Essays

In Greek mythology, one of the key themes is the significance of fate and free will. The story of Oedipus Rex is a wonderful illustration that shows this theme. The major theme explored in Oedipus Rex is that fate and free will are entwined with the main character, Oedipus. Oedipus is not only fated to perform such hateful acts, but his renowned actions which leads him to commit these dreadful acts and determines his destiny.

Oedipus was doomed from the very beginning of his life. His mother and father put him in the wilderness to die so that the prophecy would not happen. Oedipus survives and the play starts with the killing of King Laius. Oedipus completes the first part of the forsaken prophecy, by slaying the Sphinx. He solves the riddle and the Sphinx dies. He is privileged that the people prefer him to be their king and Oedipus accepts Jocasta's hand in marriage. He is considered here as the hero. He helps the town to be free from the Sphinx and they look to him as their ruler now.

Creon states to Oedipus that the plague that is hovering over the city will go away if the murderer of Laius is found. In an attempt to find the murderer, Oedipus calls for the blind seer, Tiresias. Under argument the prophet names Oedipus as the criminal. “I say you are the murder that you seek.” (1316) Oedipus, irritated at the allegation, he says that was a plot of Creon to gain the throne. The men continue to argue and Teiresias says, “Listen to me. You mock my blindness, do you? But I say you, with both your eyes, are blind. You cannot see the wretchedness of your life.” (1318) Oedpus was indeed blind he did not see what he was in for and that the he fulfilled the dreaded prophecy. Jocasta gets there just in time to avoid a conflict between the two men. She assures Oedipus and with that, she tells of the old prophecy that her son should kill his father and have children by his mother. She stopped it from happening, she confesses, by abandoning their infant son and for Laius; he had been killed by robbers after that at the intersection of three roads on the way to Delphi.

The information makes Oedipus nervous. He remembers