Stockton Slack Outline for: Oedipus the King (Oedipus Rex) 09/16/2013 I.

One of the main and recurring themes in the story of Oedipus was the idea that the Gods are all powerful and all knowing. It was portrayed that way many times throughout the play in a few different ways. There were times when people received predictions for their future, and they found that by trying to prevent them they actually made them come to pass. Also, many times the chorus or a character in the play appealed to the gods by praying to them or praising them. And lastly several times the characters referenced that it was the gods will to do something or have something done if it was necessary. This play emphasized on the idea of prophecy, how when something is prophesied it is definitely without a doubt, no matter what you do, it is going to happen. a. The first example of this is when King Laios hears from an oracle that the son which he just had is going to kill him and love his wife, he tries to prevent this by killing him, he sends him off with one of his servants, but his son, Oedipus, is not killed, but permitted to live by the grace of a shepherd who takes him to a family to care for him, which then allows for him to kill Laios and love Jokasta. Had Laois not sent his son away to die, then this may not have happened, but because of his actions to try and prevent his future, the prediction was brought to pass. b. The second example would be with Oedipus, he has grown up and goes to see the Oracle, they tell him that he will kill his father and love his mother, but he does not want to do that, so he tries to prevent that by running away and decides to never see who he thinks his parents are again. This eventually leads to exactly what the oracle predicted, he kills his biological father and loves his biological mother. Throughout the course of the play there are several instances in which the people either pray to the gods or praise them in another manner, symbolizing their trust in them and their belief that they can help them in all things and that they know and can do all things. a. At the beginning of the play Oedipus sends Kreon out to talk to the oracle, confident that he can find the answer to stop the plague, he shows his willingness to please the gods and to praise them by acting as quickly as possible, and by sending Kreon to the Oracle first instead of off to someone else, such as a scientist or a healer, who may be able to help, he looks to the gods as his first option to save the people. b. There is a very interesting moment in lines 1050-1059, where Jokasta enters the palace and approaches the alter of the gods and prays to them, it is a very ironic moment, because just a few moments earlier she was saying that the gods have no power and that what they do and predict can be proven wrong sometimes. She prays to the gods as though she believes in them despite what she had just said earlier. The gods will is very important factor of influence in the play, the characters say that the gods can have their will at anytime, and that they will know if someone is lying or if someone has to face consequences.

II.

III.

IV.

a. After Oedipus has had his verbal fight with Tiresias he is extremely angry and he accuses Kreon of being a traitor and that he plotted with Tiresias against him. Kreon states that if he were a traitor in any way that he asks the gods to strike him down with a sickness. This does not prove satisfactory for Oedipus, but his belief that they could at any time make him sick or kill him or maneuver him shows that he believes the gods can enforce their will at anytime, b. Near the end of the play Oedipus has been has found out the truth, and has gouged out his eyes, in his pain and sorrow he begs Kreon to banish him, he says that he will only do it if it is the will of the gods, and Oedipus replies that he is the most hated by them, which implies that they know what he has done, why he has done it, and he believes that they will know of anything that he could or can do.