Oedipus Rex or Oedipus the King

Who is responsible for Oedipus' suffering? Is it Oedipus himself or his fate?

Oedipus is a tragic hero. In his struggle against the evil of his life he invites the inevitable suffering he had always tried to escape from. His fate was sealed to begin with yet Oedipus riled against it. The audience learns that that fate and stubborn pride do not go well together. Oedipus blinds himself, because what he has metaphorically seen (i.e. realized) leaves him unable to face his family or his parents in the afterlife.

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People have been debating this issue for centuries. You are correct in saying his fate was sealed, but it is important to remember that Oedipus made his own choices. He was not responsible for the death of his father because Laius ceased being his father when he sent him away to die. He is not responsbile for his subsequent marriage to his mother for the same reason. Oedipus did, however, take his own sight and in doing so, he instigated his own downfall.

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Oedipus Rex