![]() He does not know that the old man he killed on the highway could be his father, and the woman he is married to could be his mother. In other words, Oedipus stays blind to the consequences of his action. That is why Chorus comments that no person should feel happy until his end. However, as the prophecy predicts that Oedipus is the culprit, he leaves the city as a blind man, after gouging his eyes out. He further assures his people that he would again find the culprit living in Thebes, who is the cause of the plague. He brags it at the beginning “ I am Oedipus,” and tells Priest of Zeus and people that he has solved the famous riddle. Though Oedipus is not arrogant, he takes great pride in his past exploit of defeating the Sphinx. Despite his popularity, knowledge and tireless efforts to make his kingdom safe, Oedipus, eventually fall in the pit of disgrace and discovers that he was just a pawn in the hands of nature or gods. Oedipus knows the answers to the Sphinx riddles but does not know his past. ![]() The road to self-discovery adopted by Oedipus leads him to his downfall and tragic end. “Count no man happy till he dies” is the central theme that leads to the self-discovery. However, when the truth is revealed during the plague, Oedipus accepts his fate saying, “Apollo told me once – it is my fate.” Theme #3 Jocasta too tries to take control of her fate to prove the oracle. However, it leaves a controversial question of whether an individual has the freedom to act, or not, though from the first part of the play it seems that Oedipus has full freedom to take action. If an individual is fated to do something, it means the divine forces have already determined that course of action for him. Theme #2įate, in a religious sense, is forced upon a person. Therefore, the question of free will looms large in Oedipus Rex. ![]() Oedipus has both character and opportunities, which could have saved him despite the prediction of the oracle. Sophocles has placed Oedipus in an uncertain situation where his fate lies in his hands, and he has free will to avoid any circumstances that arise against him. Whether a man is the master of his fate and fortune is still a debatable question. This philosophical thematic strand runs parallel to other ideas, but always dominates them. Free will is one of the most controversial themes of Oedipus Rex.
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