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Borough of Manhattan Community College

To what extent are we in control of our lives?

A discussion of Sophocles’Oedipus the King

Translated by Robert Fagles with Notes by Bernhard KnoxQuestions, assignment, and sample paper by Andrew Gottlieb

The writing assignment is on page 8 of this handout.

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Write about the following questions:

1. To what extent are we in control of our lives?

2. The Greeks believed one’s that destiny was ordained by the will of the Gods and that there was nothing anyone could do to alter it. How can this idea of destiny be reconciled with free will? How can a person be destined and have free will at the same time?

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3. If we are not in control of our lives, if we are compelled to follow our destiny, can we be held accountable for what we do? If we are being directed by the will of a higher power, can we take credit for the good we do or be blamed for whatever we do wrong?

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Timeline for Oedipus the King

1. Laius rapes Chrysippus.

2. Laius hears the prophecy that his son is destined to kill him.

3. Laius has the shepherd bind his son’s feet and leaves him on Mount Cytharon to die

4. The shepherd takes mercy on Oedipus and gives him to another shepherd who takes him to Corinth where he is adopted by the king and queen Polybus and Merope. They never tell him he is not their child, so Oedipus believes they are his biological parents.

5. A drunk tells Oedipus that Polybus is not his father.

6. Oedipus goes to the Oracle of Delphi and hears of the prophecy that he is destined to murder his father and sleep with his mother. The Oracle refuses to tell him whether or not Polybus is his father. Had Oedipus known the truth about Polybus he would not have taken the next step.

7. Oedipus leaves Corinth to avoid fulfilling his destiny.

8. On the road he gets into a fight and kills an old man who just happens to be Laius, his father. Oedipus has now fulfilled the first part of the prophecy.

9. A monster called the Sphinx is killing the people of Thebes. The only way to destroy the monster is to solve a riddle. Oedipus solves the riddle and saves Thebes.

10. Oedipus becomes king and marries the queen, former wife of Laius, and his mother. He has no idea who she is.

11. Oedipus has four children with Jocasta, two daughters: Antigone and Ismene, and two sons: Polyneices and Eteocles. Since Jocasta is his mother, Oedipus’ children are also his siblings. He is totally unaware of this.

12. Thebes suffers from a terrible plague. This is where the play Oedipus the King begins.

13. Oedipus sends Jocasta’s brother, Creon, to the Oracle of Delphi to find out what can be done to end the plague. When Creon returns he tells Oedipus that the cause of the plague is the murder of Laius.

14. Oedipus proclaims that the murderer of the former king will be caught and banished from Thebes.

15. A blind prophet named Teresias tells Oedipus that he is the cause of the plague. Oedipus denies this and denounces Teresias as a fraud.

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16. JOCASTA’S ACCOUNT OF THE FIRST PROPHECY: Jocasta denounces prophecy as false and to prove this recounts the story of how Laius was killed not by his son but by thieves at a place where “three roads meet” and how previously Laius had “fastened his ankles” and “had a henchman fling him away on a barren trackless mountain” (p.201, ll. 785-795).

17. OEDIPUS’ ACCOUNT OF THE PROPHECYThe crucial clue is “three roads” where Laius was killed. Oedipus recalls that he killed a man in such a place and now realizes that he is the one who killed the king. He tells Jocasta the story of how the drunk told him he was not his father’s son and that he went to the Oracle of Delphi where he first heard that he was destined to couple with his mother, to “bring a breed of children into the light no man can bear to see,” and to kill his father (p.205, ll.850-880).

18. A messenger comes from Corinth and tells Oedipus that Polybus is dead (p.214, l049). Oedipus is relieved since now he believes that there is no way he can fulfill the part of destiny of killing his father.

19. The messenger tells Oedipus that Polybus is not his biological father, that he was adopted and that he had been saved by a servant of Laius. Jocasta now realizes that Oedipus is her son and tries to stop Oedipus from investigating further.

20. Oedipus refuses to listen to Jocasta and, believing that she is concerned only that the investigation may reveal that he comes from a family of commoners or slaves, proceeds with his quest for the truth. He must know!

21. Oedipus interrogates the shepherd who was supposed to have left him as a baby on Mount Cytharon to die but instead saved him. Oedipus now finds out that he is the son of Laius and Jocasta. He knows that he has fulfilled his terrible destiny.

22. Jocasta who now knows that she has been married to her son, cannot bare the truth, and hangs herself.

23. Oedipus takes the brooches from Jocastas dress and gouges out his eyes.

24. Oedipus asks Creon, who is now the acting king, to banish him.

25. Creon banishes Oedipus and the play ends.

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Key Concepts Relating to Oedipus the King

IronyOne of the most impressive and pervasive aspects of Oedipus the King is irony. Irony is

a reversal of expectation. An action is ironic when it results in the opposite of what we expect. What then is ironic about the play?

Firstly, Oedipus is both the detective and the criminal. The blind prophet Tiresias refers to Oedipus as the murder he hunts (180/413). Surely we do not expect the hunter to be the hunted, yet Oedipus is just that. He is both hunter and prey.

Secondly, the play is also ironic in its treatment of blindness. Oedipus, who can see, is blind to the truth, whereas Teresias, who is blind, sees the truth. In the end, Oedipus blinds himself when he discovers the truth. Only the blind can see and the one who sees is blind. The reversal of expectation in this is evident.

Thirdly, Oedipus is both a savior and a curse. He is the savior of Thebes because he destroys the Sphinx by solving the riddle. He is its curse because he kills the king and by so doing caused the plague. One does not expect savior to be a curse.

A fourth aspect of irony is reversal of fortune. Oedipus’ good fortune is the source of his misfortune. His rise to the throne results in his eventual downfall. One does not expect good fortune to be the source of misfortune.

A fifth aspect of irony involves the plague, the problems that sets the drama in motion. By revealing himself as the murderer of Laius, Oedipus eradicates the curse that is the cause of the plague. Ironically, he has, by so doing, incurred the downfall of the royal family. The solution of one problem results in the realization of another.

A sixth aspect of irony inherent in the narrative that precedes the action in the play is the fact that the more Oedipus tries to avoid his destiny, the more he falls into it. Oedipus leaves Corinth to avoid killing his father and marrying his mother only to fulfill his fate elsewhere.

TragedyIn drama, tragedy is a fall from greatness, usually resulting in the death of the tragic hero.Oedipus goes from king to outcast.

Tragic FlawA tragic flaw is a flaw that results in the decline and possibly the death of the tragic hero.Sometimes, a tragic flaw can also be a virtue or a kind of strength. Oedipus’ flaw is persistence along with unrelenting courage and an insatiable need to seek and reveal the truth regardless of the consequences.

DestinyDestiny is the unalterable ordering of events according to divine will.Oedipus’ destiny is to murder his father and marry his mother.

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Free WillFree will is the capacity to act independent of forces beyond one’s control. If a person believes that he is controlled by destiny, he has no free will. Although Oedipus is destined to murder his father and marry his mother, it is arguable that he is not destined to engage in the investigation that reveal that he has in fact fulfilled his destiny. The question is: Is Oedipus’ quest for the truth an act of free will or is this too a function of destiny.

ProphecyProphecy is the foretelling of future events. In ancient Greece, the source of prophecy was the Oracle of Delphi. The priests were believed to have the ability to receive knowledge of future events from Apollo.

Balance and SymmetrySymmetry is in part the property involving a perfect balance of two things. Oedipus the King is symmetrical in that good and bad balance each other out. Oedipus destroys the sphinx, saves Thebes from destruction and becomes king but as a result marries his mother thus fulfilling his horrible destiny. Oedipus ends the plague by determining that he is the murderer of the king but by so doing destroys himself and his mother.

The IrrationalThe irrational is the property of being inconsistent and self-contradictory. It is irrational to believe at one and the same time that you are responsible for your actions and that divine will is responsible as well. It is irrational to affirm at one and the same time free will and destiny. These beliefs are inconsistent and self-contradictory. They cancel each other out. Oedipus affirms that he is the cause of his own downfall but then says that a man of judgement would recognize that his misfortune is the result of some savage power.

Linear Time and Nonlinear TimeLinear time is time moving from past to present to future. Implicit in linear time is free will since time is flowing and is not fixed. Nonlinear time is time conceived of as immobile space with no reference to motion through time. Implicit in nonlinear time is destiny since time is fixed like a picture and cannot be altered.

Resolving the Contradiction between Free Will and DestinyThe duality of linear and nonlinear time can be used to resolve the contradiction between free will and destiny. We can say that these are two distinct perspectives and that reality is twofold. We need not have a single reference frame by which to characterize reality. From the perspective of linear time, free will is conceivable. From the perspective of nonlinear time, destiny is conceivable. Both realities are equally conceivable, but not at one and the same time. To accept this we need to suspend the belief that reality is singular.

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Notes for Oedipus the King

Professor: Andrew GottliebText: Sophocles The Three Theban Plays: Translated by Robert Fagles. Introductions and notes by Bernhard Knox. Penguin Books.

OEDIPUS THE KINGBy Sophocles

Prophecies1st Prophecy 201/7852nd Prophecy 205/873Teresias’ Prophecy 185/515, 183/475

Irony167/155171/250172/280173/300181/435184/503

Revelation201/812221/1143 (Jocasta’s revelation)232/1307 (the big revelation)

Oedipus’ Character/Persistence/Integrity163/105198/748200/770203/1285 persistence224/11932301205

Savior161/47, 59

Curse164/110172/275

Contradictions: Free Will v. Destiny206/905, 207/918

Riddles184/500

News of Polybus’ Death 214/1049

Blindness159/15181/425237/1400-1415 Blinding of Oedipus

Jocasta’s Freudian Remark215/1075

The Witness 204/830(top)

Son of Chance 224/1187

The Leap Down (Tragedy) 239/1445

Clues208/931202/805 THREE ROADS

Doubts/Father 184/498

Bernhard KnoxFreud’s Oedipus Complex 132Also in play see 215/1074Intellectual revolution “enlightenment” 142Tragedy and the need for free will 149

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III - Writing Assignment for Oedipus the King:

Write about Oedipus the King by Sophocles. Focus on one or several of the key concepts on pages 5-6 of this handout.

The paper must be 4 pages and satisfy all of the specifications and the format on pages 9-11 of this handout to receive credit.

Outline for Oedipus the King:

Introduction:Discuss why Oedipus the King has stood the test of time. Write about destiny versus free will and how this relates Oedipus the King as well as the rest of us

Body – Part 1:Write about how Oedipus’ character helps to determine his destiny and consider the question:To what extent does he have free will? To what extent is he responsible for his fate?

Body – Part 2:Write about the contradictory nature of destiny versus free will in Oedipus the King. Discuss the question: How can this contradiction be resolved?

Conclusion:Return to the question of why Oedipus the King has stood the test of time, why Sophocles is a great playwright and how the struggle of Oedipus is one we all share.

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Specifications

1. Each essay must be stapled in the upper left-hand corner. Papers that are not stapled will not be accepted.

2. Each page of each essay must have typed page numbers in the upper right-hand corner. Papers without typed page numbers in the upper right hand corner will not be accepted.

3. Each essay must be typed. Essays that are not typed will not be accepted.

4. Font size must be 12.

5. Font style must be Times New Roman.

6. Each paragraph must be indented.

7. There must be no more than one double-space between paragraphs.

8. The name of the student, professor, course, and date must be flush left with a double-space between each. See example on the following page.

9. Each essay must be double-spaced.

10. For citations more than one sentences, use the following specifications. See example on page 9.

a. single-spaceb. font size 10c. left indent at 1 right indent at 5.5.

11. Quotation marks and the appropriate MLA citation for all quotes must be used. The absence of quotation marks where needed is PLAGIARISM. See example of internal punctuation on the following page. WARNING: Omission of quotation marks is grounds for an F for the paper and possibly for the final grade.

12. All sources used in the essay must be cited in a “Works Cited” page and be done according to MLA formats. See example on the page after the following page.

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FormatFirst Page This is an example of the top of the first page of a paper. Use double-spaces. The title must be a double-space below the date and centered. See MLA Handbook - Seventh Edition. 4.3. Heading And Title. 116.

Internal Punctuation

Long QuotationsThis is an example of how to do a citation longer than one sentence.

ksfsdfsalsfdjkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkks;dflkaks;fldskf;sdlllllllllllllllllwks;dlfk’safdksa;

Works Cited Page

This is an example of the top of the first page of a works-cited list. Entries are in alphabetical order with second lines of each entry indented (hanging indentation).

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John Smith

Professor Abraham

English 201

May 7, 2009

Greek Tragedy

“In the very first year of our century Sigmund Freud in his Interpretation of Dreams offered a famous and influential interpretation of Oedipus the King:

Oedipus Rex is what is known as a tragedy of destiny. Its tragic effect is said to lie in the contrast between supreme will of the gods and the vain attempts of mankind to escape the evil that threatens them. The lesson which, it is said, the deeply moved spectator should learn from the tragedy is submission to the divine will and realization of his own impotence. (Trans. James Strachey)

This passage is of course a landmark in the history of modern thought, and it is fascinating to observe that this idea, which, valid or not, has had enormous influence, stems from an attempt to answer a literary problem – why does the play have this overpowering effect on modern audiences?” (Knox, Bernard. Sophocles – The Three Theban Plays. Translated by Robert Fagles. Penguin Books. Copyright by Bernhard Knox, 1982. 132. Print.)

When citing a source in the text do as follows: “Oedipus in the play is a free agent” (Fagles, 149).

When paraphrasing do as follows: Fagles maintains that Oedipus has free will (Fagles, 149).

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See MLA Handbook - Seventh Edition. 131.

The Works Cited page must be on a separate page.

Andrew Gottlieb SAMPLE PAPER for Plato’s Allegory of the

Cave

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Works Cited

Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Hamlet Prince of Denmark. Edited by Edward Hubler.

A Signet Classic. Copyright by Edward Hubler, 1963. Print.

Sophocles. The Three Theban Plays – Antigone, Oedipus the King, Oeidipus at Colonus.

Translated By Robert Fagles. Penguin Books. Copyright by Robert Fagles, 1982, 1984. Print.

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English 101- (section number

Andrew Gottlieb SAMPLE PAPER for Oedipus the King

Professor Gottlieb

English 201- (section number)

April 15, 2013

Puppets and PuppeteersA Study of Oedipus the King

Sophocles’ Oedipus the King has stood the test of time in part because it rings a chord of

truth in its audience. It offers us a perspective on life with which we can identify. We do not

all share Oedipus’ fate, but we have all had to face the fact that life often contradicts and defeats

our expectations. Much as we may try to assert our will, we find that things don’t always go our

way. We may feel at times that there is a higher power, a puppeteer, hiding behind the curtain,

pulling the strings. If things go in the opposite direction of what we expect it may be because

they are being orchestrated to do just that. Perhaps, we are pawns in an elaborate cosmic game

of chess. In ancient Greece it was believed that the gods ruled the fortunes of men and that

destiny prevailed over free will. Nonetheless, the Greeks treasured freedom and, in spite of their

faith in prophecy and destiny, acted as if they were free agents. Oedipus the King is a brilliant

depiction of the conflict between the dictates of destiny and the urge to assert free will. The goal

of this paper is to explore this conflict.

In ancient Greece, people went to the Oracle of Delphi to learn about the future. Kings

planned for war or peace based on what the prophets told them. Even Socrates, a man who

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devoted his entire life to determining truth by means of reason, journeyed to Delphi to find out

who was the wisest man in Athens. Prophecy was woven into the very fabric of the culture.

It was as much an article of faith to the ancient Greeks as confession is to Catholics living in the

Middle Ages.

Many still believe in prophecy. Yet, people also want to believe in themselves. They

are uncomfortable with the idea of being completely under the aegis of a higher power. They

want in the end to be their own masters. They want to choose their own path, and so, even when

their faith in divinity is strong, they are often compelled to assert their will against that of the

deity they worship. This is the case with Oedipus.

As a young man Oedipus is informed by the Oracle that he is destined to murder his

father and marry his mother. If one truly believes in destiny and that it is ordained by the gods,

would it not be reasonable to assume that he would also believe that whatever actions and events

are prophesied are unavoidable? If something is unavoidable wouldn’t one be powerless to

avoid it? How reasonable then would it be for one who believes in destiny to try to alter his fate?

Yet, this is exactly what Oedipus does and it is ironically because he tries to alter his fate that he

so tragically falls into it.

Oedipus leaves Corinth to avoid killing his father and marrying his mother. Strangely,

the Oracle has omitted to inform him that Polybus and Merope are not his real parents. It seems

the Oracle, perhaps with divine instruction to guide him, is manipulating the protagonist. Had

the Oracle told Oedipus that Polybus was not his father, as the drunken man at the banquet had

told him, he would have had no reason to leave Corinth. His departure is predicated on

incomplete and, as such, misleading information. In this respect, we may wonder if Apollo,

along with his Oracles, has laid a trap for Oedipus.

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The appeal of this possibility lies for us in a feeling of recognition, the feeling that we,

like Oedipus are trapped. We too are blind to the full truth of our lives. Is there some divine or

possibly demonic power that is leading or tempting us into error by giving us just enough

information to make the wrong decision? Have you ever felt that a power greater than yourself

is presenting you with certain challenges or obstacles? Have you ever said “If I had only known,

I would not have done what I did.” But alas, like Oedipus we are only partially cognizant of the

truth of our lives. We can never fully know others and may even be something of a mystery to

ourselves. Control may thus be unattainable.

Yet, Oedipus tries desperately to control the outcome of his fate, to avert the nightmare

that awaits him but contrary to all his efforts, falls into the traps waiting to ensnare him.

Tragically and ironically, his cleverness, or perhaps, as is suggested, some affinity with the gods,

incurs the fulfillment of the second and vilest part of his destiny - incest. Had Oedipus not

solved the riddle of the Sphinx, he would not have saved Thebes. He would not have become

king. He would not have married his mother. His cleverness is thus his undoing. In his essay

Fate in Sophocles, R.P Winnington affirms that “character is destiny.” It is Oedipus’ character

that is the hub upon which the wheel of his destiny turns. It is his stubbornness that compels

him not to give way on the road and to engage in a fight that results in the death of his father.

He fulfills his destiny because of who he is.

Is it this that Apollo is counting on? The god knows how Oedipus will act in a given

situation and so leads him into it by giving him some information and withholding the rest.

How Apollo could know that Oedipus would encounter Laius at the place where three roads

meet we cannot know. There are variables that are not of Oedipus’ making, but his choice

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to fight and kill, his choice and his ability, even if divinely inspired or directed, to solve the

riddle of the Sphinx are functions of his character.

The question then arises, are we responsible for our character? Are we our own makers?

For those adhering to the belief that destiny rules the answer is likely to be in the negative.

We are the product of a divine agency and as such operate according to a cosmic design.

As such, we have no free will. Yet, Oedipus appears to believe he does have at least some

freedom to choose his path. He seems to believe in the power of choice. Why else would he

seek to avoid his fate?

Perhaps the most telling pronouncements by Oedipus regarding the dilemma of destiny

and free will are the following:

“I-no one but I brought down these piling curses on myself” (206/907)!

and

“But why,why? Wouldn’t a man of judgment say-and wouldn’t he be right-some savage power has brought this down upon my head” (207/917)?

In the first remark Oedipus takes the full weight of blame on his shoulders. He is the cause of

his misery. The second remark poses an opposing and contradictory proposition that “some

savage power” is responsible for what has transpired. Perhaps it is because Oedipus is tortured

by the first thought that he seeks refuge in the second. Who wants to take the blame for one’s

own misery? Is it not perhaps less agonizing to believe that the source of one’s suffering is

beyond his control? By placing the cause away from himself Oedipus may be seeking relief

from the thought that he could have prevented what has happened.

The flip side of this equation is that if one abnegates responsibility for his actions and

assigns it to a higher power he in essence relinquishes any claim he may have to free will.

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One cannot be a slave of fate and a free agent. If we are pawns in the hands of the Almighty,

then we cannot enjoy the notion of being the makers and shapers of our own lives. As such,

we are powerless and powerlessness is never desirable. If, on the other hand, we assert our faith

in free will, then we have to be prepared to take responsibility for our actions. In this respect,

we cannot hope to eschew the pain of blaming ourselves for the misfortunes that come our way.

A third possibility, one which Oedipus declares at the end of the play, is that one can be

a pawn of the gods in some matters but a free agent in others.

Apollo, friends, Apollo- he ordained my agonies-these, my pains on pains! But the hand that struck my eyes was mine-no one else-I did it all myself” (241/146)!

For Oedipus then free will exists but only at certain times. It appears that he views the

fulfillment of his destiny to be unavoidable, but he does not include the act of blinding himself

in the framework of fate. This last desperate act appears in his mind to be independent of divine

will and retribution. And so, in the words of Bernard Knox, “One freedom is allowed him:

the freedom to search for the truth, the truth about the prophecies, about the gods, about

himself” (153).

There is, however, one possible snag in Oedipus’ and Knox assertion. Tiresias’

prophecy regarding Oedipus blindness poses a critical contradiction.

“All unknowing you are the scourge of your own flesh and blood, the dead below the earthand the living here above, and the double lash of your mother and your father’s curse will whip you from this land one day, their footfall treading you down in terror, darkness shrouding your eyes that now can see the light” (183/475)!

“Blind who now has eyes, beggar who now is rich, he will grope his way toward a foreign soil, a stick tapping before him step by step”

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It appears that Oedipus is destined to be blind. If this is so, then his decision to blind himself is

a function of fate. Can it then be an act of free will as he maintains? Surely, everything he does

is a function of his character, but his character is inherently a function of fate. Can such a

contradiction be resolved and if so, how?

One possible resolution lies in the division between linear and non-linear time. Linear

time is time moving from past to present to future. Implicit in linear time is free will since time

is flowing and is not fixed. Nonlinear time is time conceived of as immobile space with no

reference to motion through time. Implicit in nonlinear time is destiny since time is fixed like

a picture and cannot be altered.

The duality of linear and nonlinear time can be used to resolve the contradiction between

free will and destiny. We can say that these are two distinct perspectives and that reality is

twofold. We need not have a single reference frame by which to characterize reality. From the

perspective of linear time, free will is conceivable. From the perspective of nonlinear time,

destiny is conceivable. Both realities are equally conceivable, but not at one and the same time.

To accept this we need to suspend the belief that reality is singular.

It may well be that part of the source of Oedipus’ agony is that he is torn between two

realities, the human and the divine, one rooted in linear time, the other rooted in nonlinear time.

His pain stems not only from the horror of his crimes, but from his sense of the disparity between

what he can and cannot control. His consciousness traverses two worlds, two distinct but

intertwining realities which though inseparable can never converge in the framework of human

consiousness. It is thus that our limitations compel us to suffer since we are, for all intents and

purposes, incapable of encompassing more than one side of the coin at one and the same time.

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Oedipus moves back and forth between his belief that his suffering is preordained and the painful

realization of his role in its enactment. How true to life this is!

As I said earlier, Oedipus the King has stood the test of time in part because it rings

a chord of truth in us. Do we not all suffer from the feeling that we are torn between diverse

realities? When we read or watch the play we may not articulate this feeling to ourselves.

We may not be fully aware of it, but on some level we feel it. We feel the angst of a man whose

soul is writhing in the grip of a cosmic tug of war between diverse and at times contradictory

facets of our being. We are human, but we are also imbued with a spark of the divine. We are

mortal and yet immortal. We are body and we are soul. We are imprisoned and we are free.

There is something exquisitely painful about all this, something grand, and terrible, and

magnificent.

What makes Sophocles such a great playwright is that he portrays this contradiction

in as extreme a form as one can imagine. From a human perspective this contradiction seems

irrational. Life often seems inconsistent and contradictory. Is it not irrational to believe at one

and the same time that you are responsible for your actions and that divine will is responsible as

well? Is it not irrational to affirm at one and the same time the hegemony of free will and

destiny? These beliefs are inconsistent. They cancel each other out. Oedipus affirms that he is

the cause of his own downfall but then says that a man of judgement would recognize that his

misfortune is the result of some savage power. Oedipus struggles with dual realities, his power

and his powerlessness, his faith and his doubt, his humility and his pride are ours and, as the

audience, we both suffer and revel from a seemingly safe distance in his pain. As Oedipus

makes his discoveries about his life, we make discoveries about our own. In the end, we may

find no final answers. The extent to which our lives are ruled by divinity or by ourselves

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remains an open question. Ultimately, the beauty of literature lies not in its ability to answer

questions but to compel us to question our own assumptions and beliefs and to see that life is

more complex and intriguing than we may have realized.

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Works Cited

Sophocles. The Three Theban Plays, Antigone, Oedipus the King, Oedipus at Colonus.

Translated by Robert Fagles. Introduction and Notes by Bernhard Knox. Viking Press 1982.

Print.

Winnington-Ingram, R.P. “Fate in Sophocles.” Modern Critical Views Sophocles. Edited and

with an introduction by Harold Bloom. Chelsea House Publishers, a division of Main Line Book

Co. 1990. Print.

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Your name

Course number and section

Name of your professor

Date of completion

Title

Introduction:Discuss why Oedipus the King has stood the test of time. Write about destiny versus free will and how this relates Oedipus the King as well as the rest of us

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Body – Part 1:Write about how Oedipus’ character helps to determine his destiny and consider the question:To what extent does he have free will? To what extent is he responsible for his fate?

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Body – Part 2:Write about the contradictory nature of destiny versus free will in Oedipus the King. Discuss the question: How can this contradiction be resolved?

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Conclusion:Return to the question of why Oedipus the King has stood the test of time, why Sophocles is a great playwright and how the struggle of Oedipus is one we all share.

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Works Cited

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Video of Oedipus the King:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WS9KJ_bAJLE

Video of Antigone:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bSnnufOx80&list=PLjAYlUiAhOZ5xJhxtxojqCKFnZs5-lzCh