Oedipus Rex - Flaws in Nature vs. Fate

A detailed Summary of Oedipus Rex - Flaws in Nature vs. Fate


The series of events that occur before and after the prophecy revealed by the gods is fulfilled can be fully explained only through the idea that Oedipus Rex was a man propelled by flaws in his own nature. While it may be argued that certain coincidences could not have happened without the influence of outside forces, ultimately it was Oedipus's own choices and actions that brought about his fate. If it wasn't for the presence of the faults that led Oedipus to make those choices or take those actions, he may have been able to avoid the ill fortune that befell him.

Oedipus' main flaw is his pride. This pride stems into various other negative characteristics including arrogance, rashness and willingness to ignore the truth. Oedipus' pride first comes into play when he encounters his father Laios at Phokis, the crossroads where three roads meet. A crossroad is a place where a choice must be made of which path will be taken. This is symbolic of Oedipus making an important decision when he killed Laios at the crossroads. This was a rash and impulsive decision, which had its roots in Oedipus' pride. Oedipus, who thought himse


In his unwillingness to see the truth, Oedipus dismisses Teiresias' prophecy concerning the identity of the murderer, by saying that he was sent to deliver this news by Creon who seeks the throne for himself. This is another example of the rash behavior often exhibited by Oedipus. During his confrontation with Creon, the Choragos even warns Oedipus "judgments too quickly formed are dangerous." (p.32).

Even after Oedipus hears the prophecy Iocaste tells him about, and notes the similarities it shares with his story, he still cannot even face the possibility of it being the truth. Instead he clings to a detail that king Laios was killed by several highway men, whereas Oedipus acted alone when he killed a man under similar circumstances. He clings blindly to this hope until the final, devastating blow is delivered by the shepherd's story.

lf the son of the king of Corinth, was greatly insulted when Laios and his men (who had the appearance of common highway men since they were traveling in disguise) forced him out of their way. His pride having been offended, Oedipus lost his temper and killed all five of them, including

Some common words found in the essay are:
Laios Phokis, Creon Choragos, Laios Oedipus, Oedipus Rex, , oedipus' pride, people thebes, revealing truth, choices actions, outside forces, lesson humility,

Approximate Word count = 766
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English

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