Sophocles’ Oedipus the King encompasses the conflicts of character versus fate and character versus self. The private and public identities of major characters, such as Oedipus and Jocasta, frame these conflicts. Oedipus was born to the fate of killing his father and marrying his mother. He undergoes problematic experiences when trying to undercover his private identity, which is something he is born with, not something he can choose. His traumatic private identity is that he is the son of Laius and Jocasta. Oedipus’ public identity can be characterized as someone who is an assertive leader, for when he ruled Thebes, citizens admired his leadership. The quality of his leadership is also displayed when Oedipus was determined to find King Laius’
