Could anyone live with knowing their fate? Well, this is exactly what happens to Oedipus, King Laius, and Jocasta in the story of Oedipus Rex. These three people are trapped in the grip of fate and have no choice but to follow the story. In Sophocles' Oedipus Rex the plot, setting, characters, foreshadowing, irony and themes are based on one thing... destiny. In ancient Greece the gods and the people chosen to communicate with them were very important. This was because citizens sought advantageous relationships with the gods and wanted to know what awaited them. Some of the gods they worshiped included: Zeus, Poseidon, Athena, and Apollo. People who are able to see the future are called seers or prophets. The gods would allow them to see what would happen and they would take what they witnessed and tell it to anyone who was interested. However the Seers were not the only people to have visions, the Oracles had them too. These are Priests who live and dedicate their lives to be in the Temple of the Gods. These two different types of visionaries would play an important role in Oedipus Rex. The fate of Jocasta and Laius all depends on Oedipus. The story begins with the Oracle giving them some horrible news. He tells them that they will have a son, Oedipus, but when he grows up, the boy will kill Laius in turn and then says that the boy will sleep with Jocasta after Laius' death. Both parents are distressed by this news, so when the child is born they tell a servant to put him on a mountain and leave him there to die. Years pass and the King and Queen continue to think they are safe; however, when Laius finds himself at a crossroads on his way to speak to the Oracle, Oedipus, his son, arrives. Lai......middle of paper......wants to save his people. He discovers that his real parents are King Laius, the man he killed, and Queen Jocasta, his wife. He has always been the man who placed the curse on the city he loved and sees that the Oracle he was sure he had gotten rid of has actually come true. The story of Oedipus Rex is a horrifying and heartbreaking story of three people who are controlled by fate. Jocasta, Laius and Oedipus do their best to avoid their fate that will ultimately destroy them. In the end Laius dies at the hands of his own son, Jocasta kills herself because she cannot bear the embarrassment of having slept with her son, and Oedipus becomes blind due to a curse and is left to wander his days waiting for death. Their fate has won and they must face the consequences. Works Cited http://www.ancientgreece.co.uk/gods/explore/exp_set.html www.LitCharts.com