The Concept of Fate for Greeks: Oedipus Rex - Book Report/Review Example

Teiresias is painfully reminded of his blindness: “Truth is not in you – for your ears, your mind, your eyes are blind!” (Sophocles I.370). Oedipus also blames his brother-in-law Creon for treachery and secret council with the Oracle. He threatens the servant to death in the situation when this servant may die even if he obeys. Jocasta who is shown as a devoted wife (she tries to comfort Oedipus and obeys all his orders) is accused of arrogance: “Leave the lady to enjoy her noble family” (Sophocles III.1070). They all forgive and remain silent, which is an indication of the severity of their grief for Oedipus: near such misfortune, their pride loses its importance.

This disregard of Oedipus’s attacks is one of the tactics that help different characters withdraw from the situation of suffering. This is not the only tactic, though. Teiresias calms himself down with the acceptance of the fact that he cannot change the future. He is a servant of gods, a keeper of truth, and his inner truth gives him strength: “It is not your fate / to fall because of me. It’s up to Apollo / to make that happen. He will be enough” (Sophocles I.451-453).

However, he is dissatisfied with himself, because even knowing this, he came to Oedipus: “Alas, alas! How dreadful it can be / to have wisdom when it brings no benefit / to the man possessing it” (Sophocles I.374-376). This is a typical problem of prophets in tragedy (other examples are Cassandra and Laocoon). Such popularity of the helpless prophet character may be due to the importance of the concept of fate for Greeks. Jocasta seems to suspect something from the very beginning, but she has at least two protective arguments.

The first is her care for Oedipus being so sincere and unconditional that there is tempt to claim it maternal: the main thing that concerns her is always her husband’s condition, and several times she does whatever she can to calm him down.