The Cold Truth of Prophecies Prophecies play a major part in Greek literature and this is especially true in Sophocles’ story of Oedipus. The gods speak truly through prophecies, which cause great misfortune and tragedy for heroes and are unavoidable. They also caused the characters in the prophecy to become blind to the truth. The story of Oedipus teaches us that the prophecies of the gods are unavoidable and that there is no way to escape them. After learning about the prophecy that a son born of King Laius and Jocasta would end up killing the King, they decide to take matters into their own hands to prove the prophecy wrong. Jocasta tells Oedipus, “Before three days were out after his birth King Laius pierced his
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The characters that the prophecy affected seemed to ignore it while everyone else was more willing to accept the truth of it. For example Jocasta explains, “So clear in this case were the oracles, so clear and false” (Grene 448). On page 458 Oedipus learns that Polybus is dead and exclaims, “They prophesied that I should kill my father! But he's dead, and hidden deep in earth, and I stand here who never laid a hand or spear against him” (Grene). These quotes demonstrate the lack of trust that Jocasta and Oedipus had in the prophecy. I believe that they were so close minded to the truth of the prophecy because they were both deep down fearful that the prophecy could be true. This fear led to their ignorance of the prophecy. Other characters, however, were open to the fact that the prophecy was most likely true. For example, the messenger that brought the news of Polybus hears the prophecy and tells Oedipus, “Polybus was no kin to you in blood” (Grene 459). Then on page 462 the herdsman accepts that Oedipus was the abandoned child of Laius right away and exclaims, “Look old man, here he is----here's the man who was that child!” (Grene). In the first quote the messenger comes to tell Jocasta that Polybus is dead and while she and Oedipus believe that this makes the prophecy incorrect, the messenger quickly points out that Polybus was
The characters that the prophecy affected seemed to ignore it while everyone else was more willing to accept the truth of it. For example Jocasta explains, “So clear in this case were the oracles, so clear and false” (Grene 448). On page 458 Oedipus learns that Polybus is dead and exclaims, “They prophesied that I should kill my father! But he's dead, and hidden deep in earth, and I stand here who never laid a hand or spear against him” (Grene). These quotes demonstrate the lack of trust that Jocasta and Oedipus had in the prophecy. I believe that they were so close minded to the truth of the prophecy because they were both deep down fearful that the prophecy could be true. This fear led to their ignorance of the prophecy. Other characters, however, were open to the fact that the prophecy was most likely true. For example, the messenger that brought the news of Polybus hears the prophecy and tells Oedipus, “Polybus was no kin to you in blood” (Grene 459). Then on page 462 the herdsman accepts that Oedipus was the abandoned child of Laius right away and exclaims, “Look old man, here he is----here's the man who was that child!” (Grene). In the first quote the messenger comes to tell Jocasta that Polybus is dead and while she and Oedipus believe that this makes the prophecy incorrect, the messenger quickly points out that Polybus was