The Use of Chance in Oedipus vs. Chronicle of a Death...

Jillian Smith anderson IB English Period 2 4 November 2012 The Use of Chance in Chronicle of a Death Foretold versus Oedipus the King Chance can serve many different purposes in works of literature. Whether it is to display a certain idea or to simply add to the authors writing style, chance can have a very significant effect on a reader or an audience. In Oedipus the King by Sophocles and Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, both writers use chance to develop their plots. The chance events are what further the plot and eventually lead to the main characters’ downfall. Chance, however, also has different purposes in the works, as Marquez uses it as an element of his magical realist style of writing, while†¦show more content†¦The chance events in both Chronicle of a Death Foretold and Oedipus the King serve to further the plot. In Oedipus the King, Oedipuss meeting and murder of his father fulfills one half of the prophecy. This event was necessary because causes Oedipus to be able to marry his mother, who will have lost her husband. The play is based on causation, and the chance events are oftentimes what cause the next event, which is why they are so vital to the plot. The shepherds discovery of Oedipus on the mountain side was by chance, yet it allowed Oedipus to survive and live out the prophecy he was given. Chronicle of a Death Foretold incorporates coincidence in the same way to develop the storyline. In the first chapter, the reader learns who killed Santiago. While the plot is already shown to reader, the inclusion of the events with Placida Linero and Cristo Bedoya helps to develop the plot, as the reader learns more about the odd circumstances that worked against Santiago to result in his death. The fact that both of them could have known about the murder early enough to stop it, yet learn about it later helps to develop the plot. Chance events in both Oedipus the King and Chronicle of a Death Foretold serve to advance the storyline. The purpose that chance serves within b oth works differs as well. In Oedipus the King, Sophocles uses chance events to portray the idea of fate and that attempts to go