Oedipus the King: A Pawn of the Gods
... a fit of rage, kills a traveler and his servants. This was his real father although he did not know. At this point, if Oedipus had not been so quick tempered, perhaps he could have avoided the oracle’s prophecy. Is this due to Oedipus’ anger? Or is this an act of fate? This is an ongoing theme in this play. I believe however that fat is stronger than free will, and that had Oedipus chose to let the caravan of traveler pass, he would have run into his father again at some point in time. After Oedipus makes it to Thebes he encounters the Sphinx and solves its riddle. Doing so allowed him to become the king and allowed him to take the kings wife. Perhaps it was not explained to him what happened to the previous king, but had he searched for the truth at this point, he could have avoided the prophecy. Once he is the king of Thebes, the city falls into a plague. Oedipus decides then to find the killer of the previous king Laius, to banish or kill the murderer so that the plague may be lifted. Throughout the play, Oedipus makes reference to the murderer not knowing that he is the one responsible for all the pain and suffering in his city. Is Oedipus responsible? Yes, but he is indeed a pawn in a predetermined game played by the gods. Oedipus’ persistent search for truth in this play is blinded by his rage, and his unwillingness to listen to the blind prophet Tiresias. Tiresias tells Oedipus that he was the murderer of Laius, and that he had married, and bore children with his mother. Even after hearing this, Oedipus dismisses these statements as lies and calls the prophet...