Destiny, Fate, Free Will and Free Choice in Oedipus the King - The Fate of Oedipus

Sophocles’ tragedy Oepdius Tyrannus details the downfall of a man fighting with all his might against destiny. Oedipus goes so far as to portray the relationship between predetermined fate and free choice is portrayed as being antagonistic in nature. Ultimately, the play concludes that free will, though it does exist, acts secondarily to fate. The submissive nature of free will is not clear to the Greeks of Sophocles’ tragedy, and so Oedipus and the other characters in the play constantly attempt to escape their fate.

biological mother. After learning all of this, Oedipus gouges out his eyes so he “could no longer

Oedipus remains enraged with Teriesias and Creon, after accusing Creon  of being a murderer and trying to steal the throne. However, Jocasta tells Oedipus that an oracle once told Laios that “his doom would be death at the hands of his own son,” but “his child had not been three days old before the King  had pierced the baby’s ankles and left him to die on a mountainside.” With this new information, Oedipus’s anger softens to contemplation as he recalls “ a shadowy memory” that “chilled [his] heart.”  After asking Jocasta to detail what Laios looked like and the number of men that escorted the King, Oedipus abandons his hostility and finally, after comprehension of the new facts, declares “I think that I myself may be accurst by my own ignorant edict.” Unfortunately, Oedipus remains unaware that the new information makes him the murderer of Laios. Instead,  Oedipus is still unsure and asks to talk to the sole

I have chosen to answer number one on this week's discussion board assignment. Throughout the play, the characters are torn between a prophecy that will cause a family downfall by their hands of the son. While debating Oedipus's problem, Jocasta speaks of the prophecy that was given to Laius stating, "that he slay his father nor that Laius suffer the terrible thing he feared from his child."(750) From birth, Oedipus is tainted by this prediction and will be cast away from his parents in fear of the prophecy.The battle between destiny and choice in Sophocles's play comes fairly close while trying to chose which one dominates the other. I say this because even though the parents were told their future would the same outcome happen if they did

In the two thousand since “Oedipus Rex” was written, it has been analyzed and dissected innumerable times and in every possible way.  Usually the analysis has been within the context of the play itself or within the context of other Greek tragedies.  Perhaps it would be more relevant and interesting to evaluate the play within the context of the modern world.

The complex relationship between fate and free will was a common topic explored in ancient Greek plays. Oedipus Rex written by Sophocles survived through the years with such universal questions provoked by the plot. Fate and free will were driving forces woven throughout the play and considerably difficult to distinguish for both characters and the audience. Fate was considered an all powerful force by the individuals in the play. Oedipus challenged the power of fate in favor of his free will seen through his rash decisions, hubris, and choice to live in ignorance. The fate of Oedipus was created by his own free will and was, therefore, deserved.

     Oedipus was born to Laios and Iocaste who were the king and queen of Thebes. Upon his birth, his parents were shocked at a soothsayer?s prediction of Oedipus?s fate. It was originally said that he would kill his father, marry his mother, and raise a family. Naturally his parents couldn't have this, so they rid themselves of Oedipus by apparently killing him. They gave him to a shepard and told him

The concept of fate has existed since the time of the ancient Greeks. The Greeks believed very strongly in fate, which can be defined as either a power beyond human control that determines events, or the outcome or end. In "Oedipus Rex," King Oedipus lives and dies by fate. Fate influences the entire plot, thereby allowing for some interesting developments that may be unpredictable to the audience.

It’s an early morning and you’ve just brought in the newspaper. Flipping to the horoscope section right away, scanning over your daily predictions in hope of a good day and lucky for you, the horoscope says you’ll run into ‘the one’ today. Even though many others have received the same fortune, you still believe it to be true because the paper said it was going to be destiny. Can you believe that thousands of years ago, people still believed in destiny? Way back in ancient Greece, they didn’t exactly call it a horoscope but their version of destiny was brought to them by Oracles. A popular Greek play that represents the Greek’s belief in oracles is Oedipus the King. In Oedipus the King, Sophocles demonstrates a variety of literary devices such

Oedipus is a man whose fate lies in the hands of the gods, who prophesize him to kill his father and lay with his mother. His parents, King Laius and Queen Jocasta of Thebes, are the first to know of this horrendous truth, and take it upon themselves to

“What's meant to be will always find a way” by Trisha Yearwood, it is an inspirational quote that applies to every human being. Even so, it’s imperative, when it has to deal with a person’s fate. There will be obstacles that may deter a person’s future. It can likewise make a man so focused on his needs that they may have, which will later result in disappointment to the people around them. People are neglectful in the decisions they make because they are sure that if they get what they need, joy will undoubtedly be inevitable for them. The same fate had happened to Sophocles protagonist Oedipus the king, who had tried to avoid his fate by running away, but eventually, he could not avoid his fate. This essay will discuss how Oedipus tried to avoid his fate and how he could have stopped his future from coming to past.

Oedipus the King is a play explaining the journey of man who tries to run away from his destiny, but by doing so, he ends up fulfilling it. When Oedipus hears his fate, that he must kill his father and marry his mother, he runs away from Corinth, what he believes is his birth place where his “birth parents” rule. On his journey away from destiny, he encounters a man who ends up killing, however, this man ends up being his birth father. He then stumbles across the city of Thebes where the people are terrorized by the female Sphinx. He defeats the sphinx and becomes the king of Thebes, marrying the queen, who also happens to be his birth mother. While on his journey away from fate, much can be discovered about the gods in terms of character and importance as well as Sophocles’ view on cosmic order which leads into the development of one’s own view on cosmic order.

In recent years, critics of Oedipus Rex have focused on the role of fate and free will in the story and the lesson that this play teaches one about the gods. These are important factors in the Sophocles’ play, however many think there may be an even deeper theme that people are overlooking. In his article, “Introduction: What Is a father?,” Pietro Pucci reflects on the modern criticisms of Oedipus Rex by discussing the chaos and definite end of Oedipus’ prophecy, and delves deeper into an aspect that offers up something entirely new: the role of a father.

Hand in hand, fate and free will play starring roles in an individual’s life, determining the occurrence of certain events. Throughout many pieces of timeless literature protagonists and antagonists alike are constantly handed life-changing events whether they want them or not. Even though it is viewed as absolute, fate can be changed by the execution of certain actions but that does not mean it should be changed, and the occurrence of ‘fated’ events in an individual’s life present choices that in turn shape fate further.

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.