Uncontrollable Forces Of Fate In Oedipus And Medea

Unseen and Uncontrollable Forces of Fate The thought of fate, and fulfilling one’s destiny have been around and present in the world since the beginnings of people; the thought that all are predestined to do or become something, and that certain destiny is unavoidable. Most often, a knowledge of one’s tragic or unpleasant destiny tends to push people towards fulfilling or becoming it. Although one might do all that they can to avoid undesirable fates, the Greek plays of “Medea,” and “Oedipus” both demonstrate that it is often the step someone takes to avoid danger and destruction, which puts them on the road to it. Oedipus’ parents, Iocaste and Polybus, from “Oedipus,” and King Creon from “Medea,” both show how this occurs, and gives people …show more content…
In response, the king and queen rashly decide the fate of their son, and presume it to be the first step away from this foretelling, but actually take their first major step towards it. The king and queen end up leaving the baby, hobbled, on a mountain to die without physically taking his life. This action results in Oedipus not being raised by his parents, but being raised by others which contributes to his nescience, and eventual marriage to his mother and death to his father. A shepherd, called to talk to Oedipus discusses with …show more content…
King Creon, ruler of the land Corinth, harshly decides to banish Medea, the spiteful ex wife of his new to be son-in-law, Jason. Following his banishment, Medea poses him the question of why, and he responds with, “I am afraid of you… afraid you will do my child some irreparable injury.”(Euripides) Fear can be blinding, and through his fear, he did not see the true intentions of medea. Had he listened to Medea and not allowed his reasoning to be tainted by his fright, he would have seen she posed him no threat. However, because of his stubbornness and terror, he caused her to seek revenge in a terrible way. King Creon departs, and Meades says to herself, “Do you think i would ever have wheedled the king just now except to further my own plans? I would not even have spoken to him, nor touched him either. But he is such a fool that though he might have thwarted my plans by expelling me from the country he has allowed me to stay over for this one day, in which I shall make corpses of three of my enemies, father and daughter and my own husband.”