Greek Fate : Fate And Free Will In Greek Tragedies

“Every man has his own destiny: the only imperative is to follow it, to accept it, no matter where it leads him.” In other words, the connotation of this anonymous quote states that despite whatever one chooses to decide, the outcome of their choices and decisions will still result to their predetermined fate. Sophocles’ tragedy, Oedipus the King, demonstrates this statement throughout the play in the role of his tragic hero Oedipus. In the course of Oedipus’ actions of trying to escape his predestined fortune, his fate and flaws of being human played major roles to bring about his downfall.

In Oedipus the King, one of Sophocles’ most popular plays, Sophocles clearly depicts the Greek’s popular belief that fate will control a man’s life despite of man’s free will. Man was free to choose and was ultimately held responsible for his own actions. Throughout Oedipus the King, the concept of fate and free will plays an integral part in Oedipus' destruction.

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.

In Oedipus the King, by Sophocles, the idea of fate and destiny is brought to the forefront of the play. The idea of fate is incredibly prevalent in the play and drives a significant amount of the plot. The most important example of fate in the play is the prophecy that Oedipus is doomed to follow. The prophecy that Oedipus is supposed to fall victim to is revealed to the audience by Teiresias, a paraphrasing of the prophecy is “he’ll have no joy of the discovery: blindness for sight and beggary for the riches his exchange, he shall go journeying to a foreign country tapping his way before him with a stick. He shall be proved father and brother both to his own children in his house; to her that gave him birth, a son and husband both; a fellow sower in his father’s bed with that same father that he murdered” (Sophocles, 504-513). Even though, many of the seeds of this

A frequent debate that we have today is whether we have freewill or a divine source controlling our fate. In the events in Oedipus the King, Sophocles portrays how one’s actions, decisions, and personality can affect one’s fate. Fate and freewill play a critical role in several characters’ decisions and downfall.

Most people in today's society live their lives based on the belief that fate controls their destiny. But some people still debate on whether we have free will or if some other source, fate, controls our destiny. In Oedipus the King, fate is used and proclaimed much throughout the play. Fate plays an important role in the lives of the characters just as it plays one in our lives to this day.

If prophecy existed in today’s world, one could expect what is going to happen in the future. However, this is existent in Sophocles’ Oedipus the King, and the main character, Oedipus signals his doom involuntarily. Fate is the series of events that occur without the person’s control, and Oedipus falls victim to it. Whether it is caused by a foolish parent, a king or ruler, each and every person has fate. Sophocles writes a tragic fate that Oedipus was born to experience, while combating the misconception of free will he also presents.

In Greek tragedy, fate is a reality outside the individual that shapes and determines human life. In Sophocles’ Greek tragedy, the characters often attribute the origin of events in their lives to different causes, such as the wish of the gods expressed by the oracles. In Sophocles’ Greek tragedies, Antigone and Oedipus at Colonus, Oedipus had tried to influence his fate many times. However, every try was unsuccessful and overtime Oedipus started to accept his fate. Another character affected by fate in Sophocles’ tragedies, Antigone and Oedipus at Colonus, was Creon.

The concept of fate and the influence of gods on mortals’ lives are prominent aspects of Greek mythology. While the gods of Olympus are commonly presented as the primary manipulators of human lives, the Fates are the true creators of destiny. Gods may be able to affect human lives in monumental ways, but predetermined destiny and the Fates’ intentions ultimately reign. The gods have respect for this authority, as well, as they’re aware that a limit on their ability to intervene is necessary to maintain the order of the universe. This leaves one to question the amount of knowledge that the gods themselves have of fate, and whether they have their own free will to refrain from intervening or if they truly must submit to the authority of the Fates and their plans. The gods do have some knowledge of the Fates’ plan, but they are also wise enough to avoid too much interference and therefore don’t necessarily need to be commanded; they sometimes help guide mortals by sending them messages and symbols—and sometimes even influencing them for their own advantage—but ultimate fate cannot be avoided.

The examples of fate are a prominent throughout mythological stories. The definition of fate in Greek mythology is “Moerae” meaning the “inevitably predetermined; destiny” (dictionary). Often times in mythology, fate is the moral of the story in which the lesson is given. Throughout our studies we have heard of all the infidelities committed by Zeus, it is only obvious that his sister-wife Hera would have fits of jealousy. One of the many infidelities produced a child, Hercules. Soon after his birth, Hera sent two snakes to kill the young Hercules. Overcome with jealousy and hate Hera drove Hercules temporarily insane and caused him to murder his own wife and children. Throughout Greek mythology Hera tortured Zeus’s children, proving her

“Fate will find a way,” a quote by ancient Roman poet Virgil, with just five words is effectively able to summarize one of the major themes in Haruki Murakami’s critically acclaimed novel Kafka on the Shore. The story centers on initially two dissimilar narratives that are ultimately revealed to be linked by the complexity that is fate. We first encounter Kafka, a fifteen year old boy, and his superego a boy named Crow, who are plotting to run away from home, attempting to escape his father’s prophesy, followed by Nakata, an old innocent and challenged man who evolved from a professional ‘cat locator’ to a hero on a mission to complete a very cryptic destiny. Murakami presents us with these two characters each of which represents two different

Fate is known as a predetermined course of events that are beyond a person’s control. Those individuals that acclaim their fate are eventually granted happiness over those who deny and try to change it. For years cultural and religious groups have emphasized how important trusting in your fate is. For example, Sophocles’ play entitled Oedipus Rex exemplifies the repercussions of what happens when you slap fate in the face. In Oedipus Rex, the main character, Oedipus tries to run from and change his fate. Oedipus rejects any signs of help, especially signs of his past. Sophocles uses Oedipus as an aid in this play to demonstrate what could happen if you disregard or alter any predictions of your fate. In Oedipus’ life there are three main

"Oedipus the King" is a tragic play showing a shift from the belief of fate to freedom of choice. Therefore, Oedipus the king is a great example of those who run from fate ends up fulfilling their fate

As a society, we as human beings tend to believe we can control our own fate. However, the people of Ancient Greece had very different views on the subject. The play Oedipus Rex by Sophocles describes the story of Oedipus, a Greek king of the city Thebes, who was exposed to an abhorrent prophecy at birth. He spent his entire life trying to run away from this fate only to make that atrocious fate a reality. The integration of fate into the play displays the ideals of the author in how he believes fate is an all controlling being that cannot be escaped, that free will is simply a false hope imposed by humans, and that messing with fate could lead to terrible consequences.

In Sophocles' Oedipus the King, the themes of fate and free will are very strong throughout the play. Only one, however, brought about Oedipus' downfall and death. Both points could be argued to great effect. In ancient Greece, fate was considered to be a rudimentary part of daily life. Every aspect of life depended and was based upon fate (Nagle 100). It is common belief to assume that mankind does indeed have free