Theme Of Fate In Oedipus The King

Oedipus’ Uncontrolled Fate The presence of a characters predetermined fate is a commonly discussed theme across many forms of literature. For the Greek playwright Sophocles, fate is an abstract concept seen throughout his play, Oedipus the King, and is ultimately a big part in the moral within the play. Oedipus the King is the story of the protagonist, Oedipus, his life and his search to make the people of Thebes free from the plague. With the help of foreshadowing, symbolism, and irony, Sophocles demonstrates how Oedipus’ actions and the results of his actions prove that a person's fate is not something that only they have control over. Most likely the most influential conversation Oedipus has in Oedipus the King is when he first speaks with Teiresias in Scene I of the play. Scene I shows Sophocles’ use of foreshadowing and symbolism, while also reflecting on the message in the story. In Scene I, Teiresias arrives and says he knows who killed King Laios; much to Oedipus’ despair, he does not want to share this information with the people of Thebes. Trying to avoid sharing the truth, Teiresias proclaims, “How dreadful knowledge of the truth can be / When there’s no help in the truth” (Scene I.101-102)! When Teiresias finally explains the prophecy he has been withholding, foreshadowing for …show more content…
David McDonald describes Sophocles use of irony as “the master trope of movement in the play” (147). An example of irony in the play occurs when Iocaste interrupts an argument between Oedipus and Creon and privately reminds Oedipus of Laios’ death by saying, “Laios was killed / By marauding strangers where three highways meet" (Scene II.190- 191), to which Oedipus responds, "How strange a shadowy memory crossed my mind, / Just now while you were speaking; it chilled my heart" (Scene II.201- 202). While it is now clear to the reader that Oedipus killed Laios, it remains unbeknownst to both Oedipus and