Characters in the play Oedipus the King attempt to block the
horrible outcome of the gods’ oracle. The first people to do so were
Oedipus’ mother and father, Laius and Jocasta. After hearing the unmoral and
disruptive prediction, they attempted to execute their own child. Their belief
in the gods was this strong. Resulting in their actions, Oedipus grew up
thinking that the king and queen of Corinth were his parents. After Oedipus,
himself, went to Apollo to hear his oracle he left Corinth thinking he were to
do these deeds to the people he thought of to be his parents. In return, his
actual parents, Laius and Jocasta doomed themselves. Oedipus’ attempt to run
from his prophecy ended up condemning himself and his parents. Characters
attempt to change the fate, when they already know Oedipus’ inevitable
destiny. The characters in this play feel that they, for some reason, have the
powers to play with the gods. If the gods’ gave an unpleasant oracle, it did
not matter, what the gods said went. These people did not like what they heard,
but decided to work against the gods. They thought they could out do them, by
sacrificing their only child. They tried simply because they did not want this
unbearable fate to come true. Who would want to be ended by their own kin? There
can not really be a conflict between Oedipus and Fate. His fate was
predetermined, which means he could have done nothing about it, he had no
choice. Oedipus may try to fight it or beat it, but it is his destiny and bound
to happen. He and his parents, may have thought they could have done something
to prevent the predicted of becoming reality, but they had no chance. In a way,
there was a struggle, but it was Oedipus against an indestructible force which
would not be budged. He was born with his fate, and it was not going to be
changed, for any reason.