While reading Oedipus Rex, we learn that Oedipus’ predicament is a result of his tragic fate. An oracle reveals to Jocasta and Laius that their son will murder his own father and sleep with his mother. Their son is an abomination. Jocasta and Laius decide to give up their son in order to prevent a curse. In their attempt to avoid horrendous events, they actually make their family’s fate more attainable. Maybe if they never tried to get rid of their son, they could have prevented their supposed fate. If Oedipus knew his mother, how would they have possibly slept together? He also would not have killed his father if he knew him. Laius’s death occurred because Oedipus did not know he was killing his parent. Perhaps if Jocasta and Laius raised and kept a watchful eye on their son, nothing would have happened. I believe Oedipus’ family could have prevented their fate. If one goes to an oracle or any psychic, they may learn a fate. That fate can come true if the person exerts strong energy into that thought. Maybe I am being too analytical of the situation that is actually leading me to a spiritual thought, but it was probably possible for Oedipus’ family to avoid their unfortunate fate.
Friday, March 23, 2012
Changing Fate
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The idea of fate is a important theme that is present in many tragedies, and is the usual cause of disorder and distraction. It is interesting to think what might have happened if Oedipus parents did not send him away; but I feel it was part of family's tragic destiny.
ReplyDeleteApollo choose the ending for the family, creating an inevitable outcome of Oedipus and his mother/wife and father. If the parents did decide to keep him, I could see the young King running away or being stolen in order to create the distance and unfamiliarity between the parent and child. But in Greek tragedies, fate is fate.
In reality, I do not believe in the idea of fate that is describe in books, an end that cannot be altered or changed. I believe one has a destination that can be changed, unlike that of Oedipus.
As we read Oedipus Rex I asked the same question, “What if?” The play is surrounded in Greek history, as one can see through the mention of several gods. Well in most stories involving the gods, fate is usually mentioned along side them. I do not think there was anything Oedipus could do, the gods had already decided his fate and he could not run from destiny. Whether he stayed at home or ran away, Oedipus would have ended up killing his father and sleeping with his mother. The only way to escape fate is death, unless that is however is someone’s fate. I believe in fate, that everything happens for a reason and you cannot change your destiny. You maybe alter how you get to finally, but the end result will be the same. For example Oedipus’s mother sent his son away in order to change the outcome, but she only changed the journey, fate happened anyway. Fate is fate.
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