Rise and Fall of Power

The story of Oedipus The King tells the tale of Oedipus, the King of Thebes, and his inevitable downfall after the death of Laius. A string of stubbornness lead to his demise, starting with his biological father’s refusal to listen to the prophecy, which told him to kill Oedipus when he was born. Because of his position of power, Laius believed his judgment overruled that of the prophecy. This misjudgment triggered a series of events that eventually brought him closer to his death. Similarly, Oedipus discounted the words of Creon, which told him that he was the man who killed Laius. Oedipus quickly disregarded the prophecy and later became the subject of the curse that he cast upon his father’s killer.

These events show that one must never assume that because of the power they withhold, that they know all that there is. Instead, one must take time to listen to the words of others before making final decisions. Also, that power will not overrule prophecy, and lack of understanding this will only bring one closer to their fate.

            Creon: Still the kind, the master of all things?

No more: here your power ends.

None of your power follows you through life.

Chorus: People of Thebes, my countrymen look on Oedipus.

He solved the famous riddle with his brilliance,

he rose to power, a man beyond all power.

Who could behold his greatness without envy?

Now what a black sea of terror has overwhelmed him.

Now as we keep our watch and wait the final day,

count no man happy till he dies, free of pain at last.

These final passages take place after Oedipus has fallen to his own curse and fulfilled the prophecy. Word choice is extremely important in discussing the downfall of this king. Certain words and phrases will draw attention to the reasons behind his defeat. Creon states that Oedipus no longer obtains any “power” over Thebes, nor for the rest of his life. Power plays a key role in this story. Both Oedipus and Laius believe that because of their position of authority, their opinion overrides the fate of the prophecy. The power gets to their heads, and leads them to think that they are able to change fate. In attempting to do so, the father and son simply carry out the original prophecy. The chorus also describes how his wrongdoings have “overwhelmed” him. Oedipus was so engulfed by his power when cursing Laius’s killer that he generated a curse that would eventually overwhelm himself with “a black sea of terror” and command his own exile. Finally, Oedipus’s death is described as a state where he is “free of pain.” While he is free of the fate of the prophecy, Oedipus is still under the pain of his curse until he ultimately dies. His death will be the first time where he is not under the destiny of the prophecy that ruled his life.

            When analyzing this passage in particular, rather than considering the story as a whole, it becomes evident that the chorus is somewhat questioning his rise to power. Rather than praise their king, they now see that the reason for his demise was because he took his authority and power to the extreme. He fell because he rose too high. The chorus, while addressing the audience directly, almost warns the people of Thebes that one must not act in this way.