1. Oedipus is not responsible for what happens to him. Do you agree with this statement?

2. FATE The events of Oedipus Rex is based around a prophecy.  Oedipus was prophecised to marry his mother, and kill his father.  If the gods never prophecised these events, it is likely they never would have happened.  Oedipus would probably never have left Corinth. Both Laius and Oedipus attempted to 'escape' the prophecy, but fail.

3. FATE The Ancient Greeks believed the Gods to be basically human, but with special powers. One interpretation of Oedipus Rex is that Oedipus is being punished for something his father had done.  Laius had been 'punished' for trying to seduce the son of a god. No matter how the human characters act, they cannot escape their fate.

4. TRAGIC HERO Another interpretation views Oedipus as a 'tragic hero'  A hero whose flaws lead to his downfall. According to this interpretation, Oedipus is to blame for what happens to him at the end.

5. TRAGIC HERO There are two possible 'tragic flaws' with Oedipus.  PRIDE. Oedipus sees himself as a king, which was frowned upon in Greece. His flaw in blaming others before himself is derived from his pride.  CURIOSITY. Oedipus is warned many times that he should not investigate into the matter of his parenthood. Instead, Oedipus chooses to ignore this advice, which leads to tragedy.

6. OEDIPUS' BEHAVIOR However, it is also possible to interpret these flaws differently. With pride, it could just be that he is just aware of his station. It is also true that he has risen to become king due to his skill in stopping the Sphinx. When he threatens to punish anyone who withholds information, he may just be having the interests of Thebes at heart.

7. CONCLUSION Two possible interpretations The events that happen to Oedipus is not his fault.  No matter what Laius and Oedipus do, they cannot escape the prophecy. Oedipus is a tragic hero.  His 'tragic flaw' is either pride, or curiosity, and such flaws lead to his downfall. However, it is possible to interpret his behavior in a less negative way  His pride may be due to his determination to help the city.