Apollo is a terrible presence throughout Oedipus Rex. The god of the sun, light, poetry, medicine, and prophecy, he was revered as one of the highest gods of the Greek pantheon. He and his light represents fate—a massive force beyond human comprehension or human steering.

In spite of receiving a number of unambiguous prophecies from Apollo’s oracle, the people of the play still suffer doubt. At one point, the Chorus marvels that, if the prophecies don’t prove true, Apollo will fall from his throne: “Nowhere Apollo’s golden glory now— / the gods, the gods go down” (210). Firm religious faith and a belief in oracular wisdom don’t seem to offer the people of Thebes any certainty; then as now, part of the difficulty of living in the world is not only discerning the truth, but accepting it once it’s been revealed.

Oedipus’s murder of King Laius happens at a fateful place: “O triple roads [..] the secret,/dark ravine, and the oaks closing in/where the three roads join…” (244). Crossroads are an ancient symbol of choice, and here they fit into the play’s questions about free will and fate. While Oedipus appears to have choices—for instance, he could have not killed the rude man who accosted him at the crossroads—every choice he makes takes him toward his terrible destiny.