...Date: 12/10/08 Title: Oedipus the King: A Story of Fate Thesis: “Oedipus the King” by is generally a story about fate as it deals with its unalterable nature and the consequences that come with the attempt to change it. I. Fate and its Characteristics A. Characteristics of Fate 1. Fate as controlled by external force 2. Insignificance of man in relation to fate B. Fate according to Sophocles 1. Determined nature of fate 2. Freedom of man as manifested through his attitude towards destiny II. Oedipus A. His destiny as determined before his birth 1. The attempt of King Laius and Queen Jocasta to alter his fate 2. The futility of such attempt B. Oedipus’ lack of knowledge as instrumental in determining his fate C. Oedipus’ negative attitude towards his destiny D. Man’s attitude as uncontrolled by fate but possesses the power to influence 1. The role of arrogance and self-confidence in the fulfillment of the prophecy 2. Arrogance as a result of experience 3. Self-confidence as contributed by the people of Thebes 4. Arrogance and self-confidence as his response against fate III. Fate according to Epictetus A. Fate must not be feared and wanted B. Fate must be accepted with grace and dignity C. Fate must be embraced as the will of gods D. Refusal to accept fate results in tragedy Name:...
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...Oedipus the King: Free Will or Fate? A common debate that still rages today is whether we as a species have free will or if some divine source, some call it fate, controls our destiny. The same debate applies to Oedipus the King and Oedipus at Colonus. Does Oedipus control his actions, or are they predetermined by the gods? It’s that question that makes Oedipus a classic, and many different people think many different things. With all the oracles and talk of prophecies, its obvious that there is some divine intervention in Oedipus. But how strong is it, and how much control does Oedipus really have? Fate, or divine will, manifests itself in a number of ways. First, in Oedipus at Colonus, there is the oracle at Delphi that tells Oedipus’s parents and then himself that he will kill his father and marry his mother. It does end up happening, proving divine intervention occurs. Later, the prophet Tiresias tells Oedipus exactly what the oracle did, making himself another example of divine will, that is, the gods speak through him. Divine intervention is abundant in Oedipus at Colonus, too. In it, Oedipus tries to gain sympathy for himself by saying all the sins he committed in the previous play were the work of fate, thus proving the point of divine intervention in Oedipus the King. There are examples of divine intervention that are only in Oedipus at Colonus, like all the prophecies from the oracle. First, it is said that the city Oedipus is buried in will be blessed...
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...Oedipus the King: Free Will or Fate? A common debate that still rages today is whether we as a species have free will or if some divine source, some call it fate, controls our destiny. The same debate applies to Oedipus the King and Oedipus at Colonus. Does Oedipus control his actions, or are they predetermined by the gods? It’s that question that makes Oedipus a classic, and many different people think many different things. With all the oracles and talk of prophecies, its obvious that there is some divine intervention in Oedipus. But how strong is it, and how much control does Oedipus really have? Fate, or divine will, manifests itself in a number of ways. First, in Oedipus at Colonus, there is the oracle at Delphi that tells Oedipus’s parents and then himself that he will kill his father and marry his mother. It does end up happening, proving divine intervention occurs. Later, the prophet Tiresias tells Oedipus exactly what the oracle did, making himself another example of divine will, that is, the gods speak through him. Divine intervention is abundant in Oedipus at Colonus, too. In it, Oedipus tries to gain sympathy for himself by saying all the sins he committed in the previous play were the work of fate, thus proving the point of divine intervention in Oedipus the King. There are examples of divine intervention that are only in Oedipus at Colonus, like all the prophecies from the oracle. First, it is said that the city Oedipus is buried in will be blessed...
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...Dylan Farrell 5/15/17 Mrs. Tapia Oedipus Essay Free will and Fate has been an argument forever now, such as the story of “Oedipus The King” written. Oedipus was expected to live a great life and thought to be worth a lot, however he had no clue about his past. When his realized what his past was, everything went haywire. However the death of the baby was untrue. Oedipus goes through a bunch of coincidences that makes it seems like his life is predetermined and almost impossible. He encounters things like unknowingly marrying his mom, killing his dad, and escaping death at a young age. Jocasta and King Laius had a baby who had a great future and they were very excited to have. This baby would have everything in the world. Money, fame, royalty, anything he wanted could be his. After is his prophecy was told, Laius told Oedipus that he must die. They forced the shepherd to pin his feet and throw him in the mountains. Oedipus ended up not being killed but given to the king and queen of Corinth. Since he was very little at the time Oedipus always thought of them as the biological parents. His whole life was a lie....
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...Oedipus, the ruler of Thebes, approaches a group of unhappy citizens, represented by a priest, and asks them what is wrong. They answer that the city is dying and that they are sick and poor. Oedipus sympathizes and tells them that, as their ruler, he is also troubled by the sickness of the city, and has already taken steps to see that something be done about it. The first step he has taken was to send Creon to Apollo's shrine to see what the god recommends they do. As Creon appears, he tells them that the god, Apollo, said that there is bad blood in Thebes, and that until this blood is expelled Thebes will be a sick city. This bad blood is the blood of the person who killed Laios. When Oedipus asks why the case was not investigated, as he had not come to Thebes at that point, the people answer that they were too busy trying to solve the Sphinx's riddle. Oedipus says that no matter what the cost is, he will get to the bottom of it, both because it harms Thebes, and because Laios was noble and loyal. The elders say that they do not have any knowledge of the murder, and suggest that Oedipus call Tiresias, a blind prophet, to help and advise him. Oedipus says that he has already done this, and Tiresias arrives promptly. Although reluctant to speak, Oedipus forces Tiresias to reveal what he knows. Tiresias says that Oedipus is Thebes' pollution and that he killed his father and sleeps with his mother, and that this is the truth. Oedipus accuses Tiresias of lying on Creon's behalf...
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...the story of Oedipus, I noticed the theme of fate throughout the events that occurred to Oedipus. In three occasions, Oedipus tried to be protected against the fate he was prophesized to fulfill. Jocasta, his birth mother, attempted to steer her infant son from his fate by giving him away to slaves soon after his birth. After being summoned by a grown Oedipus, the servant from Corinth also tried to protect him against the truth of his fate. Tieresias also attempted to withhold the truth of Oedipus’ fate with no success. In all three instances, I saw how Oedipus’ pride got in the way of the protection everyone was trying to offer him. Oedipus was arrogant and stubborn in his nature and believed his commands had to be obeyed by the people he summoned because he was king. He argued with Jocasta, the servant Corinth, and Teiresias when they tried to cover his fate, but his pride caused all three to tell him the hurtful truth. In the beginning of the story, Laius consults the Oracle of Apollo in order to find out why he and his wife couldn’t conceive. A prophecy came from the Oracle, telling Laius that any son they may conceive would end up killing Laius and marrying his wife. When the time came that Jocasta bore a son, she gave him away to a servant in order to leave him out to die. Her attempts to avoid the prophecy from being fulfilled were unsuccessful when the infant Oedipus was handed over from servant to servant until finally being adopted by Polybus, the king of Corinth. After...
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...Sign in Google oedipus rex thesis research paper WebImagesVideosNewsShoppingMoreSearch tools About 365,000 results (0.35 seconds) Search Results Free oedipus Essays and Papers - 123HelpMe.com www.123helpme.com/search.asp?text=oedipus Free oedipus papers, essays, and research papers. ... Oedipus Rex, by Sophocles - In “Oedipus the King,” an infant's fate is determined that he will kill his father ... Oedipus the King a Story of Fate - Research Papers ... www.termpaperwarehouse.com › English and Literature Feb 8, 2012 - Read this essay on Oedipus the King: a Story of Fate . ... Thesis: “Oedipus the King” by is generally a story about fate as it deals with its ... Oedipus Rex and Blindness Research Papers are Written ... www.papermasters.com › Research Paper Topics Oedipus Rex and Blindness research papers are custom written according to your literature or English 101 research paper requirements. Oedipus the King Research Papers on the play by Sophocles www.papermasters.com › Research Paper Topics In research papers on Oedipus the King by Sophocles, there is the example of the classic tragic hero in the character Oedipus. Often defined in research papers ... Oedipus the King Term Paper Topics - Planet Papers www.planetpapers.com/professional-essays/Oedipus-the-King.aspx Oedipus the King term papers available at Planet Papers.com, the largest free term ... 1000's of FREE Term Papers, Essays, Book Reports & Research Papers. Oedipus Rex Essay - Critical...
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...Sam Rogers Michael Brush English Composition II 24 March 2013 Oedipus’s Downfall The downfall of Oedipus is entirely the responsibility of the gods and not himself. A plague has stricken Thebes. It is said plague will end when the murderer of Laius, former king of Thebes, is caught and expelled; the murderer is within the city. Oedipus, current King of Thebes, vows to find the murderer, and put an end to the terrible plague. Oedipus is driven by the fate intended by the gods, and there is nothing he can do to prevent the horrible, shameful prophecy from coming true. The ancient Greeks believed that their gods could see the future, and that certain people could access this information. In the play, Oedipus the King, Prophets or seers, like blind Tiresias, saw visions of things to come. At the end of scene one, Teiresias exclaims, “To the children with whom he lives now he will be brother and father-the very same; to her who bore him, son and husband-the very same who came to his father’s bed, wet with his father’s blood (1077).” This is a restatement of the prophecy that told of Oedipus murdering his father, becoming king, and marrying his mother. King Laius of Thebes receives a prophecy saying that he would have a son by Queen Jocasta, and that his “doom would be death at the hands of his own son (1081).” King Laius, Jocasta, and Oedipus all work to prevent the prophecies from coming to pass, but their efforts to thwart the prophecies are what actually...
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...Oedipus the King: The Hero of Personal Autonomy in Inevitable Fate Tragedy Abstract: Oedipus the King, written by Sophocles, who was one of Athens’s three great tragic dramatists, is an indisputably classical tragedy in literature history. And Oedipus’s tragic fate, murdering his father and marrying his mother, is the most controversial point. This paper mainly analyzes the conflict between Oedipus’s spirit of personal autonomy and the oracle predetermined fate, and the causes of Oedipus’s inevitable tragedy. Key word: Oedipus; personal autonomy; fate; inevitability Introduction Oedipus the King is based on a Greek myth that Oedipus killed his father and married to his mother, showing the Greek tragedy’s conflict rich of typical significance...
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...Hamartia in Oedipus the King According to the Aristotelian characteristics of good tragedy, the tragic character should not fall due to either excessive virtue or excessive wickedness, but due to what Aristotle called hamartia. Hamartia may be interpreted as either a flaw in character or an error in judgement. Oedipus, the tragic character in Sophocles’ Oedipus the King, certainly makes several such mistakes; however, the pervasive pattern of his judgemental errors seems to indicate a basic character flaw that precipitates them. Oedipus’ character flaw is ego. This is made evident in the opening lines of the prologue when he states "Here I am myself--you all know me, the world knows my fame: I am Oedipus." (ll. 7-9) His conceit is the root cause of a number of related problems. Among these are recklessness, disrespect, and stubbornness. Oedipus displays an attitude of recklessness and disrespect throughout the play. When he makes his proclamation and no one confesses to the murder of Laius, Oedipus loses patience immediately and rushes into his curse. Later, he displays a short temper to Tiresias: "You, you scum of the earth . . . out with it, once and for all!," (ll. 381, 383) and "Enough! Such filth from him? Insufferable--what, still alive? Get out--faster, back where you came from--vanish!" (ll. 490-492) If an unwillingness to listen may be considered stubbornness, certainly Oedipus would take advice from no one who would tell him to drop the matter of his...
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...Sophocles, the author of Oedipus the King, used three main types of irony to develop the theme: no matter the difficulty of the feat, fate predetermines the outcome. Verbal irony occurs when a character says the opposite of what they mean. Oedipus uses sarcasm in his discussion with the chorus to attack Apollo. The second type of irony, dramatic irony, happens when the audience knows more than the characters. For example, no one but the audience knows that Oedipus killed King Laius. The last type of irony, situational, happens when the characters does the complete opposite of what the audience expects. For instance, the audience expected...
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...The story of Oedipus the King, is about his destiny and choices he makes along the way. Oedipus from the beginning was destined to kill his father and marry his mother. The God’s had already set this life for the king, but they never expected him to make the decisions he made to fulfill his destiny. When the play begins, the citizens of Thebes are begging their king, Oedipus, to take away the plague that threatens to destroy the city. Oedipus sent his brother-in-law, Kreon, to talk to the oracle at Delphi to learn on what to do. When he returned, Kreon announced that the oracle instructed the city to find the murderer of Laios, the king who ruled Thebes before Oedipus. As soon as they find out who murdered the late king, it would be an end to the plague. Oedipus took upon himself to find out who murdered the king. Tiresias, the blind prophet refuses to speak, but finally accuses Oedipus himself of killing Laios. Oedipus orders him to leave, but before he leaves, Tiresias hints of an incestuous marriage, future of blindness, infamy, and wandering. Oedipus then goes to Jokasta for advice. She told him to ignore prophecies because a prophet once told her that Laios, her husband, would be killed by her son. According to Jokasta, it never came true because the baby died, and Laios himself was killed by a band of robbers. Oedipus then begins to worry because just before he came to Thebes he killed a man who resembled Laios. To learn the truth, Oedipus sends for the only living witness...
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...Oedipus the King and Match Point: Fate and Justice As one said by the worldwide famous member of the rock group the Beatles, John Lennon “There`s nowhere you can be that isn’t where you`re meant to be…”. This intertwines with the classical tragedy of Sophocles Oedipus the King and Woody Allen`s movie Match Point propelling the mystery of fate and luck as opposition elements which aid in stimulating several uncontrollable events. The uniqueness of both the stories urge the audience to acknowledge fate and justice in contrast with each story. While the subject of fate and justice for Oedipus is determined by a higher power, Chris Wilton from the movie has fate and justice determined by luck and chance. Firstly throughout the play Oedipus comes face to face with challenging conflicts that counter links to his tragic downfall with fate and justice as determined by a higher power. As a child Oedipus`s parents come to know of the prophecies which indicate Oedipus killing his father and marrying his mother; in order to escape this fate his parents sought out to destroy Oedipus. Their reaction to the message by the gods sets up the tragic events in the near future resulting in unavoidable fate of the unfortunate killing of his father at the crossroad. As remarked by Oedipus “I though I heard you say that Laius was killed at a place where three highways meet.” (Sophocles 42). The gods have set in motion the events of the future and after hearing the story of the late Kings Laius death;...
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...Yellow Puppets and Prophecies The idea of fate has existed alongside humans since before the creation of even the most primitive, simplistic religions. Throughout history, there has always been a clear divide between those who believe in fate and destiny, and those who believe in their own free will. The struggle to prove or disprove the existence of fate is one that has been present along with the idea of fate since its beginning. In Oedipus the King, Sophocles not only clearly shows his own opinion on the existence of fate, but also demonstrates the struggle humans encounter when trying to determine whether they have control over their destiny. Ancient societies, such as the Ancient Greeks, strongly believed in religious ideals to a greater extent than many modern societies; however, Oedipus’s story is one of few from Ancient Greece that openly questions the existence of fate, and dares to entertain the idea of free will. The time described in the play is one where the truthfulness of religion was being heavily questioned, and at its core, Oedipus the King is about the existence of fate. Throughout its pages, the play shows characters who both believe in destiny like Tiresias, and also characters like Oedipus, who transition from believing in fate to believing in free will, and back again. In Oedipus the King, the difference in opinions between Oedipus and Tiresias regarding the existence of fate, clearly show the nature of fate in the play, and Sophocles’s opinion on the...
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...tragedy, in this play two key characters, king Oedipus and his daughter Antigone seem to be followed by tragedy and misfortune. Their seemingly innocent and just actions to them initiate a series of unexpected tragic events such as their deaths and those close to them. The tragic misfortunes that Antigone and her father king Oedipus face can in part be attributed to their shared flaws such as; pride, rash decision making, and rebelious attitudes. Their misfortues can however be partly blamed on their seemingly shared dark fate that manifests itself through their actions. Defiant Antigone and her father Oedipus are defiant for both choose to go against oders given by authority figures. In King Oedipus`s case he failed to heed a warning by a revered prophet named Tiresias, not to look for who killed king Laius resulting into a heated exchange between the two with Tiresius saying “this day will bring your birth and destruction”. Due to his defiance he later finds out that he is the killer and this leads to his downfall and death. Defiance can also be seen as the reason that led to Oedipus killing his father as he refused to let King Laius go first where the three roads crossed each other wanting to go first instead, and when King Laius`s chariot proceded first in an act of defiance Oedipus killed him. Like her father Antigone defies the order by king Creon requiring that nobody performs burial rites for Polynices one of her brothers whom the king considered as a traitor. Despite this...
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