Oedipus the King and Ancient Greek Culture

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Discussion
Summary
Works Cited

Introduction

Oedipus is a mythological character whose story was coined by the ancient Greek scribe Sophocles in a tragedy play. His father was the king of Thebes. Greek culture has existed from as early as the Mesolithic era (10,000 7000 BCE) to the Hellenistic era (323 30 BCE). It has evolved over many centuries to become what is known as Modern Greek culture. Each Greek era had its own cultural and linguistic influences that largely depended on the military conquests. Greek traditions are usually based on religion or paganism. Greek language and tradition has also been influenced by empires that recently dominated them. These include the Roman and Ottoman empires. Indeed the influences of such dominations are prevalent today. For example, many Greek dishes have Turkish (Ottoman) names. (McMahan, Day and Funk, 101)

Discussion

The tale of Oedipus gives the message of predestination and fate. Throughout Oedipus life people try to stop the events that have been prophesied. These attempts however, cause the series of events that culminate with the fulfillment of the prophesy itself. (Adams, 2)

Oedipus mother was called Jocasta. His parents confer with the Oracle of Apollo at Delli. The Oracle informs them that their son will one day kill the king and marry his queen. Laius (king) then orders a servant to kill the child by deserting it on a mountain. The servant disobeys and puts Oedipus in a populated area. Oedipus is found and later adopted by the king and queen of Corinth. (Adams, 3)

One day Oedipus is told that he was adopted. He confronts his parents but they deny adopting him. He goes to see the same Dellic Oracle and asks him, Who am I? The Oracle does not reply as asked but tells Oedipus that he is the man who will kill his sire and marry his mother. (Adams, 6)

Oedipus decides to runs away from Corinth. Along his journey he meets a man at a crossroads and kills the man in self defense. The only eyewitness escapes. Oedipus then meets a troublesome sphinx who he kills. The people of Thebes offer him the recently widowed queen of Thebes as wife and make him their king as a reward for killing the sphinx. After a while a plague hits the land and Oedipus asks the Oracle for a solution. The Oracle tells him that the plague will end when the killer of Laius is either killed or exiled. (Friedlander, 7)

Oedipus launches an investigation into the murder of the former king. Oedipus first consults Tiresias, a blind prophet. The prophet urges him to stop the investigation, but Oedipus insists on it. Oedipus begins to recall how he killed a man at a crossroads many years before. Jocasta enters the room and tells Oedipus that her husband was killed at a crossroads. (Adams, 8)

They are soon notified that the king of Corinth had died. Oedipus does not wish to travel to Corinth because of the Oracles prophesy. This is because Oedipus does not yet know that he was adopted. The messenger tries to calm him down by revealing that he was an adopted child. Oedipus consults the servant who was sent to abandon him as a child and it is revealed that he was the child of Laius and Jocasta. Subsequent revelations make Oedipus and Jacasta realize that the Oracles prophesy had been fulfilled. Jocasta kills herself and Oedipus destroys his eyes. Oedipus is then exiled from Thebes. (Friedlander, 10)

Summary

The narrative of Oedipus the King portrays how choices and destiny intermingle. It seems to support the idea of predestination or a predetermined and unavoidable fate. (Adams, 11)

Works Cited

Adams, John P. The Story of Oedipus. (2006). Web.

Friedlander, Ed. Enjoying Oedipus the King, by Sophocles. (2010). Web.

McMahan, Elizabeth, Day, Susan and Funk, Robert. Literature and the Writing Process. Prentice Hall; 8th Edition, 2007.

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Oedipus the King and Ancient Greek Culture

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