Fate And Free Will In Oedipus Rex

Destined to marry his mother and murder his father, Oedipus was partly guided by fate. This prophecy, as warned by the Oracle of Apollo at Delphi, was absolute and would inevitably come to pass. As for free will, Oedipus’ actions, temper, impulsive nature and pride (hubris) as well as his erroneous judgment (hamartia) all

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 Oedipus the King, the theme of fate vs free will appears all through the play. Oedipus throughout the play tries to avoid his inevitable fate, which ironically seems to make his fate come

Oedipus is a man of unflagging determination and perseverance, but one who must learn through the working out of a terrible prophecy that there are forces beyond any man’s conceptualization or control. Oedipus’ actions were determined before his birth, yet Oedipus’ actions are entirely determined by the Gods who control him completely. In the beginning of this tragedy, Oedipus took many actions leading to his own downfall. He tried to escape Corinth when he learned of the prophecies that were supposed to take place in his life. Instead, he

One of Oedipus's most prevalent flaws in his character is the way he blatantly blames others for his own shortcomings or mistakes. This is seen when he welcomes Teiresias into his home. As soon as Teiresias tells Oedipus what he doesn't want to hear, Oedipus curses and yells at the blind prophet. In the

According to Sophocles, Oedipus’ fate eventually overtakes his denial of the truth about his birth, thus proving that independent actions are just an illusion. Oedipus, despite every effort to exert his free will to deny and circumvent the fate laid out for him, cannot do so and inevitably falls into his predetermined

In Sophocles’, Oedipus the King, fate and free will are two prominent themes presented. Often times the main character in a story is given a predetermined fate from the moment they are born, and feels inclined to live up to it or avoid it- taking away their free will. Immediately, Oedipus’ fate is decided by the Gods, but there is also an aspect of free will. Throughout the whole play, we see how Oedipus decides on how he wants to approach his fate decided by the Gods. One may argue that there was no free will in mythology and just fate, but in Oedipus, we see aspects of both themes.

Large-scale questions of such ideas are raised in Sophocles’ play, “Oedipus the King”—a story that deals with the tragic hero, Oedipus, and his demise. Oedipus progresses through the play struggling against his own wicked destiny: the prophecy that declares that he would kill his father and marry his mother. Ultimately, Oedipus fulfills this prophecy; in fact, he had completed his fate without his own knowing and before the play even begins. Despite his belief that he was fighting against his prophesized destiny, Oedipus was ironically fulfilling it, and he slowly brings about his own downfall. He becomes a victim of his own fate. In this regard, “Oedipus the King” explores a terrifying concept: Oedipus never had free will—a puppet in every sense to the higher beings that decided his ending for him.

His biological father is killed as a result. It is understandable why his biological father would be traveling to the city of Thebes – because he was the king of that city -, and it was already established why Oedipus wished to travel to Thebes. Therefore, it seems unnecessary to subscribe to the idea that Oedipus’ fate was ruled by the gods, reductio ad absurdum, since the happenings described above are understandably natural – not supernatural – and follow of consequence, one after the other. What caused Oedipus’ thoughts and actions to be predetermined if he wasn’t predetermined by the gods? Oedipus’ thoughts and actions are predetermined by his environment, experiences, and

Random acts of fate also play an important role in Oedipus‘ tragedy. Fate is also an important

Oedipus is an emotionally driven individual who acts impulsively out of pridefulness and rage which is the cause of many events in this epic. “You had; it was my faint heart that betrayed me (p.344).” Oedipus admits to being weak and afraid of his future, causing conflict throughout the story such as his fleeing from his home city to the city in which he will kill his father and weds his mother. Oedipus unknowingly kills his own father out of rage “I knocked him out of his car, and he rolled to the ground. I killed him. (p. 377).” He acts out of spontaneity and is the first action that leads him to his fate. Oedipus’s impulsive behavior is the main cause of these tragic events, rather than the gods who predicted his

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.

Far too often, people find that despite their best efforts, life counteracts their intentions. It seems as though every person has had their moments of true powerlessness and helplessness, as their fate appeared to be in the hands of someone else. Thousands of years ago, in Ancient Greece, a potent belief in fate existed, and is even depicted in one of history’s most infamous plays, Oedipus Rex. In this play, Sophocles depicts the cruelty and strength of destiny through the terrible tale that is Oedipus’ life. Oedipus deems himself a “child of fortune” after the most grueling truths of his fate are revealed, as Oedipus realizes he truly had no command over his destiny. In Oedipus Rex, Sophocles poses an eternal question about destiny: What

Fate; something that unavoidably befalls upon a person, fate is influenced by one’s own actions, but is ultimately dictated by events beyond human control. In this play Sophocles demonstrates the power of fate through certain situations that occur throughout the play which are uncontrollable. The gods preordained Oedipus’ future, with all its intricacies and landmarks which lead Oedipus on his quest to find his identity and the truth. However, the path Oedipus “chooses” is simply a reaction to the predetermination of his life. Ultimately fate, through Oedipus’ own “choices” is his opponent throughout the play.

The way that Oedipus finally learns of his fate has been argued over many times. Kimberly Rollins