If the prophecy were real, we could expect what is bound to happen in the future. It's true; at least in “Oedipus the King” in which the protagonist, Oedipus, begrudgingly calls out his condemnation. Destiny is defined as something that inevitably happens to a person. The author of Oedipus the King, Sophocles, writes a tragic destiny that Oedipus was born to experience. Destiny is what is meant to happen and cannot be avoided or unchanged. Additionally, events that lead to other events could be the result of a person confronting their destiny. In “Oedipus the King”, Sophocles expresses the nature of destiny which must be determined based on the choices made. In the story "Oedipus the King", before Oedipus became king of Thebes, he made choices that led to events that defined his destiny. The first event occurred when Oedipus overheard a drunken man say that those who cared for Oedipus in Corinth were not his biological parents. The terrible news is what marks the very first steps towards the beginning of the events that led to his fate. Oedipus, confused and interested in the truth, continues talking with God. However, God did not answer Oedipus' questions and had his fate predicted. “The god rejected my question without answer; he was talking about something else. Some were clear, full of misery, terrible, unbearable: As if I lay with my own mother, the children of all men would look away; and that I should be my father’s murderer” (Gioia, 2010). Oedipus, who still does not know who his parents were, chose to run away from home in an attempt to prevent God's declaration of his destiny from coming true. Oedipus' choice to flee the country may have been a bad decision. This is what led him to experience the first event of his destiny. As Oedipus heads towards his... middle of paper... this destiny. Events that lead to other events will eventually lead to their destiny. “Oedipus the King” is a great play that sets an example of what destiny is. Oedipus chooses to run away from home, in an attempt to prevent the god's declaration of his destiny from coming true. However, Oedipus' decision to flee is what was necessary for his destiny to be realized. Without a doubt, this is what had to happen because Oedipus allowed it. Perhaps if Oedipus had ignored the god and never done anything, perhaps the outcome could have been different for Oedipus. However, it didn't turn out that way and the choices Oedipus made are what led to his downfall. Works Cited What does the Bible say about destiny? (2011). Retrieved from gotquestions: http://www.gotquestions.org/fate-destiny.html Gioia, XK (2010). Literature An introduction to fiction, poetry, and writing. Pearson.