Destiny, Fate, Free Will and Free Choice in Oedipus the King - Fate and the Modern World

Fate as defined by the Merriam Webster dictionary is ‘an inevitable and often adverse outcome, condition, or end’. Sophocles discusses fate vs free will in his plays. In the play Oedipus Rex there was a prophecy that Oedipus was destined to kill his father and marry his mother, he attempts to escape his destiny by running away to Thebes where he meets his fate. In the play Antigone, that main character Antigone decides to go against Creon’s (her uncle who has inherited the throne) decree and bury the brother, Polynices, knowing the consequences would lead to her death. In Sophocles’ plays Oedipus Rex and Antigone, the theme is mankind not being able to escape their fate.

Fate is defined as the development of events beyond a person’s control. In “Oedipus the King,” Sophocles, tells us about a tragic hero (Oedipus) in which his life is predetermined by fate, because he is deprived of free will. The first act of fate on Oedipus was him being saved by a shepherd when his parents (Queen Jocasta and King Laius) left him in the mountains to die, he then met and killed his father without knowing who he was, and last, he married Queen Jocasta, later realizing that she was his mother. Every action that Oedipus took to prevent his fate, would soon be the ultimate downfall, not only for himself, but for his family and the people of Thebes.

In our world today, fate and free will remains the biggest mystery of all; is everything we do controlled or do we have the freedom of choice? In the story "Oedipus the King" by Sophocles, the author uses the idea of fate and free will to explain the struggle of Oedipus's life. Fate and free will is explained as; fate is controlled by an outside supernatural force, and there is no way of controlling it. Free will is when each of us is responsible and controls all aspects of our own life. The author of "Oedipus the King" uses ironic devices to convey a tragic attitude toward the struggle of fate and free will.

Oedipus the King, was written by Sophocles between C.A.496-406B.C. In this play, Oedipus is a great example of Sophocles’ belief that fate will control a man’s life no matter how much free will exists.

Sophocles states that “Fate has terrible power. You cannot escape it by wealth or war. No fort will keep it out, no ships outrun it.” Fate derives from a Latin word, fatum, meaning that one’s future is predetermined. In Oedipus Rex, Sophocles unfolds the misfortune of a noble king who searches for knowledge. Evidently, Greek heroes like Oedipus are destined to rule, but are also bound to fall, therefore, he cannot alter his own fate. This tragic play proves that the power of fate is indeed stronger than one’s free will. Despite his attempts to fight his destiny, Oedipus can never outrun his fate. Regardless of his parents’ desperation to evade the predicted outcome, fate guides his journey for knowledge, leading to his destruction.

Oedipus the king is an Athenian tragedy that was written by Sophocles in 430 B.C. and first performed in 429 B.C. The story talks about a king who brought his own downfall by his own actions and terrible fate. The king was a victim of his terrible fate; however, he was not innocent either. He is responsible of the consequence of his own actions. According to the book, fate and free will plays equal role.

Enduring Influence of Oedipus Rex Ancient Greece is widely recognized for its exceptional achievements in literature and dramatism. Arguably, the civilization’s most enduring contribution to modern society is its theatrical evaluation of human nature. Sophocles, considered one of the three great playwrights of the golden age, is noted for his powerful tragedy Oedipus the King which analyzes the conflict of fate and freewill. Even centuries after its initial composition, Oedipus the King continues to influence today’s culture in many ways by aiding in a more comprehensive understanding of ancient Greek lifestyles and values.

Are all events predetermined? Does everyone have a prophetic destiny that they must fulfill? If so, who determines their fate? Who—or what—binds them to their fixed ending? Is there really no way to resist? Is fatalism—the theory that all events are preset and inevitable—true? And if it is—is there ever such a thing as free will?

The significance of obedience to the gods is a key idea in Sophocles play Oedipus from the 5th century BC. Characters Oedipus and Jocasta play apart in reflecting the conventions of a tragedy, which the tragic hero will suffer a fall from an elevated social position due to his hamartia, a personality flaw. Oedipus, the protagonist of the text, can be to blame for his catastrophe that leads him to his catharsis. Oedipus’s hubris that gave him his curiosity and persistence to know the truth and deny his fate, his aggressiveness and willingness to ignore the truth; all challenge the roll of the gods.

Simone de Beauvoir’s “Moral Idealism and Political Realism” interprets Sophocles’ Antigone by emphasizing the importance of accepting failure and fear in order to improve our understanding and knowledge, rather than running away from the unknown. Sophocles centralizes around the concepts of fate and wisdom to argue for and to promote the idea that while you can foresee your fate it is impossible to avoid. If every result or decision was preordained – unable to change throughout the course of fate - then what is the purpose of knowledge and education? Sophocles, through the usage of a tragedy, uses the concepts of wisdom and fate to emphasize the limitations of human knowledge and understanding. Wisdom not only represents the ability to think

Throughout Oedipus The King, Oedipus embarks on a journey to realize that he is the murderer of his father, Laius, and husband to his mother, Jocasta, making him a victim of what seems to be an inevitable fate. What makes this more tragic is that Oedipus, a seemingly good leader, tries to avoid his fate, but instead keeps inviting it over. Violating the word of gods and doing things in excess shows Oedipus’ pride that leads to his hubris. Because of his hubris, Oedipus brings his fate upon himself. In this way, fate is connected to the traits of Oedipus, known as hamartia, instead of it being a divine thing. Oedipus can’t escape his fate because it is a part of him; no matter where he goes and what he tries to do, it will always be there. Fate seems beyond anyone’s control and more of the will of gods, but Oedipus’ fate is found within his personality. Moreover, Oedipus’ traits are not something that he can control. He did not choose to let his ego take control and ultimately determine the course of his life. This means that it was inherited by the choices others made, or just by luck. Basically, fate determines Oedipus’ hubris and his hubris leads to hamartia, an element of fate. This connection between his hubris and hamartia shows that what can make him a good leader goes downfall when it becomes excessive. This is what Oedipus is blind to and does not realize. His pride that comes to identify him and makes him a hero to everyone becomes too much and is the same thing that leads to his downfall.

The underlying theme in Oedipus Rex is that fate is more powerful than free will. On this strong basis of fate, free will doesn't even exist. This was a popular belief among the ancient Greeks.  Fate may be accepted or denied by modern society, but in Oedipus's story, fate proves inevitable. In the play, Oedipus Rex, the characters Oedipus, Iocaste and Laios try to change fate.

Neither the Odyssey nor The Epic of Gilgamesh gives a black or white answer to the question of human autonomy versus divine control. Instead, this paper will argue that both epics suggest that human life has important elements

Splendidly imagined and composed, Oedipus Rex is a show of self-disclosure. Sophocles accomplishes an astounding pressure and power by restricting the sensational activity to the day on which Oedipus takes in the genuine idea of his introduction to the world and his fate. The way that the gathering of people knows the dim mystery that Oedipus unwittingly slew his actual father and wedded his mom does nothing to devastate the tension. Oedipus' look for reality has all the rigidity of a criminologist story, but because groups of onlookers definitely know reality they know about every one of the incongruities in which Oedipus is enmeshed. That learning empowers them to fear the last disclosure while they feel sorry for the man whose past is bit by bit and tenaciously revealed to him.

In Oedipus king wrote by the dramatist and philosopher Sophocles, Oedipus is the only responsible of his destiny. Oedipus was the one who held his fate and destiny in his hands. Because of his actions that he made, the curse that he swore and the prophecy about him, he had to be punished for his actions and sins.