Oedipus Victim of Fate or He Deserves What He Got Essay

Fate is the development of events beyond a persons control, regarded as determined by a supernatural power. It is a very common theme used in literature. We’ve seen examples from stories such as: Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet and Iliad. We’ve been reading Oedipus the King written by Sophocles. My main thesis that I would be talking about is if: Oedipus was actually a victim of fate, or did he deserve what he got. In my opinion, Oedipus does not deserve what he got and is a victim of fate. This is because all his actions were unintentional. However, some of his actions were ignorant. Right from the beginning we see how Oedipus was envisioned to kill his father and marry his mother, thus his feet being pinned together and him†¦show more content†¦After solving the Sphinx’s riddle, he becomes the king and marries Jocasta, his mother. Again, we note that his action was unintentional. This was one of the reasons he should not have deserved what he got. He had good intentions; he wanted to flee from Polybus and Merope thinking of them as his real parents. This showed us that he was scared of the oracle from being true thus fleeing in order to prevent the mishap. Even he realized that the Gods were controlling him: â€Å"My god, my god-what have you planned to do to me?† Ln813p294 Although, he was smart and a quick thinker, most of the times his temper proved fatal to him. This is the flaw in his fate. He might be smart, but did deserve to be banished for killing the king and for the welfare of the people of Thebes suffering from the plague. He did all his actions unintentionally; yet, it could’ve been prevented. The murder of his father could have been prevented, if he were to be careful and ignore the fact about who was to go first. He showed no respect for elders on spot. He could’ve avoided this by just letting the old man go first instead of quarrelling. Also in the story, we see that he treats blind prophet Tiresias very badly (â€Å"You, shameless†¦corruption of the land!† Ln397-401 Pg278, â€Å"O power†¦your scheming means† 433-459 Pg279) and blames Laius’ murder on Creon, Jocasta’s brother: â€Å"Creon’s to blame,Show MoreRelatedCurses in Oedipus the King and Shakuntala and the Ring of Recollection1308 Words   |  5 Pagessuch remarkable creations of ancient myth are none other than Oedipus the King and Shakuntala and the Ring of Recollection. Oedipus the King is a Greek tragic drama by Sophocles and Oedipus the King is known as the perfect hero of tragedy in the sense he has suffered a misfortune of which he has no control. The play demonstrated human suffering and their inability to change the fate. It revolves around the name, fame and fate of Oe dipus. 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