Oedipus The King Fate Analysis

Famous Greek playwright, Sophocles, in his unmistakable play, Oedipus the King, tells the tragic story of Oedipus, its eponymous protagonist, and his eventual downfall. Sophocles presents a story in startling fashion -- one which directly addresses a quintessential component of Greek literature: fate. His purpose in doing so is to show the ramifications of excessive pride (also known as hubris) and the dramatic way in which fate is carried out as a result of hubris thereof. He formulates a fatalistic and uneasy tone throughout the story in order to convince the reader of Oedipus' futility in trying to avoid his fate. Fate is irrevocably vital to the overall infrastructure of Greek literature, especially within Oedipus the King, as the gods

To give context, he is largely prideful because of solving the notorious Sphinx's riddle and saving the city of Thebes, the city in which he rules as king. Once he assumes his position as king, Oedipus is dubbed as the "savior of the country" (line 60) by the citizens of Thebes; he even declares himself to be "Apollo's champion" (line 155). Oedipus internalizes the notion of him being an exemplary figure and fully demonstrates this as he delivers powerful speeches with zest, bravado, and confidence -- almost bordering the overindulgent. On numerous instances throughout the story, Oedipus declares his name to those around him; at certain points he even places himself on a startlingly similar level as the gods (although this could be inadvertent or unconscious) which can be seen as impious or irreverent toward the gods. For example, "Here I am myself -- you all know me, the world knows my fame: I am Oedipus" (lines 7-9) demonstrates this, as does the following quote: "You pray to the gods? Let me grant your prayers" (line 245). These quotations adequately provide contextual evidence for Oedipus' hubris; Oedipus is consumed within his own pride and cannot comprehend the nuance of him being wrong, even when the odds are stacked against him. Animosity ensues when Tiresias states that Oedipus is Laius' murderer, Creon has wild and illogical accusations thrown at him by Oedipus when he becomes increasingly paranoid. Oedipus' unyielding stubbornness and pride overwhelm and override the actual direness of the situation, causing him to either underestimate or even dismiss the situation as a whole, which serves as one of many facets to his eventual