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Sophocles' 'Oedipus The King' - Was Oedipus a victim of hubris or a victim of the gods?

Date Submitted: 06/29/2004 02:25:25
Category: / Literature
Length: 4 pages (1201 words)
The fate of Oedipus was bitter indeed. By the end of 'Oedipus the King', he and his fate are seen as "Luckless" (Ln 1195) and objects to "envy not at all" (Ln 1196). But what was it that caused this man to sleep with his mother and slay his father? What was it that Oedipus fell victim to? Was it the hubris that seemed to so permeate his character? Was he a puppet held in the cruel …
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…victim of the gods. His hubris contributes but seems insufficient to justify such a punishment and also becomes apparent after the punishment. The gods only foretell not control, unless of course they use chance to reach the outcome they desire. If so then Oedipus was simply their puppet, a cruel example to the rest of the world. If not then Oedipus was a luckless man who fell victim to nothing more than chance and coincidence.
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