Fate And Free Will In Sophocles Oedipus The King

Fate is an abstract concept displayed in many myths and stories. The idea that a set fate will

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.

Fate is defined as the development of events beyond a person’s control, regarded as being determined by a supernatural power. In Sophocles play ‘Oedipus the King”, fate has taken its toll on the main character Oedipus. Sophocles exposes how manipulative factors come into play that allow Oedipus to use his own judgements in attempt to escape his fate, that eventually fail. All knowledge that is gathered by Oedipus is futile, being that the prophecy was still meant to happen beyond the control of Oedipus. While Oedipus is not restricted by his fate, he is restricted by what he understands about his fate.

Oedipus the King is the dramatic tale of a great king brought down by “fate” and by the destiny of the gods. Another aspect of many Greek tales was the use of divine intervention, the use of oracles to see the future. The Greeks were big believers of fate, being that every man’s destiny was woven since his birth by the three fates. Oedipus is one of many Greek stories that have used fate to either bring the hero’s downfall or begin the hero’s rise. In Oedipus’ case, he sealed his own fate unknowingly killing his own father. His parents left him to die in the woods as an infant but fate was kind to Oedipus. A shepherd found him and took him to King Polybus who raised him like his own son, and poor Oedipus,

As much as I would like to feel bad for Oedipus, but when fate is set for an individual it is written in stone. Like God in the

In the play Oedipus the Tyrant by Sophocles, Sophocles challenges the idea that fate controls one’s life. Throughout the play, Oedipus encounters many coincidental moments where he is subject to a prophecy that was told to him. The big issue is that the prophecy of Oedipus’ fate is never told the same way twice by the characters of the play. Sophocles also depicts Oedipus running away from the prophecy and having chance arrive to prove that the prophecy was real. Although fate seems to be a driving factor of the play chance had an even bigger role, Sophocles’ Oedipus the Tyrant suggests that people are controlled by chance rather than fate.

Do you really have a choice? Many people believe that there is no such thing as fate. That a person can decide their own fate and nothing is set in stone. Although, people today don’t think the same as the people from the ancient societies. Back then, a person’s fate was handed down from the gods to oracles and was decided before the child was born.

It is often believed that the gods decide what your fate shall be; once your fate is chosen, you cannot change it, you can only hope to cease it or decide to embrace it. In the play, Oedipus Rex, fate brought tragedy upon Oedipus’s life, as well as his family, who included his mother- who chose to be ridden with oblivion as well as Oedipus's as they wed and created a family, which in this modern day and age would prove to be very unsanctified and flagrant. No matter how hard Oedipus tried to run from his fate, it casted a shadow over his life and became a victim to its grasp the more he chose to turn a blind eye to the truth that some may say “set him free”; that he would marry his mother and kill his father. Oedipus’s pride proved to be his biggest downfall in the play; he let his pride get in the way of how he reigned and how he lived his life as a father, a king, and a husband.

Fate and justice could potentially change any events in a life with proving the rights and the wrongs in a fair way. In Sophocles’ play, Oedipus the King, fate and justice are both determined by random chances, not higher power. Random chances can occur unexpectedly in the play, and can change the interpretation of it. In Greek mythology, the Gods control the unexpected, but connect with an oracle—who is a priest—to communicate to the people. In the beginning of the play, a random chance occured when the oracle prophesized the banishment of Oedipus by his birth parents, on the top of a mountain, to be killed. Three days into Oedipus’ birth, the father has “cast him forth upon a pathless hillside” (827-828) to die, slowly and painfully. This

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.

Oedipus fell victim to the chaotic brainstorming set forth by fate. Predisposed destiny cannot be altered, no matter who it affects. In Sophocles’ Oedipus the King, Oedipus murdered his father, fathered his own siblings, and married his own mother. The crazy sequence that occurred for those events to line up called for some tremendous destiny and will, apart from the one of Oedipus. The tragedy that happens to Oedipus is the result of a calamitous inevitable destined purpose.

The ancient Greeks believed that their gods could see the future and only a few people could predict and have access to that information. Destiny vs free will in Sophocles most popular play Oedipus Rex is a crucial facet that plays a huge role in man’s life. Sometimes man decides to do a certain job on his own and he sees the outcome later. Sometimes man’s destiny chooses what will happen next in his life. It has been millions of years that prophecies have been passed down to gods and that is what chooses a man’s destiny. As much as life is evil and it is controlled by man’s fate, man is still free to choose his life and is held responsible for the choices he makes. The man thought life was controlled by free will and he can escape from his destiny but that is not true. The play Oedipus Rex illustrates how a man's free will guides him to his destiny and his destiny guides him to the tragic hero. In the beginning of the play, Oedipus learns about prophecies that inform him that

The idea of fate has always had a special request in religion and in the philosophical thinking. A person’s life is fully controlled by fate or destiny. It is fate which can help a man in gaining fortune. The proof that the fate controls everyone’s life is that some people fail to gain phenomenal results even though they keep on trying. Fate is the master of each and everything. At some point of time every individual has to bow down to fate and has to understand that his life is controlled by fate. In the play Oedipus Rex, by Socrates , Oedipus is quick in solving the riddle of Sphinx, but slow in solving the fate of his own identity. As the play opens, a strange plague has threaten the city of Thebes. Many people are dying, and they ask Oedipus

In the play “Oedipus Rex” by Sophocles, the story revolves around the central theme of prophecy, and forces the reader to seriously consider the extent to which the protagonist’s doom is dependent upon his own free will or is predetermined by fate. In the story, Oedipus was not a victim of only his actions or only his fate, but his actions and fatal flaws did affect the path that he took to his demise, through his pride/ignorance/temper, his unquenchable thirst for knowledge, and his cowardice.

He had no way to control what his parents did to him after he was born.