Through the whims and wills of the Gods, humans play a preconceived part in the story of life, and our every deed is simply a line in the play. This idea that the span of a person’s life is nothing but an allotment of misery and suffering doomed upon oneself can be held as a precept among many. No matter the amount of action taken to divert from one’s destiny, characters are almost always unable to evade or prolong their ultimate fortune. In the Greek tragedy, Oedipus the King, Sophocles utilizes prophets to illustrate how despite drastic attempts to undermine the Gods, characters ultimately lead to their own fate.
Sophocles holds prophecies with a key significance- without it, one could mistake the misfortune befallen the characters as a consequence of free will or choice. Sophocles asserts that the role of fate is inescapable and out-maneuvering it is futile. When Laius comes to know that his own son is prophesized to be his murderer, he takes steps to ensure Oedipus is killed. This in turn only ensures that Oedipus fails to recognize his own father at a crossroads in the future. Oedipus is left to question if he had only “died then, [he] should not now be leaving” (73), inciting a fortune that cannot be reversed. Furthermore, the play alludes that mankind’s ignorance and disbelief in the Gods and prophecies is a punishable sin. For example, Jocasta and Oedipus consistently are seen to doubt the Oracle of Delphi and Tiresias, thinking they have the power within themselves to avoid it, refusing to accept the power of the Gods over humanity. As the truth dawned on Oedipus as he cries out in realization, “It was Apollo, friends, it was Apollo. He brought on these troubles”. In addition, the prophecies leave many of the characters in the dark, for example, not addressing that Polybus and Merope were not Oedipus’ parents, in which the Gods leave Oedipus in a state of confusion and uncertainty. The prophecies act as factors of fate that help to enact the characters to their ultimate demise. One can illuminate Oedipus as being born into a life condemned to a vile fate.
The Greeks sought great interest in the concept of fate as well, deeming it inevitable as even the Gods themselves could not escape it. Gods like Kronos and Uranous’ deaths were previously prophesized and yet unable to be overcome. From this discovery, the Greeks set up the ideal of ‘Moira’ which sits well between the attempts to apply logic toward the understanding and wills of the universe. Moira represented a power of the living and death of an individual and could be paralleled with the Gods themselves. Similarly, in “Macbeth” by William Shakespeare, fate plays a large role in the actions of the characters. The specific role of fate which led Macbeth to health is one that altered his downfall. One can conclude the chance that Macbeth encounters the weird sisters just after they have received the prophecy is not a mere coincidence. When Macbeth’s wife hears of this prophecy, she will stop at no cost to see that it is sealed. Fate initiates an evil force that drives Lady Macbeth to ensure Macbeth is King. This allows the chance of Macbeth to see the King’s throne and enacts him to commit regicide. Moreover, in “Rappaccini’s Daughter”, Rappaccini plays with the order of the natural order in creating poisons surpassing the limits of the world. At fate’s hand, Beatrice’s ignorance of the destruction in her father’s experiments leads her to perish. Just like the creations of the mad scientist must fail, Beatrice, the creation of Rappaccini, must fail at the wish of the Gods.
At the heart of the Oedipus myth and humanity in all, fate is the underlying motive and powerful role leading to a tragic end. Sophocles casts the importance and inevitability of fate on human beings through the use of God's power and assertion over others. Fate is proven as a supernatural force predetermining destiny, and preordaining every outcome of every action one takes. This unavoidable power befalls humanity as the universe decides mankind’s future even before they know it.