"Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles is considered one of the greatest tragic plays of Western Literature. It deals with the inevitable questions we must all face as humans about the extent to which our lives are sealed by fate or destiny and how powerful our own free will is in shaping our lives. In Oedipus, Sophocles shows us a man determined to use his free will and agency to achieve what he believed was suitable for all. However, while Oedipus searched for the truth, others were reluctant to reveal it, suspecting a tragic outcome. In the end, Oedipus is made to experience great suffering and struggles to come to terms with the reality that the gods represent another dimension that must be respected, but which we humans cannot hope to understand fully..

First and foremost, Oedipus is a well-meaning and good man who did nothing to incur his tragic fate but was ultimately powerless to stop himself from suffering. Considering all the fall of Oedipus, he had always been a good man. Although he already knew his destiny, he did not admit defeat. He chose to stay away from his hometown and try not to achieve his prophecy. Oedipus showed a kind attitude throughout the play, putting others first, no matter what happened. However, unconsciously he gradually completed the prophecy that the Oracle of Delphi revealed. To be more specific, the play described that "Dark, dark! The horror of darkness, like a shroud, wraps me and bears me on through mist and cloud. Ah me, ah me! What spasms athwart me shoot, what pangs of agonizing memory?"(Sophocles 1313-1320) Oedipus screamed these words after blinding himself. Oedipus realized that he had indeed killed his father and married his mother at this point. After Oedipus turned a blind eye to the truth for a long time, he could no longer process and accept the facts before him, so he symbolically blinded himself. These events show that Oedipus suffered a painful fate.

Furthermore, Sophocles revealed that people still have free will to choose despite fate or destiny. People will do their best and not be limited to the gods' instructions. To be more specific, the book records what Oedipus said, "I count myself the son of Chance, the great goddess, giver of all good things—I'll never see myself disgraced."(Sophocles 1188-1190) Fettered by his destiny and language, he did not feel that this was just his final result, and he would not stop because of it. Oedipus' pursuit of truth was his admirable characteristic since he sought justice for the murder of Laius. Although Oedipus was warned by the blind prophet Tiresias that Oedipus would be disturbed by the true identity of the murderer of Laius, Oedipus remained committed to finding the truth. This section shows that Oedipus was still fearlessly committed to truth and justice. Finally, Oedipus did not manage to escape his punishment. Even if Oedipus's status became lower, he refused to give up control of his life and body. Therefore, he was still free to choose his actions under the fate of the gods.

In addition, Oedipus searched for the truth while others were reluctant to reveal it. Oedipus was eager to seek the truth and save his people from the plague. "Oedipus Rex" also implied other people were hesitant to uncover the truth. He mentioned that “The truth is what I cherish and that's my strength.” (Sophocles 357-358) In this quotation,  Jocasta is begging Oedipus to stop the investigation. At the same time, as a victim, she was reluctant to tell the truth about this shame. 

Furthermore, Creon advised Oedipus not to discuss oracles in public with everyone, but Oedipus still firmly hoped to show that he was open to the truth and had no secrets from his people. Finally, the old shepherd was reluctant to tell the mystery until he received death threats. When Oedipus was pursuing the truth thus the people around him had gradually begun to recognize the fact, but people were unwilling, to tell the truth. Instead, they might believe that it is best to ignore the past.

Finally, the gods represent an objective world order that people must respect, but humans cannot fully understand. When people consider a sentence in the play, people will gradually understand this truth. Teiresias said, "Well, it will come what will, though I am mute." Oedipus replied, "Since come it must, thy duty is to tell me." Teiresias said, "I have no more to say; storm as thou willst. And give the rein to all thy pent-up rage "(Sophocles 341-347). Through the excerpts from this part, we understand that although what people seem to be doing was an important reason for the final tragic result, Oedipus's destiny was the main factor to cause the destruction. As a result, this has also caused Tiresias to remain silent because he knew that no matter what he chose, what he did, and what he said would not change things in the future, results will obey fate's arrangements. So, people couldn't fully understand God's control and understanding of destiny. Overall, the play "Oedipus Rex" introduces the relationship between people and destiny. People cannot change many rules in the universe. For instance, Oedipus is a very kind person, but his tragic fate will not change because of this. Moreover, although destiny is fixed, people can still choose to fulfill their wishes and ideas. In addition, the people around Oedipus are trying to hide the truth about Oedipus' fate. Lastly, the order of people established by God is not something that humans can change and understand.

Works Cited

Edited and with an introduction by Harold Bloom. Sophocles' Oedipus Rex. New York :Chelsea House, 2007.