To what extent do you believe that King Oedipus is responsible for his downfall Do you
Oedipus was heralded as both the savior and destroyer of Thebes. ... The extent to which Oedipus was responsible for his downfall was determined partly by the extent to which he was controlled by fate. ... Oedipus’ ignorance – ignorance of his true origins, of his actions, and of his true destiny – could not be blamed either, and furthermore played an important part in the unraveling of his fate, shaping his later actions in the play. Although he was innocent of wrongdoing to an extent, he was responsible for his downfall in many ways. ... Oedipus was the victim of fate, but his character influenced much of his actions, and determined his role as a tragic hero in the play. Oedipus’ early years were subject entirely to fate, and were not controlled through any action of his until his maturity. His rescue by the shepherd and his adoption by Polybus and Merope, the king and queen of Corinth, were the result of either chance circumstances or his unseen destiny. The shepherd’s compassion and Merope’s childless state set the stage for Oedipus’s new identity, and his path toward his doom. Oedipus also recognizes and rues this turning point in his past, “Die, die- whoever he was that day that in the wilds who cut my ankles free of the ruthless pins, he pulled me clear of death, he saved my life for this, this kindness- Curse him, kill him! ... Bernard Knox states that “No one can be held responsible for actions committed under some kind of external constraint, and in early Greek belief such constraint might be exerted by a host of nonhuman powers (144).” However while it is true he was helpless and this turning point influenced his future, Oedipus first blamed others because his deeds were so horrible he did not wish to blame himself. ... The Greek version of Oedipus is ‘Oidipous’. ‘Oidipous’ resembles ‘oido’ which means ‘I know’ in Greek, an ironic interpretation of Oedipus’ total ignorance of the truth. ... Oedipus begins to realize the enormity of his error during his comparison of those events with Jocasta, “Oh no no, I think I’ve called down a dreadful curse upon myself – I simply didn’t know! ... ” (lines 818-819) Further proof of their relationship is displayed in the comparison of their similar natures, and the irony of Oedipus being like his father to the point where they sought to kill each other, except that Oedipus won.