit to save the city from a terrible plague he delves more deeply into the identity of Laius and the truth of Oedipus’s lineage. When the truth is revealed Jocasta cannot bear what has happened and she hangs herself. When Oedipus discovers his wife and mother dead he is overcome with grief. In response Oedipus blames himself, blinds himself and had himself banished from the city. Many have differing views on why he “chose” as he did. However, there is an element to the story that must be addressed because it directly affects the characters and the world they live in; this is “fate.”
One of the major participants in Greek literature is the presence of “fate” as an actual character and is proactive entities, represented as three women, one young, one middle-aged and one elderly that spin the thread of all people’s lives. Much like the Greek Gods, the fates, were active participants in the lives of the Greeks. As seen in lines 188 through 197, spoken by Antistrophe, showing that they are seeking aid from the gods to end their suffering. That said Oedipus has no control over the events that are occurring in his life. From the minute he was born to the moment he will eventually die it is all part of a master plan; a plan that cannot be augmented or changed. He was going to meet his father on the road, he would marry his mother, produce children with her and, ultimately, be a blind and banished; this would have happened no matter what course of action he ever made. Even the presence of his arrogance, his fatal flaw, or hubris, was also a part of the tale. You cannot escape fate. That being said then there cannot be selfishness or justice in the events of the story because he was not “fated” for any other outcome. So it cannot really be wrong or just, it simply is what was intended to be.
When Oedipus learned the truth of his parentage and the incest that led to his children being brought into the world, he was devastated, as was his wife and mother. He admits that, in line 924, “I was fated to lie with my mother” Jocasta cannot bear the truth and hangs herself. It is her husband and son who finds her body. This only overwhelms the tragic king even more and he gouges out his eyes. Many often say this act was selfish and served his own purpose; he did not want to face the reality of what has come to pass. However, that does not seem true under the circumstances. This was not a plotted and planned selfish act; it was done in heat of the moment, or rather the grief of the moment. But Oedipus could have killed himself, just as Jocasta had done. But he did not. According to the prophecy he would not. Some would argue that his intention was not to deprive himself of accountability but to serve a severe sentence; a large part of this is because he loathed himself for being blind to the truth and for participating in the events of his family. It may also be a testament to the blind prophet, Teiresias, who, despite his physical blindness, could see what Oedipus could not. Just as Teiresias said in line 424, explaining to Oedipus “you do not see where you are in calamity.” Again, however, one must ask, if Oedipus is living out a prophecy or fated event, then can he really be held responsible for what happens. One could say that he did not make any “choices” at all because all roads lead to the same fated end.
One of the requests of Oedipus is for Creon to banish him from the city of Thebes. In lines 1478 and 1481, spoken by a chorus member, he has asked to be banished because does not want to bring a “curse upon his house.” Why does he need to be banished? Why can he not just leave and banish himself? Because for Oedipus it was not just about leaving his past behind him, he seems like he believed that he deserved to be punished. By Creon banishing him it is a sentence he deserved. He was, in a way, holding himself accountable for the events that occurred. He regrets his arrogance, his hubris and his inability to see what was playing out before him. However, once again, because of the belief in fated events, there really was no other way for Oedipus to handle because that is not the plan that is laid out for his life, his successes, his failures and his tragedy.
It is easy to blame Oedipus for the events in the play and to be unsupportive of the choices he made in the end. Of course, that is not entirely fair. He was part of a prophecy and his own parents had chosen to be rid of him to avoid the prophecy all together. Of course that is not how it works and it was the actions of Jocasta and Laius that set the story into motion; would not more blame be placed on the adults and not on the consequences to their, believed, dead son. Again, when fate is involved all these events, not just regarding Oedipus, but his parents and all of the events that were set into motion long before he was born. Oedipus was not selfish, in fact in lines 1692 through 1704, as his story comes to an end, he asks if Creon would care for his daughters and not let the acts of their father be blamed upon them. Someone selfish is not so concerned with the well-being of others.
Oedipus the King is a tragedy. It does not have a happy ending and the protagonist does do well in the end. Oedipus may have been arrogant and overconfident, but he was not aware that he had killed his own father, married his mother and produce children from the incestuous relationship. He cannot be held accountable or be said to deserve what happens to him in the end. He was literally playing out an order of tragic events that was written, like a script, and Oedipus and all human beings are unknowing actors in the story. If one follows the characterization of the presence of “fate” as an active director and often intervener in human lives, then Oedipus, nor anyone else in the tale, can be held directly responsible for any of the events, good or bad, that occur. The reality is that Oedipus’s “fate” was always going to be tragic and his choices would never have led anywhere but the exact same place he ultimately found himself. Once again, one cannot cheat fate.
WORK CITED
Sophocles. “Oedipus the King.” translator David Grene (430 B.C.). 1-88.
