Oedipus Rex: Paradox 1 key example

The paradox results from the fact that it is Oedipus's very attempts to avoid the prophecy that end up ensuring he fulfills it. For example, Oedipus flees Corinth to avoid fulfilling the prophecy but encounters, and then murders, his real father as a result. In fact, the same can be said of Jocasta: for instance, when she cast out Oedipus as a child, she set the series of events in motion that would lead to him returning as king. By attempting to avoid fate, the characters in Oedipus Rex instead ensure that the future will occur exactly as foreseen.

There is also a paradox inherent to Jocasta's urging itself. Jocasta urges Oedipus to live at random, but it is Oedipus's choices—be they intentional or otherwise—that lead to his downfall. Oedipus can only act as he thinks is best, but by doing so, he dooms himself.

The quotation also contains irony, as Jocasta hints at Oedipus's fate unknowingly. When Jocasta explains, "not a man on earth can see a day ahead, groping through the dark," she urges Oedipus to embrace the lifestyle of a man who does not know his fate. However, Oedipus will soon live that exact life after he blinds himself, precisely because he becomes aware of his fate. Through irony, Sophocles highlights the futility of the characters' attempts to avoid the prophecy, as Jocasta believes she is describing how Oedipus can avoid his fate but is rather describing the exact fate that awaits him.