Sophocles Tragic Demise Of Oedipus Rex - 2055 Words

A dispute that still storms today is whether we have free will, or if forces outside of human control, fate, decides our future. The same argument pertains to Oedipus Rex. The question raised is whether Oedipus caused his downfall due to his hamartia, his bad actions, or if it was simply fate, that the gods predetermined his life course. Sophocles expresses irony in his play to help the audience cognize the play and give them a better outlook on the reason Oedipus and his family brought about their tribulation and blamed fate for it. Due to Hubris, and the inadequate actions Oedipus makes in desperately preventing what was prophesied, the result led to his and his family’s tragic demise. It is understandable that many conclude Oedipus Rex is based on fate because of the perceived unavoidability of the prophecy. The prophecy of the child of Laius was that he was to kill his father and marry his mother. In the beginning of the play Laius was told of this prophecy and did not accept what was foretold of his future. From that day forward, he did everything in his power to prevent the prophecy from accomplishing. Laius and his wife Jocasta took extreme measures and pierced their child’s legs then ordering their shepherd to leave it on a mountain to die. As the Shephard leaves to the mountains, out of pity, he saves its life and hands it to another shepherd working across from him. After receiving the baby, the other shepherd offered him to his master and his wife which were theShow MoreRelatedDeconstructing Tragedy And The Definition Of The Protagonist’S1173 Words   |  5 PagesDefinition of the Protagonist’s Innocence In Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex, Oedipus meets the Aristotelian definition of a tragic hero as divine fate and tragic flaws lead to his downfall. Oedipus’s tragic flaws like hubris, curiosity, and anger, contribute to his unfortunate fate. 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