The Tragedy of Destiny and Free Thought in the Play Oedipus the King

Julia McGrath

EL 4312-001: Greek Mythology

Professor Keizer

16 October 2019

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Are human beings free to choose what they will do or not do and how they will or will not act? Sophocles' play, Oedipus the King, makes readers think if a person's destiny matches their choices. Oedipus the King is a tragedy of destiny that does not deny human freedom because people choose their own choices. People determine their freedom. Oedipus, the protagonist, proves that the tragedy of destiny did not deny his rights because of his decisions toward killing King Laius, solving the Sphinx's riddle, and becoming the King of Thebes, solving Laius' murder, and blinding himself. Oedipus chose his heartbreaking ending.

Oedipus grew up thinking that the King and Queen of Corinth were his parents. Before the play starts, there is a section title Introduction to the Theban Plays, which describes Oedipus' prophecy and becoming King. The introduction says that "King Laius and his wife, Jocasta, are informed by the oracle of Apollo that if she conceives and bears a son, he will grow up to kill his father and marry his mother" (6). People during this time knew things through revealed knowledge, which was when an oracle (someone of prophecy, usually a god or goddess) told people the future. The problem with this idea of knowledge is that it did not give people their thoughts toward thinking. Because of this, King Laius and Queen Jocasta tied Oedipus' limbs together and abandoned him in the hillside, leaving him to die. The introduction says that Oedipus "is rescued by a Shepherd [that worked for Polybus and Merope] and adopted by King Polybus of Corinth and his wife, Merope...The boy...grows up believing himself to be a Polybus' son and heir" (6). The original parents did not try figuring out why Oedipus would kill them and failed to solve Apollo's prophecy.

Oedipus grew up questioning his parents. When he got older, he found out about his prophecy and left home, thinking that King Polybus and his wife Merope were his birth parents. However, what Oedipus failed to figure out was that he knew Polybus and Merope were not his parents, as King Laius and Merope told him that. He was walking through crossroads and saw King Laius, whom he did not know was his father. Laius threw something at Oedipus, and according to the play, "they fight and Oedipus kills Laius" (6). Oedipus killing King Laius was his choice because if he did not cross paths with Laius on the road, they would have met at another time. Oedipus would end up killing Laius no matter the circumstance because Oedipus was aggressive. Oedipus' murder does not deny his human freedom, as he chose to kill Laius.

Oedipus was a problem solver. After, he traveled to Thebes, which was under attack by a Sphinx. The introduction says, "[Oedipus] then comes to Thebes, which is being terrorized by the monstrous Sphinx. Oedipus solves the Sphinx's riddle and is hailed as the new king by the Thebans, which entails marrying the widow of the recently deceased King, Laius --- she is, of course, his mother" (6). The Sphinx came to Thebes every year with a riddle. Whoever was chosen to solve the riddle and guessed incorrectly was killed. He chose to solve the riddle and become the new King because he loved problem-solving. Oedipus had what was called knowledge by inquiry, a new way of gaining knowledge. Oedipus never relied on an oracle for his future and choices as he liked complex topics and figured things out on his own.

Twenty years pass and the Kingdom was suffering. Because of King Laius' unsolved murder, women were not giving birth, the crops and people were dying. Creon and Oedipus spoke about the issue. Oedipus said, "I'll begin again and bring this all to light, / For when I drive pollution from the land, / I will not serve a distant friend's advantage, but act in my own interest" (131, 36-38). Oedipus thought that his duty was to solve the mysterious death of King Laius because he was the new king and loved detective work. This scene foreshadowed the ending as Oedipus found out that he is the murderer and son of King Laius.

The truth was revealed. Creon (Jocasta's brother) was working with a blind prophet named Teiresias. Oedipus summoned him to the palace and was told by Teiresias that he was the one that murdered King Laius. Oedipus did not agree, and the two began arguing. Jocasta later came by but realized that Teiresias was telling the truth. Jocasta said to Oedipus, who would not let the subject matter go, "I beg you --- do not hunt this out --- I beg you. / If you have any care for your own life. / What I am suffering is enough" (1060-62). Jocasta realized that Apollo's prophecy was correct and that Oedipus murdered her former husband and was her son. She realized this after Oedipus would not stop pressing for answers. Rather than letting the murder go unsolved, Oedipus wanted to find out answers to save his people.

The tragedy took over the palace. After Oedipus found out about his crime, he was informed that Jocasta hung herself in her room. She committed suicide because of her shame and guilt --- she could not accept the fact that the son she left to die was the killer of her first husband and her son. Oedipus acted out in rage and took Jocasta's robe brooches, "he struck his eyes again and again with the brooches, / And the bleeding eyeballs gushed and stained his cheeks" (1276-78). Oedipus gouged out his eyes, permanently blinding himself. The blindness was Oedipus' punishment for wanting to puzzle piece the murder and for killing his birth father.

Oedipus owned up to his actions. The chorus leader told Oedipus that he was better off dead than blind and living. Oedipus disagreed with the chorus member, as he stated, "What I have done here was best done --- don't tell me otherwise, / do not give me further counsel. / I have done things deserving, / worse punishment than hanging" (1369-70, 1374-75). Oedipus took full responsibility for his actions, which shows that he had morals. His parents had no guilt for abandoning him and leaving him to die. Jocasta hung herself because she could not face her actions. Oedipus wanted to leave Thebes after the whole ordeal; he did not want his Kingdom to suffer because of him. He wanted to suffer alone.

People create their destiny — Sophocles' play, Oedipus the King, details Oedipus and his life choices. His tragic destiny was his fault. Apollo spoke about his future, but no matter the effort people put into changing the future, it never works. Oedipus' tragedy was a drastic story of people not owning up to their sins. Sophocles' lesson proves that people determine their freedom, and Oedipus' was running away from his humiliation.

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Works Cited

The Oedipus Plays of Sophocles: Oedipus the King, Oedipus At Colonos, Antigone. New

York: Plume, 2004.