The Importance Of Fate In Oedipus

The Way to Ones Fate Heraclitus once said “A mans character is his fate.” In the Sophocles tragedy, Oedipus Rex, depicts how heedless Oedipus is to his fate. In time, Oedipus went to posses certain traits that eventually led hi, to his fate; marrying his mother, killing his father. Oedipus’ pride, impetuous behavior, and lack of insight ultimately determine his fate. Consequently, one of the main aspects why Oedipus leads himself upon his fate was his immoderate amount of pride. Especially when he solved the riddle of the sphinx. As a result of this, Oedipus’ hubris expands and he now believes that he is capable of solving anything. During his time in Thebes Oedipus was determined to avenge the death of the previous king and find the murderer.

Certainly this shows how ironic Oedipus is. By stating these lines, while putting a curse on the murderers name, it is ironic since he perpetrator of the crime. Oedipus unknowingly curses himself, carrying that curse throughout the story with him. In addition Oedipus is blind to the fact that the prophecy is slowly fulfilling itself. His hubris allows him to not understand how the situations around him connect back to what the prophecy stated. While Oedipus continues to compare himself to be one of the gods because he thought he beat his fate, frustrates them. Although he thinks this, everything that he does fulfills a new part of the prophecy, based on his actions and personality. Oedipus states, “I count myself the son of chance, the great goddess, give of all good things-I’ll never see myself disgraced” (Lines 1188-1190). Granted, Oedipus speaks this unaware that the prophecy ended up coming true overall, on the contrary when he finds out this truth he accepts his horrible reality. Nevertheless his pride denies him of the reality of the truth and ceases him to believe that he in fact

Said in the beginning, Odious can solve the riddle, so therefore he is thought to be the man that can solve anything and can save Thebes. Meanwhile he cannot even solve the most important mystery of all; the fate of his own life. When Oedipus and Tiresias are talking, Tiresias claims that “Blind who now has eyes, beggar who is now rich, he will grape his way to word a foreign soil, a sick tapping before him step by step” (Lines 517-519). This quotes is bluntly stating how Tiresias knows what future lies ahead for Oedipus. Even though he is blind he can see what Oedipus cannot. It proves how blind Oedipus really is to the truth, and how unwilling he is to accept the truth of his own fate. As well when he first hears about the oracle and fled Corinth, to avoid the prophecy from happening. After having knowledge about his fate he claims “having heard… a tale of horror and misery: how I must marry my mother…and kill my father. At this I fled away, putting the stars between me and Corinth, never to see home again, that no such horror should ever come pass” (Lines 795-797). Oedipus’ lack of insight led him straight into his downfall. He ignored any knowledge or insight towards avoiding what his fate could become. Even not knowing that Polybus and Merope, were not his birth parents, what lack of insight to