Oedipus Rex: The Ruinous Power of Chance

As Wallace Grey states, "the Oedipus story show[s] the devastating power of chance, a power no intelligence can anticipate." It is one that illumines the true potential of dramatic irony by demonstrating one man's ignorance of his very own self-destruction. Although many do not wish for certain events to occur, reality insists that the ruinous power of chance does, in fact, exist.

The Priest speaks of Oedipus as "the first of men in the chances of life." In response, and unaware of his true incest, birth, and marital status, Oedipus proclaims to be whole-heartedly dedicated to the search for the past King Laios's murderer. It is with the Priest's words, that Oedipus eventually meets his doom. Oedipus is given the chance to save the city and lift the plague, and in the process, forms his own demise.

My big question, as previously defined, is this:

How does someone or something ultimately exercise complete power over another individual? In the case of Oedipus, this "something" is chance. By chance, Oedipus was saved and carried to another palace to live and to flourish. By chance, after hearing his potential future, he fled exactly into the hands he was fervently trying to avoid. Anyone in their right mind would not knowingly cause his or her own epic downfall. Oedipus was in his right mind. He believed that what he was doing was for the good of his people, and for himself. He simply was ruined by the power of chance; a power that intelligence truly cannot foresee.

This concept of chance defines the entire cumulation of power in Oedipus. In fact, it dictates the unfortunate series of events that unfold. Oedipus, serving as a true king, believes that he has all the power to lift the plague, and to solve all of the significant issues placed upon the kingdom. Little does he know that his actions, in fact, are not exercising complete power. It is the chance within his actions that are, per se, "doing the heavy lifting."

The big question truly helps define the reason for the tragic demise of Oedipus, his incestuous family, and his kingdom. Chance has been, is, and will always be a fundamental power. And, in this case, a ruinous power of chance.

What is Power?

"I don't love you, nor have I ever cared about what you do with your life." The words hit me. They ripped through my body like thorns in my veins. My face flared. My knees buckled.

I looked into his eyes. There was no sign of remorse for what he had just said. In fact, he seemed pleased with the bullets he had fired at me from his snarling lips.

That moment, I finally realized what it felt like to be completely and utterly under the power of a man who had not a single care for my existence. It was also the moment I decided to untangle myself from his web, regardless of how isolated and confused I was going to feel once free from his grasp.

This occurrence sparked a question in my very being...

How does someone or something ultimately exercise complete power over another individual?

He had exercised complete power over me, but how had he done so? Was it because I felt threatened? Was I afraid of being abandoned to stand on my own two feet? Why did it take me so long to wake up, and as many would say, "smell the coffee?" To this very day, I ponder these questions.

I believe that for every situation reflecting the cumulation of power, there is a mastermind at work. Someone or something that possesses the power to completely control another human being. But, how do they do it? And how can it be undone?

In The Road, by Cormac McCarthy, a young boy and his father are fighting to survive in a post-apocalyptic world where basic morals and cautionary actions are thrown to the wind. When all of society has been stripped away from them, there is no basis of government or a foundation from which an individual is to exercise power. They are under the power of death, and death alone:

The Woman: No, I'm speaking the truth. Sooner or later they will catch us and they will kill us. They will rape me. They'll rape him. They are going to rape us and kill us and eat us and you wont face it...We used to talk about death, she said. We dont anymore. Why is that?

The Man: I dont know.

The Woman: It's because it's here. There's nothing left to talk about.

This quote is indeed troubling. It leads us to believe that there is no hope, and that everything is destined to be consumed in flames. McCarthy instills this in his audience. For the Boy and the Man, death is their master. The threat of death has complete power over this duo. One wrong move, and death takes over. One wrong move, and the game is done.

Throughout all aspects of life, the concept of how power is obtained and executed is questioned:

Power is of two kinds. One is obtained by the fear of punishment and the other by acts of love. Power based on love is a thousand times more effective and permanent than the one derived from fear of punishment.

-Mohandas Gandhi

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L53gjP-TtGE

http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/dreamworks/thehelp/