Brandon Fairchild Fairchild 1
Professor Linda Hardie
Core Humanities 201.1005
Assignment #2
14 February 2017 In the play Oedipus the King by Sophocles, Oedipus’ worst fears are realized despite his best efforts to ward off fate. Despite Jocasta pleading with him to abandon his search for truth by saying “What should a man fear? It’s all chance, chance rules our lives. Not a man on earth can see a day ahead, groping through the dark.” (Sophocles 215), Oedipus learns he had fulfilled the prophecy he was trying to avoid. This quote is a last ditch attempt to dissuade Oedipus, but it comments on the Greeks idea that fate determines ones’ destiny. This idea is why Oedipus could not be persuaded to give up his search, because it was his fate to find out. The quote itself is supposed to debunk the idea of fate by claiming that everything happens by chance and that there’s no way to know what’s to come, which isn’t true in Oedipus’ case. The prophecy that caused the events of the play to unfold …show more content…
(Sophocles 161). If the Sphinx wouldn’t have been terrorizing the citizens of Thebes, at best Oedipus would’ve been a royal guest since he was the Prince of Corinth. Meaning the Sphinx played an unforetold part in Oedipus’ misfortune which hardly could’ve occurred by chance. Lastly Oedipus coupled with his mother, who in time, bore his children. This came as a result of the first two developments, making the likelihood of all three occurring highly unlikely, without fate playing an important role. Only after Jocasta realizes what has happened does she try to keep Oedipus from further pursuing the truth, by saying all happens by chance. (Sophocles 215). Something the she herself wouldn’t believe as she had to have agreed with Laius to get rid of her son after hearing the prophecy the first time. If somehow all of the developments occurred by chance, Oedipus is one unlucky
Professor Linda Hardie
Core Humanities 201.1005
Assignment #2
14 February 2017 In the play Oedipus the King by Sophocles, Oedipus’ worst fears are realized despite his best efforts to ward off fate. Despite Jocasta pleading with him to abandon his search for truth by saying “What should a man fear? It’s all chance, chance rules our lives. Not a man on earth can see a day ahead, groping through the dark.” (Sophocles 215), Oedipus learns he had fulfilled the prophecy he was trying to avoid. This quote is a last ditch attempt to dissuade Oedipus, but it comments on the Greeks idea that fate determines ones’ destiny. This idea is why Oedipus could not be persuaded to give up his search, because it was his fate to find out. The quote itself is supposed to debunk the idea of fate by claiming that everything happens by chance and that there’s no way to know what’s to come, which isn’t true in Oedipus’ case. The prophecy that caused the events of the play to unfold …show more content…
(Sophocles 161). If the Sphinx wouldn’t have been terrorizing the citizens of Thebes, at best Oedipus would’ve been a royal guest since he was the Prince of Corinth. Meaning the Sphinx played an unforetold part in Oedipus’ misfortune which hardly could’ve occurred by chance. Lastly Oedipus coupled with his mother, who in time, bore his children. This came as a result of the first two developments, making the likelihood of all three occurring highly unlikely, without fate playing an important role. Only after Jocasta realizes what has happened does she try to keep Oedipus from further pursuing the truth, by saying all happens by chance. (Sophocles 215). Something the she herself wouldn’t believe as she had to have agreed with Laius to get rid of her son after hearing the prophecy the first time. If somehow all of the developments occurred by chance, Oedipus is one unlucky