The famous Greek dramatist Euripides wrote the expression, "Whom the gods wish to destroy, they first make mad." Oedipus Rex as a man and a victim of the whims of the gods indeed was made mad to the point of blinding himself after learning that his life's fate had indeed been fulfilled. Sophocles' Oedipus Rex as a play relays the fact of the inevitable – that once fate has been written, we can never escape it despite the delusions we tell ourselves that we indeed choose our own destiny. And once we chose to avoid Fate and strive to make the best effort of improving our lives, it is actually the gods as the puppeteers toying with us to enable us to let our guards down and believe that all is well until the foreseeable is upon us. Like most Greek tragedies, Oedipus Rex was written as a result of a Greek festivity in those days – probably a tribute to Dionysius, the god of wine. The Greek theater during Sophocles' time is more of a religious festival rather than an artistic and recreational event we know these days. Most dramas show the travails of man and the forces the gods unleash on man as he lives his life – Oedipus Rex is no exception!
             Oedipus has been gifted with intellect, proactive action and decisiveness. As a ruler, he showed compassion for, and understanding of his subjects that whatever ailed them, he was quick to act and ready to meet the challenges head on like any good leader. A good example of this leadership acumen was evident when the plague hit his kingdom of Thebes. The plague saw citizens, crops and live stocks diminished and the Thebans had nowhere to go but their beloved king. True to his proactive nature, Oedipus already sent his brother-in-law Creon at the oracle of Delphi to determine the cause of the plague and find out how to eradicate it. Upon learning what the oracle of Delphi said – that the plague was caused by the unpunished murder of the late king of Thebes Laius – Oedipus cursed upon the ki...