Name: ________________________________
Period: ____
Oedipus the King: Theme of Fate and Free Will
A central theme of the Oedipus the King is the tension between individual action and fate.
While free choices, such as Oedipus’s decision to pursue knowledge of his identity, are
significant, fate is responsible for Oedipus’s incest and many of the other most critical and
devastating events of the play. By elevating the importance of fate, Sophocles suggests that
characters cannot be fully responsible for their actions. It becomes difficult, for example, to
blame Oedipus for marrying mother given his ignorance.
Questions About Fate and Free Will
1. Do some characters seem to control their fates more than others? If so, how do they do
it?
2. Discuss Oedipus’s understanding of his own destiny. How does this change throughout
the course of this play?
3. How does Oedipus’s fate impact the fates of other members of his family?
4. Do you think Oedipus would have fulfilled the prophecy of killing his father and sleeping
with his mother if his parents hadn't tried to kill him as an infant?
Name: ________________________________
Period: ____
Oedipus the King: Theme of Determination
Determination is one of Oedipus's and his mother's primary character traits. Despite the
important role of fate in the lives of the characters, Oedipus and Jocasta are all driven, at
times stubbornly, to pursue their goals. Determination in Oedipus the King proves less an
asset than a flaw to the characters who possess it.
Questions About Determination
1. Cite examples in the play where Oedipus and where Jocasta show determination.
2. To what extent is determination an asset to characters in the Oedipus the King?
3. Is determination a hindrance (bad thing) in the play? When and why?
4. What, if any, correlation exists between determination and self-deception the play?
Name: ________________________________
Period: ____
Oedipus the King: Theme of Power
Power both corrupts and metaphorically blinds characters in the Oedipus the King. As a
ruler, Oedipus is arrogant, unperceptive, and downright mean to people around him.
Assuming other characters are trying to steal his power, Oedipus doesn't listen to their
wisdom.
Questions About Power
1. How is Oedipus at the beginning of the play different from Oedipus the cursed man towards
the end?
2. What gives a character power in this play?
3. Who else has power in the play besides Oedipus and how?
4. Remember the Oedipus accuses Creon of plotting against him in order to get more power.
Does Creon seem satisfied being the King's brother-in-law? Explain.
Name: ________________________________
Period: ____
Oedipus the King: Theme of Wisdom and Knowledge
In Oedipus the King, Oedipus is a seeker of knowledge and truth. He struggles to uncover
Laius’s murder and his own identity, despite numerous warnings that he should leave the
truth alone. His pursuit of knowledge and truth, however, results in ruin as Oedipus
uncovers his destiny, which he was better off not knowing. This suggests that knowledge is
futile and limited in its ability to bring happiness to those who seek it.
Questions About Wisdom and Knowledge
1. In Oedipus the King, is the pursuit of knowledge pointless? Why or why not? Explain.
2. Was it right of Oedipus to seek the truth about his identity despite warnings not to?
3. How does blindness and sight play into the pursuit of knowledge in Oedipus the King?
4. Would Oedipus have reached the same fate if he had not sought the truth? Why or why
not?