Oedipus the King: Fate, Destiny, and Symbolism

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In the classic tale of Oedipus the King, the author uses Oedipus as a symbolic symbol of betrayal, naïve, and despair. The tale in itself is a classic tragedy; it depicts characters in which is an act of betrayal, yet of the truth. Aristotle and Freud both have their own interpretation of the classic story of Oedipus. Aristotle idolizes tragedy in a significant manner as opposed to Freud emphasizing the true destiny and fate of Oedipus himself. Somehow, they are all juxtaposed into one complete symbolic meaning. Through the definition of tragedy, the destiny and fate of Oedipus the King, and the symbolisms used throughout the classic story, it is clear to say that Oedipus ‘role is a tragedy in itself and the act of him blinding himself is a symbolic meaning of despair.

In Oedipus the King, the main character, Oedipus, learns that his own eyes have betrayed him all along. In the classic tragedy of Oedipus the King, Oedipus is the new King of Thebes who learns that the old king, Laius, was murdered. It is soon his own destiny to find out the truth about Laius. In hopes of finding out the truth to set the people of Thebes free from destruction, he soon finds out that the truth affects him more than his people. In the beginning of the story, the people of Thebes come to him in hopes of finding safety. “Therefore, O mighty King, we turn to you; find us our safety, find us a remedy, whether by counsel of the gods or men (pg. 950, lines 43-45).” It was his duty as the new King to be the hero of the land of the people and solve the crime of the murder of Laius. He wanted to be praised for his works, and to also gain more fame, wealth, and respect by all of the people of Thebes and Kadmos.
In the story of Oedipus, there are several ...

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...r own son blinded himself so he could escape future betrayal. In the world today, there are several who have killed themselves, and self-mutilated themselves due to some type of tragic event that they couldn’t face alone. We all have a fate; the oracle is the God above. This is what Freud is saying; before we are even given a chance to take our first breath on this earth, we are given a destiny. However, it is by our own decisions that allow us to successfully fulfill it or not.

Works Cited
Kennedy, X. J., and Dana Gioia. Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing. Boston, MA: Pearson, 2012. 949-88. Print.
Oedipus Rex or Oedipus the King Summary and Analysis." Oedipus Rex or Oedipus the King Study Guide : Summary and Analysis of First Stasimon, Second Episode, Second Stasimon and Third Episode (462-1086). N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Jan. 2014

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