Although classified as a tragedy, Oedipus Rex by Sophocles greatly focuses on the investigation of a mystery. Oedipus must discover who murdered Laios, the former king of Thebes, then exile or kill this person to end a plague befallen upon Thebes. The solution of the mystery, although important to the plot, is not as great a revelation as the knowledge gained through the investigation. The investigation elucidates the theme one can not escape the power of fate and ubiquitous beings.The enigma of the murder of Laios and the investigation of is the majority of the plot and displays the power of kismet. The entirety of the investigation of King Laios’s murder is greatly influenced by destiny, the gods, and prophecy. The examination begins with a prophecy from the oracle of Delphi explaining the misfortunes in the land of Thebes will cease once King Laios’s murderer is found “...and Apollo commands us now/To take revenge upon whomever killed him” (Sophocles 110-111). This illuminates the gods power to interfere with the lives of all people, whether positively or negatively, for their own purposes. Oedipus consults …show more content…
The investigation begins because the oracle reveals the panacea to the plague invading Thebes is the exile or death of Laios’s murderer. Oedipus ignores a well-known holy prophet, Terisias, who told him the true murderer. Iokaste tells Oedipus he is right to ignore prophecy because she did when she was told the misfortune she, Laios, and her son were to endure; she beileved it was succesfully avoided. Oedipus fled Corinth because he was told he was to murder his father, who he thought was Polybos at the time, and have children with his mother. Everything prophecised by the gods happened despite great efforts to terminate fate’s influence. The dint of one’s will can never overcome the dint of fate and celestial beings; fate is
The work as a whole seems to be a study of the nature of the mystery and how its discovery brings out the true identity of Oedipus. The clues involved in Oedipus’ puzzle surface a dark truth about his past and the fate. that he simply cannot shake the fact that he is the murderer and is indeed controlled by the Gods, not as powerful as them. When Kreon returns from Delphi, he tells Oedipus that he must “avenge”. the murderers of King Laios.
Firstly, Oedipus meant very well, as a ruler. All of the events that were described to unfold under his rule seemed to have the best intentions. Oedipus had no control over the fate of Thebes, nor the fate of Laius.Yet, with all of this grief, Oedipus still listens to the advice from Creon, that was received from Apollo, and chose to look into who murdered Laius to lift the curse off Thebes....
Many times in life, people think they can determine their own destiny, but, as the Greeks believe, people cannot change fate the gods set. Though people cannot change their fate, they can take responsibility for what fate has brought them. In the story Oedipus, by Sophocles, a young king named Oedipus discovers his dreadful fate. With this fate, he must take responsibility and accept the harsh realities of what’s to come. Oedipus is a very hubris character with good intentions, but because he is too confident, he suffers. In the story, the city of Thebes is in great turmoil due to the death of the previous king, Laius. With the thought of helping his people, Oedipus opens an investigation of King Laius’s murder, and to solve the mystery, he seeks advice from Tiresias, a blind prophet. When Laius comes, Oedipus insists on having the oracle told to all of Thebes showing no sign of hesitation or caution. This oracle states that he will kill his father and marry his mother. Oedipus must learn to deal with his terrible and appalling fate the way a true and honorable king would. Because...
In fact, Oedipus’ determination towards solving the mystery behind Laius’ death ironically lead to the truth behind the oracle’s prophecy. His supercilious “energia” is present during his speech to the people of Thebes where he states, “As for the criminal, I pray to God -/ Whether it be lurking thief, or one of a number -/ I pray that that man’s life be consumed in evil and/ wretchedness,” (30). Furthermore, he explains that, “If any man knows by whose hand Laius, son of Labdacus,/ Met his death, I direct that man to tell me everything,/… Moreover: if anyone knows the murderer to be foreign,/ Let him not keep silent: he shall have his reward from me,” (30). When Oedipus seeks advice from Apollo in order to lift the curse casted upon Thebes, he lea...
...ck reaction of Oedipus proves that he is curious of what the Oracle says about the murderer of Laius. His constant pestering and relentless pursuit of the truth leads to the answer that he is the killer.
Few people think of detective work in regard to “Oedipus the King”, but this play builds on riddles solved, and unsolved, making it to be a mystery. Oedipus starts out as an optimistic individual who is in charge of a cold case proclaiming that he is going to solve the mystery of the murder of King Laius, in order to life the plague from his city Thebes. The people
Oedipus is the head investigator for the murder of King Laius. Even though he tells the people of Thebes that, "I am ready to help." He promises the people that he would do anything t...
The greek playwright, Sophocles, was born around 496 B.C., and died in 406 B.C. During his life, he wrote many plays, one of which was Oedipus Rex. Sophocles was the first dramatist to add the third actor to the play. Actors were able to perfrom many different parts, but the play was limited to only three actors and the chorus. (Literature, page 1065)
In Sophocles’ Oedipus the King, the reader finds Oedipus as an overzealous king, but one that cares deeply for the people who are under his rule. After solving the mystery of the Sphinx and under the belief that he has escaped the prophecy of killing his father and marrying his mother, Oedipus’ self-confidence goes into over drive. His compassion, for the pain and suffering his people are under, causes him to pronounce a curse on the murderer of Laius. Unknown to the king, he is condemning himself for the crime he committed years ago.
Oedipus’ doom was already predetermined by an Oracle at Delphi before the moment of his birth; thus, despite what choices the people who played a part in his fate made, it became one step closer in bringing about his doom. The prophecy was first given to his parents, Jocasta and Laius, saying that their son was fated to kill his father and marry his mother. This, of course, struck fear into the hearts of Jocasta and Laius. As a result to escape this fate, they had decided to order a henchman to leave the baby on a mountainside with his legs bounded so that he would die of exposure. They believed that their actions of doing so would increase the prophecy not being fulfilled; however, the parents were oblivious at the fact whether or not the baby died or lived. With pity, the henchman instead took the baby to the city of Corinth to be raised under the throne of Polybus and Merope, whom Oedipus grew up thinking he was a legitimate child of. The actions of Laius and Jocasta played the major role in the development of fulfilling the fate prophesied. Laius and Jocasta believed the Oracle, but they had also believed they could control their fate. S...
At the beginning of the play Oedipus is so focused on what he can see that he has no insight. Oedipus hears the news that the one who poisons and tortures Thebes is the one who killed Laius. Oedipus is asking many questions of who the murderer is, and urging Creon to tell of all he knows as he declares, “As Apollo's oracle has declared, he is the wound in our city's soul. Such an ally I am to Apollo and to Laius!”(4)This statement explains Oedipus thinking. He is the good guy in this predicament and he will indeed find the murderer of Laius, since he is such a great ally to him and Apollo.
To destroy Oedipus, the gods granted the power of prophecy to oracles that delivered these prophecies to Laius and Jocasta. As a result, they kill their child to get rid of him and his terrible prophecies. Unfortunately, these prophecies came true because Oedipus didn’t know his real parents. If he had known his real parents, he wouldn’t have killed his father and married his mother.
... happen to the killer when he is found(p331/ln630-634). On page 335 line 695-710 Oedipus began to take responsibility for his accused actions by further looking into the situation. Oedipus begins to tell his story of how he came to be in Thebes (p336/ln 726-790). Which was similar to the one that tells how the king was king. On page 337 lines 767 through 773 he takes the blame for the death of king Laius. Jocasta thinks of a person that could help them clear Oedipus' name. So, Jocasta and Oedipus send for the Corinthian Messenger that could identify or discredit Oedipus and the killer (p339/ln 813-818).
Sophocles’ Oedipus is the tragedy of tragedies. An honorable king is deceived and manipulated by the gods to the point of his ruination. In the face of ugly consequences Oedipus pursues the truth for the good of his city, finally exiling himself to restore order. Sophocles establishes emotional attachment between the king and the audience, holding them in captivated sympathy as Oedipus draws near his catastrophic discovery. Oedipus draws the audience into a world between a rock and a hard place, where sacrifice must be made for the greater good.
From the very beginning, Oedipus was destined to fulfill Apollo's prophecy of killing his father. Even though King Lauis tries to kill Oedipus to stop the fulfillment of this shameful prophecy, fate drives the Corinthian messenger to save Oedipus. What the gods fortell will come true and no human can stop it from happening, not even the kings. Oedipus is once again controlled by this power when he leaves the place of his child hood after he hears that he is to kill his father and marry his mother. "I shall shrink from nothing...to find the the murderer of Laius...You are the murderer..." Oedipus tried to stop the prophecy from coming true by leaving Corinth and only fate can make Oedipus turn to the road where he kills his true father. Leaving Corinth makes Oedipus lose his childhood by making him worry of such issues young people should not have to worry about and becoming a king of a strange land. Last of all, Oedipus carries the last part of the prophecy out, marrying his mother. " I would... never have been known as my mother's husband. Oedipus has no control over the outcome of his life. Fate causes Oedipus to have known the answer to the Sphinx's riddle and win his marriage to his mother, Jocasta. Had fate not intervened, the chances of marrying Jocasta would have been small since there is an enourmous number of people and places to go. Oedipus loses his sense of dignity after he discovers he is not only a murderer, but also that he had committed incest.