Gods In Greek Mythology

The gods of ancient Greece played a large role in the Greeks’ lives. Greek mythology originated from the people of the island of Crete, and the people of Crete created stories explaining why natural things were as they were. Some of these legends survived and became a part of Greek mythology. The main attraction of Greek mythology is its gods, and the deeds they commit. The Greeks believed that their gods controlled all aspects of nature. Although the belief that the gods controlled everything was very popular, it’s not necessarily played out that way, even in many famous legends. I will be discussing this particular fact by using the widely known Theben play, Oedipus Tyrannous, as an example. Oedipus was fated to kill his father, and then …show more content…
It all starts off when Jocasta is given the prophecy that her son will kill her husband and lie with her in bed. The prophecy is given to her by a Delphi oracle, which is a person that interprets Apollo’s messages. Later on, Apollo curses the people of Thebe until Oedipus pays for what he’s done. It all seems like the life of Oedipus is Apollo’s personalized movie plot line, and he can twist and turn the outcome however he wants. That isn’t exactly the fact, and I’ll explain why. First of all, Oedipus was given the choice of whether or not he would want to stay in Corinth, but Oedipus chose to leave. He wasn’t exiled or banished from Corinth, so one can technically call his running away a choice. “Polybus! Corinth! You were my home./ You raised me, covered me in kindness./ But evil festered under my skin,/ Erupting me, evil born of evil.” (Oedypus Tyrannous; line(s) 1394-1397) Secondly, the symbolism of the three-way crossroads makes its way through the play. “The three ways at that hidden gully, /The narrow track through the woods/ Where I spilled my father’s blood,” (Oedypus Tyrannous; line(s) 1398-1400) The reason Oedipus killed Laius is because Oedipus was in the way of the royal entourage, and he was refusing to move. Laius probably did his part in being king and sent his guards at Oedipus, and Oedipus did his part and killed everyone. This story could have been completely different …show more content…
The gods couldn’t control the people’s thoughts or feelings, so the mortals were in full control of their lives. Since the gods are prone to mistakes, they aren’t exactly all powerful. Apollo is the god of prophecy not the god of controlling people’s lives. All he did was help or hurt in situations. Oedipus could have easily avoided the unfortunate chain of events if only he stayed in Corinth. Another way he could have avoided it was by making the choice of not to kill his father, or taking one of the other paths of the three way crossroad. The symbolism of the three way crossroad is the clue that the author gives us about the fact that Oedipus did have a choice, even if it seemed like everything was played out like a movie by the gods. In conclusion, Oedipus was the master of his fate, and the gods merely sat back and