Term Papers on The Fate Of King Oedipus

Term Paper Title	The Fate Of King Oedipus
# of Words	1119
# of Pages (250 words per page double spaced)	4.48

The Fate of King Oedipus

Jeremy Todd
English 122
4/5/97


The Fate of King Oedipus

     In "King Oedipus" there comes a point in the play where Oedipus
learns something that plays an important role throughout the play.   He learns
from a  oracle that he will eventually kill his own Father and sleep with his
own mother.  As one could imagine this is a shock to Oedipus, and he does
not believe the oracle.  However, he cannot control any of this from
happening because it is his fate.  He is a victim of circumstances beyond his
control.  Oedipus has no control on the outcome of what happens in his life
because his life had already been planned by the Greek Gods.
     Throughout the whole play there are references made to many of the
ancient Greek Gods, for example, Apollo, Zeus, Dionysis, and Artemis are
discussed quite often.  In ancient Greece the people believed that if anything
happened one of the god's had a reason for it.  Each god was related to one
specific thing like Poseidon being the god of the sea.  They thought that if
there was a tidal wave or a hurricane it was because Poseidon was angry at
them.  This is the basis for my assumption that Oedipus had no control over
his fate.
     First of all, when Oedipus is just a baby his father, King Laius of
Thebes, is told in an oracle that his own son will kill him.  So, with the
agreement of his wife, Jocasta, the baby's feet are pinioned, and it's given to a
slave who is supposed to leave it to die on Mt. Cithaeron.  However, the
slave feels sorry for the baby, and gives it to a fellow shepherd from Corinth.
The shepherd from Corinth presented the baby to the childless King of
Corinth, who is Polybus, and he brings him up as his own.  He gives him the
name Oedipus, which means swollen foot, because of his deformity.
     This shows how the god's had already intended for his life to be.  He
had no way to control what his parents did to him after he was born.  Then,
eighteen years later, he leaves Corinth for Delphi, to check on his parentage
at the oracle of Apollo.  The oracle, though, gives him a horrific prediction.
Which is that he will kill his father and sleep with his mother, which are the
two most inconceivable crime in a Greek family.  After hearing this he flees
Corinth and heads toward Thebes believing to of left his father behind in case
the oracle was right.
     However, the god Apollo has somewhat tricked him.  Since he believes
that his real father is Polybus, but he does not yet know that his father is the
King of Thebes, which is where he is going.  Along the way he meets an old
man driving a wagon of slaves at a place where three roads meet, and he then
precedes to kill him.
     Years pass after this incident, during which time he becomes King of
Thebes, marries Jocasta (his mother), and fathers four children by her.
Slowly, Thebes becomes engulfed by a horrific plague, which kills animals,
children, and crops.  Oedipus, being the brave king he is, promises to save his
city.  Since plagues are caused by pollution, and the pollution is caused by
sins the gods are the only one's who can reveal it's cause.  Oedipus sends his
brother-in-law, Creon, to see the oracle at Delphi again, and the god's answer
is that the plague was caused...

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