Oedipus and His Destiny

Oedipus believes that an evil spell must have taken over his life following his past evil dealings with his family, including killing his own parents. Under the cloud of guilt and torment following the unnatural acts that he has committed, Oedipus sees everything happening in his life as a force of a dark power that so strongly influences his destiny. In the following discourse, the tragedy’s section including lines 1370 to 1685 is highlighted with respect to Oedipus feelings about his destiny. Oedipus talks of his past in a manner that perfectly fits his future as foretold to him, showing the impact of destiny in the play. Throughout the conclusion section of the tragedy, it is clear that if not cautious, perceptions on fate can determine what actions we partake into to direct us to our destiny.

Oedipus seems to have lost his track of events that brought him happiness and laments that his inability to discern where good things are makes him miserable. Belief in fate as foretold by a prophet that he’d kill his father and commit incest with his mother appear to be grave concerns on his fate-dependent destiny. In several instances, Oedipus recedes into self blame where he almost rushes to label himself worthless following all the predicaments that he has faced “…now I’ve exposed my guilt, horrendous guilt…, “(Sophocles, Oedipus the King, Line 1517). It becomes difficult for him to once again understand why all the anguish and agony have to fall on his path of existence. Despite the fact that has been through many difficult moments, Oedipus is particularly having trouble to come to terms with the death of his wife (who also happens to be his mother). From the beginning of the excerpt, it appears that something else was troubling the restless man when he enters into the scene. Apparently, his wife was also having some seriously tormenting moments of her life before she opts for the noose as a way to find relieve from her adversaries. The emphasis of her bitter gesticulations near her matrimonial bed must have a direct connection with the actions of Oedipus, who is also disturbed.

It gets clearer that Oedipus must have contributed to the trouble of the dead woman when he admits that that it won’t happen again that she could continue facing the hard life that he subjected her to. In Sophocles, Oedipus the King (Line1406), Oedipus laments and discloses his part in the tragic death of his wife by saying “you’ll see no more the pain I suffered, all the pain I caused!” His destiny in the unfamiliar path of anguish occasioned by a loved ones death is therefore illustrated as self inflicted pain following the disclosure of his role in troubling his wife to her death. However, the heat of the moment of lamentation conceals from him the importance of his actions in the determination of his happiness. His own undoing plays a role for his treads in grieve and loss. In his lamentation actions and words which sound like a sung dirge to the observers, it is clear that the revisiting the old good days they that had together is inevitable. It can only lead to further agony and misery as the Leader comments “Oh poor man, the misery, has he any rest from pain now?” (Sophocles, Oedipus the King, Lines1422-1423).

Understanding the destiny of a man who has had enough trouble with his life is translated as a dark power side of his life. Oedipus attempts to locate his destiny to no avail when he says “…my destiny my dark power…” (Sophocles, Oedipus the King, Line 1449). In a rejoinder to his reaction to the effect that his own undoing brought him the agony he bears, the chorus corrects him to avoid prejudicial comments about his role in his own predicaments. He is quick to label himself cursed by the heavens and points at his destiny as that of a good-for nothing cursed man. Oedipus pains a picture of his destiny to belong to a man, who is hated by the gods on a separate account that exonerates his undoing from the anguish. On a positive note on his life that he however terribly curses, someone rescued him from the wilds at a time he was about to be die. Any destiny cues for his life to survival can be demonstrated from the fact that someone offered to rescue him yet he is quick to curser whoever saved him.

By admitting his wrongs against his parents, Oedipus further justifies his guilt and fate for the reasons why he ought to die. But in a dramatic turn of eye opening events, Creon offers to discuss with him the destiny of a man who feels condemned by everyone. From Creon’s engagement on the condition that he has put himself into, Oedipus softens his stance to allow a better perspective of destiny of a condemned man to have meaning “Time is the great healer, you will see…,” Sophocles, Oedipus the King, Line 1665). Creon is however silencing him so that he could accompany him to the palace where his troubled life ends. It is clear that that he delivers himself following undoubted guilt that defines his final moments of his destiny. The chorus towards the end of the tragedy explains the following lack of space in the society for characters such as Oedipus offers a solution to his troubled life. Isolation from the society is not enough for such a man who incessantly makes confessions about his dark past. His destiny must end in a similar fashion that he subjected his victims to.

It appears that Oedipus is subconsciously driven by events such that he fails to weigh their implication over his life until when it is to late. By lack of self control regarding the life and others’ suffering, Oedipus finds himself the judge over his omission and commission. Control over his actions is the only way for Oedipus to position himself in the society without brushing shoulders with the authorities. Even if there are mysterious forces over the life of an individual, they must not derail our judgment to focus on what we need to do to avoid trouble and shame. As such, it clearly presented that the destiny of every man could be directed by fate if they so agreed as Oedipus did. Fate clearly takes charge of Oedipus destiny since he chose to follow that belief and tragically, every thing falls as he feared of. His pride is magnified by the fact that he belongs to the royal family yet his undoing severely torments him.

Works Cited

Sophocles Oedipus the King, New York, NY: Filiquarian Publishers, LLC, 2006. Print