Destiny
Oedipus the King can be read as a play about destiny. Before the play begins, the gods have set Oedipus’ destiny as a horrific one – to kill his father and marry his mother. Once Oedipus learns his fate, he attempts to avoid it by leaving the couple he believed to be his parents, but his plan to thwart destiny only serves to make those prophesies come true. In a well-developed essay, explore the ideas of free will and predetermination in the play. Can the characters be held responsible for their actions? Do any of their choices matter? Look specifically at Oedipus, but address Jocasta and Creon as well.
Irony
Oedipus the King contains dramatic, situational, and verbal irony. Cite direct examples of all three types of irony in the play, then explain the effect of irony on the overall themes of the work. Also, examine how Sophocles uses irony to affect the reader’s mood and his attitude towards Oedipus, Tiresias, and Jocasta.
Relevance
Oedipus the King is a play that we still read over 2000 years after it was first written. It must contain issues and themes that hold power with audiences throughout the ages. It must say something important about the world or about us, as people. What makes it still important or interesting for our own time? What does it say about people that is still true? How can it provide us with warnings that are relevant to our own lives, even now? Why do we still read it?
