Oedipus Case Study

IV. Discuss Questions
1. Discuss the importance of oracles to the ancient Greeks and specifically, to Oedipus Rex. Include a consideration about whether human actions are the result of predestination (Fate/Destiny) or free will. What does Sophocles seem to believe on this issue?
Oracles are priests and places that people go to, where they can get advice/prophecy sought from the god’s classical antiquity. Oracles played an important role in both the ancient Greeks and the play Oedipus Rex. It was important for the ancient Greeks because they believed that oracles was a way of communication with the gods at certain places, times, and people that could give them advice and see their future. Similar to the ancient Greeks, oracles were important

Justice is when you receive fair behavior or treatment. In Oedipus Rex, each character has in a way contributed outcome of the play. Oedipus, as we know did various actions that weren’t right. His heinous crimes lead him to be feel guilt at the end of the play where he finds out the truth from where he comes. At the end of the novel he finds out about he was incest with his mother whom he had four children with (that are now his half siblings). After realizing what he had done, Oedipus ends up begging to be killed. However, he changes his mind. Oedipus ends up wanting to flee the city which he consults with Creon. When Creon gives the okay, Oedipus leaves. I don’t believe that in death punishment, but I also don’t see how it’s okay for Oedipus to just flee. I don’t think it’s fair to the city, and morally. Jocasta was mother and wife. When married to Laius, she became pregnant with Oedipus and arranged to kill the infant. They ended up not killing the child but abandoning it. Jocasta later ends up marrying and bedding with her son, however she does not know it is him. When she finds out the truth, she couldn’t handle what was done. So, she hung herself. Jocasta killed herself. Death is an extreme to what she deserves. Yes she did some wrongs, but there was need for her to hang herself. Laius is killed by his own son, Oedipus. As I may have said, Oedipus wasn’t aware that it was his father. That said, I

First theme was, the willingness to ignore the truth. When Oedipus would receive oracles he wouldn’t always like what was being said. That means when the oracle didn’t appear to be what Oedipus wanted, he would deny the truth. For example Tiresias said that the killer of Laius was Oedipus himself, and Oedipus did not like it even though it was true, so he denied it. The second theme was the limits of free will. Sophocles from the beginning wanted us to know that fate will control a man’s life no matter how much free will exists. That meaning that we are limited free will, there is path setup for us. For example Oedipus was left hillside to die, however the shepherd took him to the King of Corinth. That shows us Oedipus was destined to live in royalty. The third and final theme is the power in what is not written. To be more clear, how not establishing rules can lead people take action that may not be good. For example, Creon command that Polynices be left to rot unburied so birds and dogs can eat his flesh. Creon justified his behavior by saying that Polynice was a traitor. All this was Creon’s thinking not written, therefore we believed he had the power to do