Kafka on the Shore

Sophocles’ tragic drama Oedipus Rex lends its theme—a heroic but flawed man destroyed by fate—and several plot devices to Kafka on the Shore. Oedipus is doomed, by a prophecy, to kill his own father and marry his mother. Though he did not do these things knowingly, on purpose, or with malice, Oedipus holds himself accountable for these acts. Because of his honor and integrity, Oedipus’ fate is all the more emotionally wrenching and ironic. He is a man who struggles to do the right thing, and he suffers horribly for it. In that way, in particular, Oedipus’ and Kafka’s characters are identical.

Like Oedipus, Kafka is cursed by a prophecy. However, unlike Oedipus, Kafka knows the fate that awaits him, as he has been cursed by his own father.

Murakami’s use of the Oedipus myth allows him to highlight similarities and differences between Oedipus and Kafka, creating a new and different hero for his novel. Murakami’s hero successfully dodges his fate through self-knowledge and the support of his friends—some of them magical— who give him the courage to confront his inner darkness.

Other elements of Greek tragedy and mythology operate to reinforce the oedipal themes. For example,