“Oedipus the King” is a piece of art that displays the inner world of a suffering person, who is faced with one of the most harsh and destructive truths in life. At first glance, it might seem that Oedipus is a victim and must deal with the unexpected turns of fate throughout the play. The hard choices that he makes in life bring him to the ends that were predicted at his birth. But the truth is, Oedipus is the one who makes the choices and even though sometimes there are several ways to go and the choice might be confusing and difficult, a person is given the ability and opportunity to act in the best way possible. Of course, it all depends on the way the person was raised and what values were instilled into their character but the moral and universal laws demand a certain regulation of actions. Oedipus has made choices on his own and so, the only person responsible is himself.
Hamartia—the tragedy that defines the play is composed of many circumstances that affected and triggered a chain reaction. Several times Oedipus was warned about his ill fate. He has been given “a glance” into his future but it did not affect his judgment (Sophocles, 2005). Oedipus had a possibility to lead a completely different life. He could have started looking for his real parents and focus his whole strength only on this. It is a fact that he was influenced by his time and the social norms, as well as the culture of the people and so, his actions had a certain character. Several times he is shown to be wise, which proves that he was an intellectual person who could analyze the surroundings and point out the important variables. His is not attributed any horrific or inhumane qualities through the play and this reminds that even if a person led a relatively righteous and fair life, they can still suffer because of the lack of their ability and want to act.
Oedipus is the one who connects several mistakes into a mix of events that eventually lead to the tragic ending. The change of the play takes a complete turn, subsequently being referred to as peripeteia. The thinking and comprehension that Oedipus has towards his personality, life and the world, is flipped upside down, upsetting the balance and causing such a change. His strength and success in the first part of his life are contrasted with the demise and moral failure of the second (Sophocles, 2005). The devastation is so extreme that it is quite impossible to imagine how life will go on. From a philosophical view, the person is returned to the helpless state, as at birth. When a person is being born, they really had no say if they wanted to come into existence or not. The events that led to them appearing were not controlled by them and so, they have no choice but to face the conditions that are presented to them.
In the end, Oedipus has reached the point of no return, he is unable to change events and he had no specific control while he was committing the acts. The play cautions not to forget who defines life and that it is very possible it could take an unwanted course without proper guidance.
Reference
Sophocles. (2005). Oedipus Rex: Oedipus the King. Trans. Edward Plumptre. Stilwell, United States: Digireads.com Publishing.