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 character’s

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 Shakespeare’s life, in the mid 1500’s, 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 1500’s, 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). Carroll’s 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 women’s rights and

the nature of supernatural powers (Carroll 306). Contrasted with Oedipus, the audience would

be more skeptical of Macbeth’s 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

wouldn’t 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

didn’t 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

doesn’t 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 wasn’t 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 Banquo’s 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 king’s 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 doesn’t quite seem as glorious to him as it

did before. Once crowned king, he remembers the third prophecy, that Banquo’s 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 Macduff’s castle and to murder his wife and children. This angers Macduff, who

happens to be “from his mother’s 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 doesn’t 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, doesn’t

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 father’s 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 Creon’s 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 wasn’t necessary. In Hawkes,

Willard Farnham writes about the witches saying that is impossible that, “they have control over

Macbeth’s 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 who’s to say he wouldn’t 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 Macduff’s 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 the…gold 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 hasn’t 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. “What’s the boy Malcolm? Was he not

born of woman?” (5.3.3-4), “What’s he that was not born of woman?” (5.7.2-3), “weapons laugh

to scorn, brandished by man that’s 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 Macbeth’s case, he and Banquo could have taken a different route from the battlefield

to the king’s court and never encountered the witches. If this were the case, Malcolm would

most likely follow in his father’s 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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Macbeth’s 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

Macduff’s 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 man’s 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 ἁμαρτία” (38). The definition of ἁμαρτία could either mean false moral judgments,

or a purely intellectual error. Else comments on Aristotle’s use of ἁμαρτία as well, if the action

is towards a relative, “it follows that the precedent ἁμαρτία 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 doesn’t 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 self-

sufficiency 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 doesn’t

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 aren’t dead. In Macbeth’s 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.