Role of Fate in Oedipus Rex

Are people truly responsible for their actions? This question has puzzled humanity throughout
history. Over the centuries, people have pondered the influence of divine or diabolical power, environment,
genetics, even entertainment, as determining how free any individual is in making moral choices.
The ancient Greeks acknowledged the role of Fate as a reality outside the individual that shaped and
determined human life. Oedipus Rex is a tragedy of fate. The crucial events in the play have been predetermined by fate or the gods. Man seems helpless facing the circumstances which mould his destiny. King
Laius was told that his own son by Jocasta would kill him. Laius did everything possible to prevent such a
disaster. Once Jocasta gave birth to a son, Laius had him chained and handed him over to a trustworthy
servant with strict orders that the child be exposed on. Mt. Cithaeron and allowed to perish. But the servant,
out of compassion, handed over the child to a Corinthian shepherd who passed him on to the Corinthian
King. The child grew up as the son of the King and Queen of Corinth and later killed his true father, Laius,
in complete ignorance. Apollos oracle was fulfilled even though Laius and Jocasta took the extreme step to
escape the fate foretold by the oracle.
Oedipus had also to submit to the destiny which Apollo's oracle pronounced for him. He learnt from
the oracle that he would kill his own father and marry his own mother. He, too, tried his utmost to avert a
terrible fate and fled from Corinth. His wanderings took him to Thebes, where people were facing a great
misfortune. King Laius had been killed and the city was in the grip of the Sphinx, who was causing a lot of
destruction because nobody was able to solve her riddle. Oedipus solved the riddle and put an end to the
monster. Oedipus was joyfully received by Theban people as their King and was given Laiuss widow as his
wife. Thus, in complete ignorance of the identity of his parents, he killed his father and married his mother.
He performed these disastrous acts not only unknowingly, but as a result of his efforts to escape the cruel
fate which the oracle at had communicated to him.
It is evident that the occurrences which bring about the tragedy in the life of Laius, Oedipus, and
Jocasta are the work of that mysterious supernatural power called fate or destiny or be given the name of
Apollo. This supernatural power had pre-determined certain tragic events and even informed the human
beings in advance. These human beings take whatever measures, to avert those events; and yet things turn
out exactly as they had been foretold by the oracles. Oedipus has done nothing at all to deserve the fate
which overtakes him. Nor do Laius and Jocasta deserve the fate they meet.
In short, Fate cannot be avoided in Greek tragedy. The characters, no matter what they do, cannot
escape their destiny. It is seen that Fate is the true and deciding factor, from the beginning to the end. Fate is
seen as the driving force, and the ultimate controller of Oedipus life.

Prof. M. Shafique Anjum Dk

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Govt. Post Graduate College, Gojra