In Robert Fagles' translation of the play "Oedipus the King", Sophocles explores many important themes of Greek tragedy such as fate and free will, wisdom and knowledge, determination and power through the effective use of his language, symbols and motifs and setting. In this essay, I will discuss how these themes are clearly portrayed to the reader and how the story is made more powerful through the use of them.
Firstly, the story is one that introduces the main character, Oedipus, very positively. As soon as the play opens, he is thought of one who is very compassionate, a good leader and is very concerned about the well being of his people. This is evident on pages 12-13 when Oedipus says, "I am ready to help, I'll do anything." This immediately portrays Oedipus as a character who readers are appealed to due to his attributes that are conveyed during the beginning of the play. This is very important because it is due to this reason that when Oedipus kills himself towards the end of the play, the sympathy that is felt by the readers is drastic. .
The use of Sophocles' language in this translated version of his play has a very distinct writing style and a powerful tone. Firstly, the tone is tragic, sympathetic, foreboding and ironic. Since there's no narrator in this play, the Chorus plays a significant role in the play as they give the audience different perspectives on the play by constantly commenting on it. In addition to this, they are able to make statements that the characters in the play are often not in the position to say, for example when talking about certain circumstances that the characters aren't aware of. Moreover, the chorus is also often used to foreshadow future events and emphasize on the main themes. Furthermore, the tone of the play is fairly ironic. Since the play isn't entirely made up, most of the audience was aware of this myth and the tragic ending prior to the play and therefore, this had a great impact on the readers.