Fate cannot be changed. No man’s freewill has the ability to change his destiny. Freewill is simply able to change the events along the way, but in the end a man’s fate has already been decided. Who better to represent this than Oedipus the King. He uses his freewill to stubbornly pursue knowledge of his identity. However, fate is responsible for the murder of Laius and the incest that followed this treacherous act. From the moment Oedipus entered the world, his path had been chosen. When I was given the young King many years ago, I had not the slightest intentions of murdering him. My freewill would not allow this and thus his destiny lived on. Oh how I wish I had performed the deed those years ago, but fate is not something that can be altered. Our freewill is simply an illusion that makes us believe we are changing something that is already set in stone. The Gods split our paths and they were surely meant to meet again this very day. I still ponder whether I would have been able to change the oracle through my freewill. I believe that no matter what my actions were, fate would find its way to readjust itself in order to execute its destiny.
Power is a terrible creature that will find its way to corrupt any man. It is a tricky little devil that can easily change a person. I have no desire to possess power in any form due to its inevitable downfall. Although Oedipus constantly sought after knowledge and wisdom, his greed for power denied him the opportunity. When his comrade Creon attempted to spread his wisdom, Oedipus rejected him as he thought the man was attempting to steal his power. One may say that Oedipus was already blinded by his power, even when he still had working eyes. He was truly a paradigm of arrogance and he was an unperceptive leader. Power blinded him both physically and metaphorically. In order for a leader to retain power, insight is the most important quality. Unfortunately, Oedipus lacks both insight and physical sight. I found myself using language as a source of power today. It seemed as though every word I spoke had Oedipus wanting more and more. He constantly rejected the truth I spoke until it became painfully obvious of his identity. Power corrupts both internally and externally; I am yet to understand why men so brutally strive to obtain such a terrible beast.
What comes next for me, I do not know. I am full of regret and guilt. I have nothing left, and no one to live for. I am a weak soul and do not deserve to live. No man has suffered more than Oedipus has today. His downfall rooted from his pursuit of knowledge that only I could release upon him. His greed for power made his downfall only more severe and sudden. However, Oedipus’s fate had been set long ago in an oracle and thus his freewill was useless. Thebes will surely be full of despair without a king. Worst of all, it is a result of my actions. Sorry to all of Thebes from the bottom of my heart. Oedipus the King deserved better than what I gave him.
As Always,
The Lonely Shepherd
Rationale:
I chose to write a diary entry by the Shepherd from his perspective. This seemed like a reasonable choice as this man has lived a life of solidarity and clearly has some way of releasing his thoughts. Also, a suicide or even a suicide note by the Shepherd was unrealistic because if he were to do so, there would be no one left to read his note or care about him. Throughout the journal entry I tried to incorporate a few of the themes that I found important not only in this play, but also in the course as a whole. The theme of fate versus freewill was an important aspect to include because both characters (Oedipus and the Shepherd) struggled with this at some point in the play. The theme of power and what influences power was prominent throughout the piece as this is a major focus in our studies this year. Although other themes were used, power always seemed to be an underlying factor. Character development was a focus when writing the journal entry as I thought it would be interesting to understand the Shepherd’s perspective on the situation. He evaluates not only his own situation, but also the feelings of Oedipus and what he may be experiencing. What lies next for the Shepherd is unknown even by him. I thought it would be effective to leave many of his questions not fully answered because they do not have a single correct answer. This is a parallel to the Shepherd’s character, as it seems as though he is unsure with himself in many instances. The journal entry was effectively able to compare the main ideas portrayed in this epic play to the main focuses of our studies through the use of themes and character development.
Sources:
Sophocles. The Three Theban Plays: “Oedipus the King”. Robert Fagles Translation. Viking Penguin Incorporated, United States of America.
Shmoop Editorial Team. “Oedipus the King.” Shmoop.com. Shmoop University Incorporated, Wednesday October 18, 2011
