Destiny Freewill vs. Literary inquisition on Oedipus Rex By: Logan Engle

Summary Baby Oedipus is born King and queen bind his feet and abandon him. A soothsayer made a prophecy that Lauis’s son would kill him and his wife. Polybus and his wife raise him in Corinth as their own child.

Oedipus saves Thebes from a sphinx by solving a riddle and becomes king and marries Jocasta Lauis’s former wife and has two kids. Oedipus learns from a blind Soothsayer that something is wrong in Thebes. Oedipus grew up, leaves Corinth for Thebes, comes across Lauis not knowing he was his father and kills him at the crossroads of Cithearon.

Oedipus asked too much and found out that he killed his father and married his mother. Oedipus is humbled and blames Apollo and himself for fulfilling the prophecy and leaves Thebes. When Jocasta hears what happened, she kills herself and Oedipus stabs out his eyes.

What? Setting Climax theme Thebes, Greece 400 BC When Oedipus learns that Polybus is not his real father from the messenger… theme “Ignorance is bliss”

Conflict Protagonist Antagonist Pov Third person limited Man vs. Self Man vs. Destiny Protagonist Antagonist Oedipus VS. Oedipus VS. Fate Pov Third person limited

How? = Choice Irony Monologue Symbolism Oedipus Rex = Swollen Foot King Blind Therisias = Sees future Oedipus banishes Pestilence = pestilence is Oedipus Monologue “Apollo, Apollo fulfills, O friends my measure of ills-”(Sophocles 47) Symbolism = Choice

Why? The author expresses that both the choices we make and fate control our destiny Some things are better left unknown

So What? The play has Cithearon or the crossroads where Oedipus must choose what path to take. It shows that the decisions we make now may affect us in the future

Work Cited clipart studio search.yahoo.com/images Sophocles. Oedipus Rex.