The classic stories of Oedipus the King and Sundiata tell the tale of two epic heroes who must seek and fulfill their own unique destinies. Although the themes of fate and destiny play a major role in the lives of Oedipus and Sundiata, the two characters adapt very differently to their predetermined positions: Oedipus is the tragic hero, always trying to tempt fate, while that Sundiata willingly accepts her destiny. Both men are qualified to be powerful leaders, but they use these qualities in different, sometimes opposing, ways. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why violent video games should not be banned"? Get an original essay In the opening scene of the play Oedipus the King, the audience is introduced to Oedipus as a compassionate and concerned leader: he is a man of his word and a man of action. His people are suffering because of a plague that has swept the land, and Oedipus is suffering with them. He will stop at nothing to save them from this curse. Ironically, in saving his people, Oedipus destroys himself. When Delphi tells Oedipus - Apollo, the prophet's oracle - that the only way to stop the plague is to find the man who murdered Laius, the former king, the public discovers a new side of Oedipus: his imperfections and defects. Despite his intelligence, he acts stupid, impulsive and impatient. With great arrogance and aggression, Oedipus sets out to find the murderer, but his search reveals the truth about himself. The journey to self-knowledge is not pleasant for Oedipus, who learns that he has been cursed by the gods. In his search for truth, Oedipus reveals himself to be a thinker. Thus, Oedipus' intelligence, a trait that brings him closer to the gods, is what pushes him to commit the most heinous of all possible sins. Instead of relying on the gods, Oedipus relies on his own ability to extract the truth. He is shocked to learn that it was he who killed Laius, his father, and married Jocasta, his mother, even though these acts were prophesied long ago by the oracle of Delphi. After hearing the oracle's prophecy, Oedipus is still stupid enough to believe that he can tempt fate and change the path chosen for him by the gods. He tells Jocasta: "I heard all this and I ran, I abandoned Corinth, from that day I measured its landing only by the stars, running, always, running towards a place where I would never see the shame of all these oracles come true. » (205). The contrast between trust in the oracles of the gods and trust in intelligence plays out in this story a bit like that between religion and science in modern times. In the story of Sundiata, even before his birth, the lion king is destined to become a great leader. , in defiance of the traditional order and birthright. His role as king and his victorious return to his homeland of Mali are all controlled by the effects of fate in his life. A traveler prophesied that the mighty heir to the throne would be born to a foreign and ugly woman. Tales of greatness impressed the king of Mali enough that he trusted the prediction and married Sogolon, the buffalo woman. After Sundiata's birth, enormous obstacles were not enough to stop her continued path to the throne. Being crippled in a society where physical skills are highly valued is perhaps the greatest possible curse. Learning to walk, to the defiance of the other people in the palace, is only a small achievement compared to the milestones Sundiata will take over the course of her life. Unlike Oedipus, Sundiata proudly and willingly accepts the path paved for him by the gods. Sundiata is boldly determined. ,.