Sophocles I: Oedipus the King

Reading Considerations: What actions in the play were fated? What actions in the play were freely chosen?

 

In regards to Oedipus and the prophecy of murdering his father and sleeping with his mother, it is difficult to say what actions were fated and what which were chosen. The first reason it is hard to say is that it is uncertain whether Laius would’ve died had Oedipus stayed with his biological parents. It’s similar to that Canterbury Tales where a king sends away his son because it is fated that he will be murdered by a specific man. It’s frustrating when his son dies because it’s obvious he wouldn’t have if he would have just stayed in his kingdom. However, it’s not as simple as just changing the story so that Oedipus stays with his biological parents, because the Oracle didn’t say what circumstances would’ve brought Laius’s son to kill him. Oedipus could have very well grown up to hate his father and killed him for that reason. It is also hard to decide whether actions were fated or chosen because it depends on whose actions we are talking about. If its Oedipus then none of the actions were chosen. He didn’t choose to be sent away from his biological parents, in fact, he was under the impression that his adoptive parents were his biological parents. If we’re talking about Jacosta and Laius’s actions then yes they were chosen. They took it upon themselves to send away their child. I think the only choice that was chosen by Oedipus was to leave his home once he heard about the prophecy and ran away to prevent it from fulfillment.

 

**Sidenote: It’s very weird to me that because Laius dies, Jacosta just ignores that whole other part of the prophecy that she will sleep with her son. Wouldn’t she find it weird that the man that is courting her is around the age her son should be? I personally wouldn’t want to engage with any male that would be around my son’s age. Just because one part of the prophecy wasn’t fulfilled according to my knowledge doesn’t mean that the other one cant. Technically I guess marrying Oedipus is another chosen action rather than a fated one.  I think everything that happened to Oedipus was fated based on the choices those around him made. He didn’t really have a choice in anything other than deciding to leave his home.