By definition a tragedy satisfies the moral sense, it brings forth pity or fear and it tells a story of misfortune by reversal of situation, all of which are fulfilled by Sophocles' Oedipus the King. This being said, I will argue that this play is actually a tragedy of fate: "its tragic effect depends on the conflict between the all-powerful will of the gods and the vain efforts of human beings threatened with disaster." In tracing the events throughout Sophocles' play it becomes evident that the will of the gods wins out, causing the collapse of Oedipus, his land and the people of Thebes. Being a leader of high stature and having won acclaim as the savior of Thebes, Oedipus was well regarded by the Thebian people; however with all of his worldly accomplishments and high standing, he could not overcome the destiny prescribed to him by Apollo, at Delphi.

In order to call Oedipus the King a "tragedy of fate" we have the burden of proving that the tragedy does not develop from acts of free will, but rather are unavoidable events of chance. We must show that Oedipus' journey to the oracle indeed sealed his fate a

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Approximate Word count = 947
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)