Comparison of the Lives and Fortunes of Jacob and Oedipus

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Comparison of the Lives and Fortunes of Jacob and Oedipus
The biblical stories of Jacob and Sophocles' Oedipus have numerous similarities and differences as far as the protagonists are concerned. Both Oedipus and Jacob have planned destinies that they could not control. Oedipus' fate was controlled by the prophecy that he would kill his father and marry his mother. This prophecy made a huge impact on Oedipus’ life and was responsible for the course of events. In contrast, Jacob’s fate was controlled by God, who promised him lands and numerous offspring that would prove to the blessing of the whole earth. However, the difference between the two characters was the ending of the story. Jacob ended up being successful because he received God's blessings but, Oedipus' life ended up in misery after fulfilling the prophecy. Whereas Sophocles depicts Oedipus as a proud and ignorant man whose ignorance leads to his tragedy, the Bible portrays Joseph as an obedient but deceitful person whose deception earns him blessings.
Starting with Joseph, his relationship with Rebecca, his mother offended his father despite failing to act innocently as Oedipus. However, Jacob neither committed incest with his mother nor killed his own father. He wrongs his father by conspiring with his mother to steal Esau’s blessings (Genesis 27:6:-29). Although the relationship between Jacob and his mother is not incestuous, his beloved woman is close to the lineage of his mother. According to Genesis 27:43, Rebecca told Jacob to flee to his brother in Haran and stay with him for a while until Esau’s fury subsides since Esau held a grudge against Jacob for stealing his blessing and plotted to kill him.
Jacob then made a deal with Laban, his uncle, to marry Rachel, whom he fell in love with but was given Leah instead of Rachel. He was forced to work for another seven years to marry Rachel. His relationship with Rachel and Leah is considered incestuous because they were his cousins. Jacob's case is also considered incest because the bible tradition forbids a relationship with a wife’s sister as a rival wife in Leviticus 18:18. Therefore, both Oedipus and Jacob contracted an incestuous marriage.
Another comparison between Jacob and Oedipus is their representation of wanderers. Both Jacob and Oedipus are portrayed as wanderers. To avoid fulfilling the prophecy, Jacob flees Corinth, his assumed birthplace country for Thebes, oblivious that he had been born in Thebes. As Oedipus approaches Thebes, a stranger and his attending company insult him (Hardie, 148). Since Oedipus is a naturally proud person who is easily incited by anger, he responds to these insults by killing the stranger and his company, not knowing that the stranger is Laius, his true father (Nicol, 44). His lust then drives him to marry Jacosta, Laius’s widow.
Several years later, Oedipus learns the truth that the man he killed on his way to Thebes is his real father, the king of Thebes and the woman he married is his mother. He is forced to live with the misfortune of ignorantly killing his father and marrying his mother. His misfortune is influenced by his pride, lust, and ignorance seen from the...