There are two main conflicts in Oedipus the King. The first is between fate and free will—Oedipus wants to see his fate in order to better understand himself, but he is afraid of what he might find out. The second conflict is between Oedipus and Creon—Creon wants to have control over Oedipus, but Oedipus wants to be free and not answer to anyone. Both of these conflicts are directly related to one another, because the more power that Creon has over Oedipus, the less free will he has, and the more information that Oedipus learns about his fate, the stronger his relationship with knowledge becomes.
This play is about a ruler who killed his father and married his mother, which he does not realize until after a series of events comes together to make him discover what he has done. In this way, it is like a Greek tragedy; it shows how one man’s ignorance can lead him to commit terrible crimes. However, unlike a Greek tragedy, it doesn’t end with the hero dying; instead it ends with him coming face-to-face with his own crimes, becoming tortured by them, but still managing to maintain some level of self-respect.
This theme is carried through several layers of the plot: fate versus free will in regards to Oedipus himself; fate versus free will in regards to Oedipus’ parents; fate versus free will in regards to the city of Thebes.
