Defying Our Destiny

When we think about our destiny, a lot of questions come to mind. Is my destiny written in the skies? Is there a way to avoid it? How do I know my destiny? What is destiny? Well, destiny is a predetermined course of events. For oedipus, his destiny was stated by the Oracle, for us people, our destiny is written in our faith, in the way we see our lives. The story of oedipus reflects how destiny won't be avoided, even though we try to avoid it; destiny is written.

Laius was told his destiny, and yet he diefied. He heard the oracle, and the light and a 'tick' went through his mind; "LAIUS, king of Thebes, was warned by an oracle that there was danger to his throne and life if his new-born son should be suffered to grow up" (Bulfinch, Myth XVI B). Laius defied the Oracle, he defied his destiny in order to avoid loosing his throne. This symbolizes the willingness of humans to ignore the truth, our way of rejecting our destiny, and try to modify it. This can be also be explained through another moment in the story; when the truth behind the story comes to light, when the oracle is consulted and the people of Thebes realize who oedipus really is. As an effect of this, suicidal comes into account. Towards the end of the story, everybody suicides; Jocasta kills herself, and oedipus "tore out his eyes and wandered away from Thebes, dreaded and abandoned by all except his daughters, who faithfully adhered to him, till after a tedious period of miserable wandering he found the termination of his wretched life" (Bulfinch, Myth XVI B).

The course of this myth of the Sphinx has various similarities with a classical Shakespearian Tragedy. The most common fact between the two would be that both describe the course of a character throughout various events but ultimately dies, by suicidal, or being killed by an enemy. Especially in Macbeth, by the way the theme of destiny is touched by William Shakespeare. The Witches, being parallel to the Myth's oracle, inscribe the destiny of Macbeth as being the warrior that shall not die to any man born from his mother. His destiny is written and happens the way said by the Witches; but Macbeth succumbs to McDuff, man born from his dead mother. Here, oedipus lives his destiny, and as well succumbs, but in his case, his killer is his own hand.

I read the story of Oedipus Rex by Sophocles two years ago for a Dramatic adaptation; in this story, it is described through Jocasta that Laius was killed by a 'stranger' on a three way crossroad. The crossroads in the story symbolize the climax, or a turning point in the story; in the crossroads is where Oedipus begins to follow his dreadful destiny that stated he would kill his father and marry her mother. Henceforth, a crossroad is a place where you take a decision, a decision concerning which path to follow. In this case, oedipus took a desicion without noticing; he took the decision of following his destiny by killing his father on the crossroads. He was the own writer of his destiny.