Lillian Lai - Oedipus Rex

After reading Oedipus Rex, it can be inferred that fate is inescapable. In the story, it starts out with the oracle foreseeing that Oedipus will kill his own father and then marry his own mother. Oedipus’ father becomes extremely worried so he sent away Oedipus on a mountaintop as an alternative of him killing his own son himself. The reason for this is because killing your own family members will angry the Gods as seen in Orestes with the Furies. This illustrates the Greek culture and how it is immoral to kill your own family members and the consequences of doing so. Unexpectedly, Oedipus survives and ends up playing out this cruel fate as he kills his own father without knowing it and then gradually, marries his own mother. The play shows how no one can change their fates no matter how hard they try. It also illustrates the importance of oracles as they are the messengers of telling this cruel fate.