Courage in the Face of Fate:Analysis of Oedipus in Oedipus the King

Liao Yinye

Abstract: This paper analyzes the drama character Oedipus in the famous tragedy Oedipus the King through a comparative analysis between a mediocre interpretation of Oedipus and that of the writer of this paper. This paper views Oedipus as a tragic but courageous and respectable man.

Key Words: tragedy; Oedipus; Oedipus the King

Tragedies are more attractive than comedies, since the former give people more strength than the latter. And strength is what modern puzzled people yearn for. Drama is an expression of the heroic dreams that human have in their weary and dreary secular life.

Sophocles Oedipus the King is beyond question a great tragedy. As a result, a mediocre interpretation of it is hard to put up with. Below is one example of a mediocre interpretation. Naturally the writer of this paper attacks it, in the name of drama.

The author of this internet essay states the following:

The events in Oedipus the King, written by Sophocles, show an underlying relationship of mans free will existing within the cosmic order or fate which the Greeks believed guided the universe in a harmonious purpose. Man was free to choose and was ultimately held responsible for his own actions. Both the concept of fate and free will played an integral part in Oedipus destruction. Although he was a victim of fate, he was not controlled by it (“Oedipus the King – Free Will vs. Fate”).

Oedipus was not free to choose and it was fate that solely leads to his downfall. When he was born, an oracle of Apollo said he would couple with his mother and kill his father. So the parents asked a shepherd to leave him on a hillside of Mount Cithaeron, but he was rescued and brought up as the son of the king of Corinth. Hearing the oracle, Oedipus ran away from Corinth. While travelling, he unwittingly met and killed Laius, king of Thebes and who gave his life. After ridding Thebes, he solved the riddle of the Sphinx and be hailed as the king of Thebes and married the queen of the country, Jocasta, his real mother. Thus, he fulfilled the oracle.

The whole course was preset by God or fate. It was unchangeable and required no analysis or explanation. Any detailed explanation of this play is meaningless. Because all the values and ways of thinking are out of time, traditional and not constructive. What todays people should appreciate and inherit from this great tragedy is the spirit – Oedipus unyielding courage in the face of fate and his tenacious struggle against fate.

“Oedipus the King – Free Will vs. Fate” also argues that “His pride, ignorance, insolence and disbelief in the gods, and unrelenting quest for the truth ultimately contributed to his destruction.” What unpleasant and unfair judgment on Oedipus!

Firstly, pride. Oedipus was proud? Yes, leadership required pride. Without pride, he would not solve the challenging riddle and saved and ruled Thebes. I owe Oedipus pride to his unusual and tragic fate. As he said to Jocasta about his early life in the play

I heard all that and ran. I abandoned Corinth,

from that day on I gauged its landfall only

by the stars, running, always running

toward some place where I would never see

the shame of all those oracles come true.

And as I fled I reached that very spot (876-881)

We conclude that Oedipus led a life of loneliness and fear in his early days. Such a person with pride deserved our respect for his strong character. It was hard for a man to suffer so much and grow up a great man.

Secondly, ignorance. The author of “Oedipus the King – Free Will vs. Fate” lacks reasoning power. How could an ignorant man get the very point to resolve every puzzle in the long course of finding out the murder?

Thirdly, insolence. As to his attitude toward Tiresias and Creon at the beginning of this play, he is insolent. But it is comprehensible. It is the natural response for a man of great power. If he was more tolerant, he would be perfect as a king. It is a pity that he is a man. As people are not saints, how can they be free from faults? To err is human. But he is a good husband and father.

Fourthly, disbelief in the gods. It is Oedipus belief in the gods that made him ran away from Corinth to avoid fulfilling Apollos oracle. It is his superstitious belief in the gods that made him sent Creon to Delphi to ask help from Apollo. Therefore, Oedipus belief in gods contributes to his destruction.

Lastly, unrelenting quest for the truth. It was the very character that we Chinese intellectuals lacked. But for Oedipus, the author lays the blame on this precious personal character. In fact, it is not Oedipus unrelenting quest for the truths fault, but the fault of god and fate.

Another view of the essay is that “Oedipus is accepting the full burden of his acts and knew that he must be punished for his sins (“Oedipus the King – Free Will vs. Fate”)”.

Apollo, friends, Apollo –

He ordained my agonies – these, my pains on pains!

But the hand that struck my eyes was mine,

Mine alone – no one else –

I did it all myself?

What good were eyes to me?

Nothing I could see could bring me joy (1467-1473).

Oedipus stabs his eyes because of his despair for life and desire to keep dignity in the face of god. Burden of his acts is not the real reason for his stabbing his eyes.

Through the above analysis of three views of “Oedipus the King – Free Will vs. Fate”, we conclude that the author of this essay does not really understand Oedipus or gives him fair judgments. Oedipus the King told a story of Oedipus, who was “born for pain” (1305) but never lose dignity in the face of power.

Works Cited and Consulted:

[1] “Oedipus the King – Free will vs. Fate”. Retrieved October 24, 2009 from http://www. echeat.com/essay.php?t=25371

[2] Sophocles. Oedipus the King. Trans. Robert Fagles. Reading for Writing. Ed. William Ellis. N.p.:n.p, n.d.9-55