Bethany Deibler Dr.

Owen Ewald Mythology June 4, 2010

Choice or Destiny: A Comparison of Oedipus the King and Macbeth

The concepts of fate and destiny have been difficult topics throughout all of history. People have struggled with the idea of understanding or attempting to avoid their fate and destiny since the very beginning. It seems that we have choices, but there must be some deity of some sort dictating what will happen to us in the end. In the ancient worlds, people relied on oracles and prophesy and hoped that if they made the right amount of sacrifices or worshipped the right gods, they would receive positive prophecies and become rich and prosperous. Nevertheless, their gods seemed to be inconsistent in whom they chose to bless or curse. Sophocles wrote about Oedipus and the oracle of his destiny; similarly, Shakespeare wrote about Macbeth and the prophecies concerning his life. While these two writers lived about 1,500 years apart, they wrote about similar instances of allowing an oracle or prophecy to rule the characters life and decisions. 1. Fate, destiny, prophecies, oracles, and witches. Prophecy and oracles played a big part in the lives of the Greeks because they had no written ultimate truth to consult. Parke defines an oracle as a formal statement from a god, usually given in answer to an enquiry (9). When the Greeks had a question or needed knowledge that was impossible for the human mind to know, they inquired from the gods. Prophets were the people who had the ability to decipher and interpret the signs and omens from the gods. In Oedipus the King, we see Teiresias playing the role of the prophet, as the one who Oedipus goes to for advice and help with matters of his kingdom and of the oracle concerning his

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life. It seems that Teiresias has no need to consult the gods, but that he is already knowledgeable in each matter that is asked of him. Nevertheless, the people had nothing else to turn to and were forced to trust that whatever the prophet said would come to pass. The way that Oedipus reacted to both Teiresias and the oracle will be discussed later on. The audience, at the time Oedipus the King was written, would feel the helplessness of Oedipus concerning the oracle because they still believed that sacrificing to the gods and consulting prophets was the only way to figure out what the gods wanted. During Shakespeares life, in the mid 1500s, prophecy was thought of as a Biblical concept. Therefore, after Jesus left the earth, prophecies were no longer taking place on a regular basis; however, this did not stop people from predicting and foretelling the future. Carroll states that, the prophecies made in the present time were understood either as generated by the devil (usually through witches), or were lucky guesses by ordinary men, or were simply a species of fraud perpetrated upon the gullible (330). Throughout the 1500s, different leaders showed their contempt toward this subject and assured the people that prophecies were nothing to worry about. This was necessary because, as Carroll says, the people still believed that prophecies were still potentially dangerous (331). Another aspect of prophecy is that it most often has to do with rebellion against royalty or the powerful. This was so much of a concern that Queen Elizabeth I addressed prophecy in the Parliamentary Act which says that any person found guilty of witchcraft or false prophecies will be fined and jailed for a year (Carroll 335). Another point made by Carroll is that, in literature, prophecy has a special role. In general, there is a widespread skepticism towards prophecies and witches in daily life, and it seems that this would be the case in literature as well; but it is not so. In drama, particularly, prophecies invariable come true: Oedipus will sleep with his mother and murder his father

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(Carroll, 334). It is usually portrayed as some sort of riddle or puzzle for the main character to figure out, while the audience knows what is going on and watches as the character goes on the journey of figuring out what is happening. Witchcraft plays an important role in Macbeth and has a terrible and bloody history. Witches are mentioned in the Bible and have a long history of being hunted, despised, and feared. Carroll states that witchcraft beliefs differed from country to country in the 15th and 16th centuries; In England, witchcraft was a crime, but witches were rarely tortured, and often, the beneficent magic practiced by cunning women in the villages, for example, was often highly regarded. (301-2). There was also the distinction of white and black magic. In Macbeth, the witches are referred to as the weird sisters (1.3.33). Carrolls footnote says that this can either refer to women connected to fate or destiny, or women who have a mysterious or uncanny appearance (29). At the time when Macbeth was written, there were still many controversies concerning witchcraft, as it was combined with other arguments concerning womens rights and the nature of supernatural powers (Carroll 306). Contrasted with Oedipus, the audience would be more skeptical of Macbeths destiny of fulfilling the prophecies. Nonetheless, whether they believed in prophecy or witchcraft, the production could still be enjoyed. 2. Actions taken concerning the prophecies. Many of the choices made to avoid the fate prescribed by the oracle concerning Oedipus occurred before Sophocles tragedy Oedipus the King. It began before Oedipus was born; his parents heard the oracle concerning their son from Teiresias, the blind prophet. Pietro Pucci suggests that his parents probably still had the choice of having a child after they heard the oracle. Others say that oracle would come to pass if they had a child. Perhaps they thought they wouldnt actually have a child, but when Oedipus was born, Laius was horrified and roughly tied

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his feet together and ordered Jocasta to kill him. Unable to do so, she sent Oedipus away with a slave to be killed. The servant was also unable to do so and, after several exchanges, Oedipus ended up living with Polybus, the king of Corinth. When Oedipus was old enough to understand the oracle that was written about him, he ran away from Corinth, thinking the king and queen were his true mother and father. Killing a man out of anger over the right of way on a journey didnt seem like a big deal to Oedipus; after all, the other man struck first. He proceeded to solve the riddle of the sphinx and won his mother in marriage. The tragedy, Oedipus the King, begins with Oedipus as king of Thebes assuring his people, who are suffering from the plague, that he, Oedipus whom all men call the Great (11, 8), will make everything better again. It is already apparent that the knowledge of the oracle drove both Oedipus and his parents to actions; and, while they were trying to avoid the consequences of the oracle, they were unsuccessful. At this point in the tragedy, Oedipus thinks that he has been successful in avoiding the curse; he doesnt realize that he has already fulfilled it. He is very proud of his accomplishments of solving the riddle of the sphinx, and becoming king. In addition, he is extremely confident in his abilities to control the situations around him. Macbeth was quite the opposite of Oedipus in the respect that the prophecy concerning his life was a good one. He wasnt going to kill or marry any relatives. In fact, the prophecy that he received from the weird sisters was, All hail, Macbeth, Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor! and All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter! (1.3.49-50). This was not the only prophecy however; it was also said that Banquos children, though not himself, would be kings to come. Macbeth and Banquo left the witches, still pondering these ideas. When they hear that the previous Thane of Cawdor has been executed, they understand the first prophecy as Macbeth would replace him. But the king, Duncan, also announces that his son, Malcolm, will be

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crowned king after him. Macbeth, out of anxiety that his throne will be stolen from him, begins plotting the kings death assisted by his wife, Lady Macbeth, who seems to be even more excited about the idea of him being king than he is. Contrasted with Oedipus, Macbeth knows clearly what he is doing and much of the play is spent portraying the fear and anxiety that he feels when considering the deed of murdering King Duncan. In act 2, Macbeth and his wife murder Duncan and it seems that Macbeth has become mentally plagued with dreams and visions. He says, art thou but a dagger of the mind, a false creation proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain? (2.1.37-40), and Methought I heard a voice cry (2.2.39). The following morning, after the darkness of the night has passed, Macbeth must face and explain to the people what happened to King Duncan. He rides off to be crowned king, which doesnt quite seem as glorious to him as it did before. Once crowned king, he remembers the third prophecy, that Banquos sons will become kings. He hires 3 people to murder Banquo and his sons; however, one of his sons, Fleance, escapes. Macbeth returns to the witches to find out what is to happen in his life next; it seems that he is addicted to knowledge of the future. I will- to the Weird Sisters. More shall they speak, for now I am bent to know by the worst means the worst. (3.5.134-6). Once again the prophecies come in a group of three: the first warning him against Macduff, the second that none born of a woman will harm him, and the third that he shall never be defeated until Birnam Wood comes to Dunsinane Hill. The prophecies received the second time do not seem plausible to him causing him to discount what he has heard. Out of madness, Macbeth sends murderers to conquer Macduffs castle and to murder his wife and children. This angers Macduff, who happens to be from his mothers womb untimely ripped. (5.8.15). Macduff and Malcolm together join armies and cut boughs from Birnam wood to disguise their numbers while they

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march against Macbeth, who, by this time, has lost his mind and doesnt care when Lady Macbeth dies. 3. Could these deeds have been avoided? In some ways, it seems that Oedipus and his parents were meant to make the decisions that they made. The oracle would not have been fulfilled if Oedipus had not been living with his adoptive parents and run away from them. It would not have been fulfilled if they had kept their son. It seems that the parents could have decided not to have a son in the first place. Using some sort of birth control, or perhaps simply breaking up, as it seems they did later, would have worked to avoid this situation. Oedipus, on his part, when he learns about the oracle, doesnt stop to ask his Polybus or Merope, his adoptive parents, about it or question if he is actually their child. He simply runs away from them, taking matters into his own capable hands. Also, if he were truly so concerned about this oracle coming true, Oedipus could have decided never to kill or marry anyone thus avoiding the possibility of doing so to his father and mother. He was, on the other hand, a very proud person. In the case of his fathers murder, he could not allow an insolent old man to push him around on the road; Oedipus was an important person and deserved to be respected, so he killed the man in a fit of anger. He proved this again by solving the riddle of the sphinx. I solved the riddle by my wit alone. Mine was no knowledge got from birds. And now you would expel me, because you think that you will find a place by Creons throne (398). Here, Oedipus tosses aside the prophecy and help that Teiresias, the blind prophet, has offered by bragging of his achievement of solving the riddle. Once again Oedipus is boastful and unaware of his fall that is soon to come. Again, after winning his prize, Jocasta his mother, Oedipus greedily takes her to be his wife. Jocasta too could have refused to remarry, knowing the oracle as well. Even so, after marrying her son, it is evident that she is

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clueless as to what she has done. She realizes what has happened sooner the Oedipus does and begs him to stop searching for answers out of fear of what he might do to himself. O Oedipus, God help you! God keep you from the knowledge of who you are! (1068). Once again, contrasted with Oedipus, Macbeth was not attempting to avoid something, but he brought about his own fate in a rather bloody manner that wasnt necessary. In Hawkes, Willard Farnham writes about the witches saying that is impossible that, they have control over Macbeths destiny and compel him to so all that he does. (61). Not once did the witches assert that Macbeth should come to be king by murder, lies, and secrets. They simply tempted him with the idea and possibility of becoming king. Farnham suggests that the witches are imperfect speakers, and by their imperfect speech, they tempt him to commit crimes for which he is to assume full moral responsibility. (61). Perhaps if he had not taken matters into his own hands, as Oedipus also did, Duncan would have come to love and care for Macbeth and appoint him as king over his sons. It is clear that Duncan already trusted Macbeth. Macbeth also was a great friend with Banquo, so whos to say he wouldnt appoint one of his sons after him to be king. On the contrary, Macbeth brought the second set of prophecies upon himself by his actions. These too could have been avoided. If he had not murdered Macduffs family, it might have been possible to make peace with Malcolm and Macduff. Nonetheless, these actions did occur, thus fulfilling all the prophecies. 4. Reactions are greater due to pride. Because of all the disbelief on Oedipus part when he first hears that the oracle has already been fulfilled, his reaction is so much greater when he finally sees that it is all true. Had he been less proud and more accepting of what Teiresias had to say, Oedipus would not have fallen from his prideful throne so far or so hard. Not only has Oedipus previously condemned

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the murderer of Laius, he also suffers personal psychological devastation that he was indeed that same murderer of his biological father. Upon realizing that he has also married his mother, Oedipus first threatens to commit suicide; then when he sees Jocasta hanging from her bed, he tore thegold chased brooches fastening her robe away from her and lifting them up high dashed them on his own eyeballs (1267). He finally realizes how foolish he has been; the curse upon him is lifted and he begins to see the light. Macbeth was also a prideful man. The insult from his wife of his manhood worked to push him to the first murder of the king. When you durst do it, then you were a man; and, to be more than what you were, you would be so much more the man. (1.7.50-2). After killing the king, he is then motivated to continue killing as it has successfully brought about the prophecy. The pride in the fact that he could actually go through with the murder influences the thought that he hasnt finished the job yet. He must take care of every possible threat to his throne that he rightly earned. Also, in the last act of the play, it seems that the prophecy that he will be killed by no one who has been born of a woman goes to his head. He repeatedly mocks every person he meets in battle of being born from a woman. Whats the boy Malcolm? Was he not born of woman? (5.3.3-4), Whats he that was not born of woman? (5.7.2-3), weapons laugh to scorn, brandished by man thats of a woman born. (5.7.13-4). It seems that he has lost his mind in reckless madness because he knows that every human must have been born from a woman. Only minutes before his death, he realizes that his cockiness will cost him his life when he sees the Dunsinane forest carried by the army approach his walls and Macduff, not born of a woman, challenges him. 5. What might have happened if the prophecy never was heard?

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If his parents had never heard the oracle, yet Oedipus was still born, but for some reason rejected by his parents and passed off to a shepherd, it is still possible that this still could have happened. As a young teenager, he could have run away from the king of Thebes simply because that is often what young people do. He still could have met and killed his father, solved the riddle and married his mother, but these things did not usually happen in Greek society. The fact remains, however, that Oedipus did all this without knowing or realizing what he was doing. He claims his innocence, when, after all has been revealed to him, he looks back on his life and recounts all the actions that brought him to his fate. He curses the man who untied his legs and saved him in the field (1347). He blames Cithaeron, the mountain he was exposed upon, for not killing him then and there (1392). He says to Corinth, where the king Polybus took him in as a child, what foulness festered beneath! (1396). He blames the crossroads where he killed his father for drinking up the blood shed by his hands, and he blames marriage for making him commit the foulest deeds (1400-1406). In Macbeths case, he and Banquo could have taken a different route from the battlefield to the kings court and never encountered the witches. If this were the case, Malcolm would most likely follow in his fathers footsteps and succeed him as king with much less bloodshed. While Macbeth would not be king, he would not have the temptation to search after it either. 6. How could they have reacted differently? It would take an extremely perverted man to be thankful and excited about an oracle similar to Oedipus and eagerly embrace what was prophesied about his life. Then again, Oedipus could have reacted differently to what he knew. Simply talking to his adoptive parents before running away and being more rational about the decisions he made might have saved him from so much pain and hurt when reality came crashing down in the end.

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Macbeths reaction to the prophecy was one that seems unnecessarily bloody. As Farnham put it, (the witches) do not foretell, and neither do their masters, that he will murder Macduffs wife, children and servants. (62). The witches simply tell him to beware and let his mind, with both fear and rash confidence, decide what to do about it. None of the murders are predicted by the witches. While their prophecy may have resulted in murders, it did not have to be that way. As eluded to previously, the murders were all fabricated in the mind of Macbeth. It is quite possible that all of the prophecies could have come to pass without Macbeth taking these drastic actions. In fact, he was practically already Thane of Cawdor while he was meeting with the witches the first time. 7. Where does the guilt lie? Oedipus was not guilt free. If the oracle had never been known, he would be off the hook. However, all the preventative measures previously mentioned could have been taken to avoid this fate. Both Oedipus and his parents are guilty of not taking overly cautious measures to evade the destiny that was prescribed. An interesting take on the story by Pietro Pucci is that Laius was not his father. He was not nurtured or taught by him. Laius was his father only in the biological sense because Oedipus was cast out of the house as soon as he was born. His real father was Polybus, or the messenger, not Laius (Pucci 84). This should lessen the guilt that Oedipus feels, but the significance of the father is radically and painfully experienced (Pucci 85). In the introduction written by David Grene for the tragedy, he says, Sophocles is declaring that the sin of Oedipus is real; that the consequences in the form of the loneliness, neglect, and suffering of the years of wandering are inevitable; but that the will and the consciousness are also some measure of mans sin and when the sinner

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sinned necessarily and unwittingly, his suffering can be compensation enough for his guilt (5). Oedipus does feel guilty and punishes himself more severely than anything anyone else does to him. Sophocles point is to show that the gods are in control. No matter how hard humans try, they will never succeed when they go up against the oracles of the gods. Nonetheless, humans are given choices. Paolucci states that The tragic hero is he who finds himself in the peculiar situation of having to choose between two goods (242). Only after choosing between these two goods, the gods curse or destiny falls upon the hero, Oedipus in this case. The gods set up a destiny or fate, but still allows the humans to make the initial choice that springs the trap for him and seals his doom (Paolucci 242). Dodds has a little bit different point of view. Quoting Aristotle, he states that, the best sort of tragic hero is a man highly esteemed and prosperous who falls into misfortune because of some serious (38). The definition of could either mean false moral judgments, or a purely intellectual error. Else comments on Aristotles use of as well, if the action is towards a relative, it follows that the precedent would denote particular a mistake or error or ignorance as to the identity of that person. (379). Even though it was a mistake, Oedipus made a choice of some sort. You may wonder, when did Oedipus have a choice like this? The answer lies in the way Oedipus lived his life. The choice that changed his life was the choice that he made to let the knowledge of the curse rule his life. Many of the decisions he made during his lifetime were out of fear of this prescribed oracle. Also out of fear, he tried to convince himself that he was more powerful than the gods. Only in times of distress does he call upon the gods; the willingness on his part to call upon divine help in critical moments and

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the contempt with which he rejects divine manifestations when the crisis is past (Paolucci 243). This can be seen when Teiresias is trying to tell Oedipus that he is the murderer of Laius. Oedipus calls Teiresias because he doesnt know what else to do as the murderer of Laius seems invisible. However, when the news he hears does not match up with his expectations, Oedipus insults Teiresius. Paolucci sums it all up very nicely, Oedipus tragic choice is his fully conscious decision to leave Corinth and thereby escape the prediction of the Delphic Oracle. But in choosing human wisdom and selfsufficiency he was forced to reject the truth of divine inexorable fate (246). Macbeth is not at all guilt free. Similar to Oedipus, the guilt of his deeds builds up over time and tortures his mind. By the end of the play, it seems as if he is a madman. According to Stauffer, Macbeth is his own antagonist, and fights a doomed battle not only against the world but against himself. (Schoenbaum 227). He also asserts that Macbeth suffers more from his own vice than from external retribution. (228). From the mouth of Macbeth himself, my strange and self-abuse is the initiate fear that wants hard use. (3.4.143-4). He doesnt understand why he is suffering self-abuse, but he assumes that he is having problems simply because he is new to murdering people and, with time, it will become much easier. It can be seen that none of the prophecies forced him to commit any sort of crime. They could have been fulfilled in a much more peaceful manner than murdering each person, whether man, woman, or child, that got in his way. Williams mentions why Macbeth made the choices he made. As he (Macbeth) says himself, action and crime would be unnecessary if the future were assured; but his belief in prophecy is strong enough to make him act, not strong enough to inhibit action (13). His ambition drove him to these acts. It seems strange that the first solution to the insecurity of the future is to turn to murderous acts. And, as Williams says, Macbeth

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believes the prophecy, but does not trust the gods that it will happen. In the end, when he finally realizes what has come of his life, Macbeth does not give up. Yet I will try the last. Before my body I throw my warlike shield. Lay on, Macduff (5.8.32-3). He has one last hope is that he can die fighting like a man and not give up. Humans are prideful creatures, and this trait alone causes the downfall of even the most powerful and influential people. When they do fall, however, they become much wiser as long as they arent dead. In Macbeths case, if he had lived, he would become much wiser as Oedipus did. It can be seen that he started to come to this realization right before he was killed. Both characters realize all the things that were previously missed in their previous glory and power. Oedipus realizes that he was overly prideful and now must live his life handicapped at the lowest level. He is humbled greatly and repentent. Macbeth realizes how cocky he had become in his disbelief of the prophecies and finds that it will cost him his life. The question of who to blame for causing terrible things to happen should be clear by now. The god(s), while they predicted what would happen, they cannot phsyically force humans to do anything. They still give people choices, but these choices will lead to the goal or fulfillment of what the god(s) have proclaimed as seen especially in literature.

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Works Cited Dodds, E.R. On Misunderstanding the Oedipus Rex Greece and Rome 13.1 (1966): 37-49. Web. Else, Gerald F. Aristotle's Poetics: The Argument. Ann Arbor: University Microfilms International, 1978. Print. Hawkes, Terence. Twentieth Century Interpretations of Macbeth: A Collection of Critical Essays. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1977. Print. Paolucci, Anne. The Oracles Are Dumb or Cheat: A Study of the Meaning of Oedipus Rex. The Classical Journal, 58.6 (1963): 241-247. Print. Parke, H. W. Greek Oracles. London: Hutchinson, 1967. Print. Pucci, Pietro. Oedipus and the Fabrication of the Father: Oedipus Tyrannus in Modern Criticism and Philosophy. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1992. Print. Schoenbaum, S. Macbeth Critical Essays. New York & London: Gardland Publishing, Inc., 1991. Print. Shakespeare, William, and William C. Carroll. Macbeth: Texts and Contexts. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 1999. Print.
Sophocles. Sophocles I: Three Tragedies. Trans. & Intro. David Grene. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1991. Print. Williams, Edwin E. Tragedy of Destiny. Cambridge, Massachusetts: University Press, 1940. Print.