The Role of Fate in Oedipus the King Essay - 1051 Words

Fate played an important part in the plays and literature of the Greeks as is shown in Sophocles play Oedipus Rex Sophocles lived during the Golden Age of Greece. He is renowned as one of the greatest dramaticist of western literature. He was a greek through and through as he held important political positions, and he even served as the priest of the haling diety Amynos. During his life tragedies were popular plays of the greeks, and Sophocles noted for his writing abilites of the time, made one such play about tragedy. This play has been the subject of much controversy and has had many diverse things said about it and its meaning. In his play Sophocles uses fate as a major part of it as he tells a†¦show more content†¦Rollins opinion of the way Oedipus is portrayed and her trying to discredit Dodds thoughts on Oedipus. For the play to effectively show the irony of fate and in itself fate Oedipus would have to have been portrayed as a good man and of high stature. Believing that Oedipus was a good man would have only made the tragedy that more tragic as the audience later finds out that Oedipus actually kills his father and marries his mother. The way that Oedipus finally learns of his fate has been argued over many times. Kimberly Rollins views Oedipus as one who does not unselfishly seek out the truth even though he knows it will be painful for him; rather, he has no idea of what the outcome of his search will be, denies the truth at every turn, and threatens those that speak it.(1) This is going a little overboard in terms of judging Oedipuss character. E. R. Dodds sees Oedipus as one who pursues the truth at whatever the personal cost and has the strenght to accept and endure it when found.(qtd. In Rollins 1) This view is more correct of Oedipus as shown in these lines from the play: No Gods sake, master, no more questions! 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