Prophecies can be a very tricky to write as often, when it’s used, it’s a very core aspect to a story. A prophecy can guide and mold a story to form a certain way but writers often misinterpret how best to implement a prophecy into a story. The main thing to consider about a prophecy is that it is an event that will come to pass. If the event in question could be avoided or changed, it would be more of a warning or a possibility rather than a prophecy. The narrative strength of this trope is that there is an inevitability that the characters are headed towards whether they want to or not. Will they be able to thwart what’s coming? Will they survive? There’s also the mystery of just how a prophecy comes to pass, especially if it’s something that seems monumental in the grand scheme of the world. Building up to the inevitability is key to making the most of a prophecy focused story.
To use the concept of prophecy to its utmost potential, it’s best to consider the classical examples of prophecies used and consider what made those stories so potent. It’s best to consider the old Greek mythologies that centered around prophecy and the inevitability of them. Often times they make for some of the most tragic stories but can also set up the classic hero’s journey style story. A very famous and well known story that pulls directly from this is the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan. The entire series is based off of Greek mythology and has its own major prophecy that the series follows. While the story does follow the prophecy, the prophecy itself is very vague and doesn’t necessarily feel like it was a guiding force of the story but more like it conveniently laid out the events. It’s not that it fails in its purpose to work as a guiding prophecy, it’s more that it doesn’t feel as impactful to the reader’s experience of the story.
The core of a proper prophecy is that it is clear enough for the reader to understand what is happening but vague enough that there’s still an element of mystery to it. A writer should make the reader keep guessing and wondering what is coming next to fulfill the prophecy. It’s a core concept in a lot of Greek mythologies, especially the tragic ones, as it seems obvious what will happen yet the characters are helpless to stop it. The old Greek tragedy of Oedipus Rex is probably one of the most succinct examples of this as the prophecies involved are incredibly clear but open enough to create a tragic twist of events. Oedipus was given a prophecy that he would kill his father and marry his mother, but unbeknownst to him, Oedipus was abandoned to die by his birth parents as they were given the prophecy that their son would kill his father. He was spared that fate and given to a childless king and queen to be raised as their own. Despite the clarity of the prophecy, through circumstance neither party was able to avoid their fate and unwittingly fulfilled the prophecy.
That being said, the best use of prophecy that comes to mind is the kind of prophecy that the characters are actively trying to prevent. There’s an inevitability to it that creates a very ominous sense of tension as the story progresses towards that moment. But like the Greek mythologies, the key is that the actions the characters take to avoid the prophecy are ultimately what makes it come to fruition. What makes it especially potent is when the prophecy is clear in it’s steps and the characters are forced to or unwittingly fulfill it. My favorite example of this is from God of War (2018) and God of War: Ragnarok, especially the latter. In Ragnarok, the prophecy is looming over both the protagonists and the antagonists and creates this foreboding sense of impending doom. But what makes it work so well is that the prophecy is always at the forefront of the player’s mind because it’s so clear as to what will happen and why it’s bad. It makes the story feel so much more tragic and potent as they find themselves hurdling towards the end no matter what they do and makes for a fantastic story.
Prophecy or elements similar to a prophetic message can make for really strong narrative tools, but requires some careful thought and consideration. A prophecy should be clear enough to the reader that they understand what is to come but vague enough that there’s some room for interpretation. To put it in another way, a prophecy is essentially explicit foreshadowing of future events to come. When done correctly, it makes for a fantastic and tense story.
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