Hunting Season

Sophocles’ Oedipus the King is a tragic play representing a change from the idea of destiny to the liberty of option. Furthermore, Oedipus the King displays as a metaphorical symbol of personal progress. In the play, Sophocles focuses on the protagonist, Oedipus, who discovers the real murderer of King Laius moreover the outcomes that develop. Sophocles carefully adjusts the human attributes to Oedipus, giving a twist to the stereotypical supreme divine features of plays composed previously. He is very proficient by employing striking illustrations completely through the play which presents Oedipus as a mortal. By portraying Oedipus as a mortal, Sophocles shares Oedipus’ weakness of managing the fate of his destiny. Sophocles depicts Oedipus as a hunter, a cultivator, and a navigator. A further breakdown of “Oedipus the King” will demonstrate how those three icons express personal progress.

At the beginning of the play, Sophocles’ presents the concept of Oedipus as a hunter. Ironically, Oedipus converts into a hunter while seeking for the truth following the discovery of the murder of the King Laius. The Chorus reinforces the perception of Oedipus as a hunter by exposing him as guilty. Considering he is able of managing every circumstance he confronts, Oedipus claims, if he had been present at the time of the murder then there wouldn't be this wild goose chase. Oedipus is obscure to the identification of King Laius' murderer. Nevertheless, throughout his discussion with the prophet, Tiresias, Oedipus discovers that he is the killer he pursues. This demonstrates how Sophocles strongly proves that humans lack the ability in controlling a situation.

Sophocles exhibits an additional example of how human’s lack of control of all situations by having utilizing forms of cultivation to Oedipus. Thebes undergoes a problem exceedingly from a plague that is destroying the harvests, animals, and people of the city. The disease touches all aspects of life, from the goods the soil returns to the precious spirits that reside on the land. Furthermore, because of this Creon reveals to Oedipus that he must push the evil of the city away, so the citizens of Thebes can regain health. As a result, Oedipus obtains the concept of a cultivator and his journey to hunt doubles. Furthermore, the completion of tracking down King Laius' killer, will lead to the healing of Thebes from the plague.

Sophocles presents further samples on a human’s failure to control by fusing Oedipus as a navigator. Oedipus is the sailor who steers the ship to shelter. Hence, it is reasonable that the Chorus have hope in Oedipus by requesting him to direct them into the wild rains. Later, during a discussion with Jocasta, she tells Oedipus that King Laius was murdered at a three-way road that makes him become blue. Eventually, Oedipus has the realization that he is the murderer of Laius. This points out that he is no longer in control of the "ship" he was once navigating.

By exposing images of Oedipus as a hunter, a cultivator, and a navigator, Sophocles strongly produces the idea that it is difficult for humans to manage all conditions of life in their favor. His center ideology on Oedipus’ pursuit for the truth furnishes proof that for each choice one performs there is a corresponding outcome. Hence, the outcome of Oedipus’ "hunt" is his personal downfall. Throughout his quest, Oedipus settles that his previous decisions founded the epidemic that contaminated Thebes. Oedipus recognizes that the thoughtless actions he made utterly made his downfall. Sophocles brings to the table that all people hold the strength to steer their own life. However, the path someone decides to sail on settles the result of their life.

Cite this page