A self-fulfilling prophecy is characterized as a belief that a circumstance will occur, particularly when the person involved will act in a way that supports the prediction. The prophecy is guided to come true either directly or tangentially by behavior and belief. Most of these prophecies can be found in writing that dates back to ancient Greece. In actuality, a person's perception of a circumstance determines how they react to it and ultimately how they feel about it. Such predictions are plot devices in literature, frequently used ironically against characters who attempted to stop them. This piques readers' interest in the characters' frantic attempts to change their course.
Oedipus: The Best Illustration of a Self-Fulfilling Prophecy
Oedipus the king is the best illustration of a self-fulfilling prophecy. The Greek legend Oedipus was abandoned by his father Laius who was desperate to avert the prophecy. Oedipus was left for dead after his father learnt about the prophecy that he will marry his mother and ultimately lead to his demise. Rescued and raised by the Corinth king, Oedipus was ignorant of his true origin. He learnt of the prophecy from Apollo who had also informed his father, and was raised by the Corinth royals without knowing they were not his parents.
Notably, when he thought that the prophecy meant he would kill the king of Corinth. To prevent the prophecy from coming true, Oedipus made several actions that eventually led him to travel to his home city Thebes seeking to change his destiny. Ironically, the prophecy was fulfilled because he led the ‘Sphinx’ to its defeat, killed his father and married his own mother. Oedipus had been informed by Apollo that it was his fate to achieve the prophecy (l.1090)
Works cited
Sophocles, David Grene, and Sophocles. 2010. Oedipus the King. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
