Oedipus The King: Can We Outrun Our Fate?

Edgar E. Vitola

Dr. Shanda Easterday

LITR201 World Literature through the Renaissance

18 May 2016

Dr. Easterday, I have decided to answer the age old question of being human and what this means I will be analyzing Oedipus attempts to outrun prophecy and his fate. I decided to write about this because we all are human and humans no matter what can’t outrun our fate. I find it very interesting how Sophocles writes his plays in Ancient Greece he was known as a tragedian. Meaning that he only wrote tragedies and wow he was good at what he did. I think that my essay is very strong because I use examples and I try to keep the focus of this essay on the age old question. Can we outrun our fate? I will show proof of this by using my research

This is something that has had me thinking since reading this play. Doing some research on this I have found out that people try to run from their fate. In ancient Greece it is said that “Fate was the will of the Gods”. In the play by Oedipus is told by an oracle that he will kill his father and marry his mother. Now if I was told that this was going to be my fate then I would try to outrun it as well. Being human we have the ability to make moral choices and that we are responsible for those choices. One thing that Oedipus did not know is that he was adopted and he thought he could outrun the will of the God’s. Though Oedipus is brought down by his own flaws, fate plays a role in his demise, especially in Ancient Greek mythology and literature. Oedipus tries really hard to outwit fate, but in the end fate always wins, with his flaw which is his pride in thinking that outrunning fate is possible he plays right into the God’s will. Therefore, tragedies of fate usually focus on a moral message about not trying to outrun

The fall of man was not a predetermined event in which Adam and Eve were helpless victims of God. On the contrary, Adam and his wife had the ability to choose obedience or disobedience they knew what the result of their decision would be, and they were held accountable for being human. Oedipus knows the difference between right and wrong, but he did not have all the facts to make the right decision. We have been told since we were children that we will always be held accountable for our action. Oedipus was held accountable for his actions and so were the people of Thebes. After he killed his real father and married his mother the city of Thebes was hit by the plague. “Those who disobey me be damned by the gods. Your barren land will know no harvest, Nurture no children. This curse or something far, far worse will doom you to destruction. Those faithful Thebans who accept my