The Relationship Between Fate and Duty in the Ramayana and Oedipus the King

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as a result of his fate which led to his exile just like Rama. Because his fate was to kill his father and sleep with his mother, Oedipus ran away from his home city to prevent this. However, fate followed him as he fulfilled it involuntarily. As the plague hit Thebes, Oedipus attempted to find the cause only to figure out that it was him. Thus, his denial led to his struggle to find out the truth about his fate. Oedipus, however, had the option of not knowing the truth, but his pride caused his downfall. Had he accepted his fate and exiled himself when Tiresias had told him, he would have saved Jocasta from the horrific truth that lead to her suicide, and prevented his own blindness both literally and figuratively. Thus, Oedipus, a victim of his own denial of the prophecy, faced the consequence of blindness and exile from his predestined fate. As a result, both the epic and tragedy reflect the relationship of fate leading to the struggle for the protagonists.

Because The Ramayana and Oedipus the King are two different genres, the outcomes of the stories are completely different. As a result, the consequences of fate display a key difference between an epic and a tragedy. For instance, The Ramayana results in a relatively happier ending due to the classical format of an epic in which balance is disrupted at first forming chaos, but as the hero follows his fate, order is restored again. Hence, an epic usually “include[s] a hero who embodies national, cultural, or religious ideals and upon whose actions depends to some degree the fate of his people; a course of action in which the hero performs great and difficult deeds” (Richman 165-192) Therefore, the protagonist’s fate in epics generally leads to their success such as Rama’s victory over Ravana. In addition, because fate is inescapable, Rama accepts the various tests that come to him. For instance, when Rama is sent on a journey with Viswamithra and then later exiled, Rama accepts both times without question as he understands it’s for a greater good. Also, Sita’s abduction makes Rama’s dharma and his ultimate goal of being reincarnated clear as he has to defeat Ravana in order to rescue Sita. Thus, in an epic, the hero’s journey to success is shaped for him along the way by his predestined fate, leading to a rewarding outcome.

A tragedy, as its name implies, ends tragically. Thus, the general format of a tragedy starts with order which eventually ends with chaos. And so, the story generally ends on a sad note in which the protagonist suffers as a result of his fate. For instance, in the play, fate stripped Oedipus of his power as king and resulted in his exile. The once great and powerful man is lowered down to a blind wanderer as a result of the gods. Oedipus tried to run away from his fate, but it followed him to Thebes. His pride as king led to his denial of the prophecy, which resulted in his sufferings as a consequence. As a result, Jocasta, another victim of denial, could not bear the truth and kills herself. Oedipus, however, faced the consequence of physical blindness and exile, unlike Jocasta who took the easy way out, and Oedipus finally realized he could not run away from fate; so he ultimately accepted his exile and dealt with his blindness. Hence, “the central idea of the play ’Oedipus Rex’ is that through suffering a man learns to be modest before [the] gods, and he must accept his own insignificance” (Moharil 31-32). As a result, unlike an epic in which the hero receives a rewarding fate, a tragedy results in the decline of the protagonist as an outcome of his unfortunate fate.

Thus, we can see how fate plays a role in different forms of literature, forming similarities and differences. For instance, in the epic of The Ramayana and the tragedy of Oedipus the King, we saw how fate was assigned to both protagonists through a divine force in which escaping was not possible. Furthermore, the connection between fate and struggle for the protagonists of both works can be demonstrated through the exile of both Rama and Oedipus and the struggles they had to face. However, the difference in their response to their fate exhibits the variation in the consequences of fate in an epic and a tragedy. Rama understood his role as protector and accepted his fate as he went through the struggle of facing various tests and fighting Ravana. Oedipus, however, rejected his fate and tried running away from it only to recognize that it is inevitable, thus facing the consequences. Therefore, in an epic, after going through some struggle following his destiny, the hero gains a rewarding outcome, whereas in a tragedy, the protagonist suffers from his tragic fate. As a result, though the two works are different in many aspects, the theme of fate ties in several similarities as well as differences between an epic and a tragedy.

Works Cited

Narayan, R.K. The Rayamana. New York: Penguin Classics, 2006.

Moharil, Avinash. "Oedipus Rex: Role of Destiny." Indian Streams Research Journal. 2012: 31-32.

Richman, Paula. "Epics." Cultural Dynamics. 2007: 165-192.

Sophocles. “Oedipus the King.” The Three Theban Plays. New York: Penguin Classics, 1984.