Incest, Murder, And Suicide

Free will is the philosophical idea that we have the power to think, choose and act voluntary without any external factors. To believe in free will one believes that we are agents who are capable of making decisions that can alter our course of action regardless of external factors and antecedent conditions. Do not confuse free will with political freedom, which is called liberty. In 1924, two Chicago teenagers, Richard Loeb and Nathan Leopold kidnapped and murdered a boy named Bobby Franks. Loeb and Leopold were two bright college graduates with what looked like very promising futures.

Over the centuries, the concept of fate is constantly being changed to adapt to our current way of living. In modern times the concept of fate is usually connected to the themes of love and romance. However the ancient Greeks recognized fate as an inescapable reality that shaped their lives. The famous playwright, Sophocles, adopts the idea of fate in his plays to control the character’s actions. In both plays, “Oedipus the King” and “Antigone”, the writer uses the concept of fate to show human’s inability to conquer the will of the gods.

In Sophocles' Oedipus the King, the element of fate versus freewill shows up frequently all through the play. It is foreseen to Oedipus' parents, Jocasta and Laius, that their child would grow up to slaughter his father and wed his mother. Jocasta and Laius endeavor to dispose of their child, however, fate triumphs. Oedipus' fate all through the play has been chosen by the fate which adds to his annihilation. Various societies and cultures all through history have embraced similar perspectives, accepting a fate or destiny for their lives. Such points of view are very common is Greek myths who had confidence in "the three Fates" — goddesses who controlled the lives of individuals and the world in general. Clotho the youngest spins the thread of human life. She decides who will be born and when. Lachesis, a matron, measures the thread deciding a person’s lot in life. She is shown with a measuring stick, a scroll, a book, or a globe that represents the horoscope. Atropos, the oldest, choses the mechanism of death and ends the life of each mortal by cutting their thread. She is usually portrayed with a cutting instrument, a scroll, a wax tablet, a sundial, or a pair of scales. Even in modern day, some Christian philosophies incorporate destiny as fate. Many Jews acknowledge that their God has an arrangement for their people and nation.

Many people believe that fate has planned out their lives and despite efforts on their part what was meant to happen, will eventually happen. This belief has been handed down over the centuries from some of the first civilizations, such as the Greeks. However, not all Greek citizens wanted destiny to take control of their lives. Some decided to choose freewill over the will of the gods. In Oedipus the King, Sophocles writes a cautionary tale meant to warn the doubters in Greek society that regardless of their beliefs in gods and prophecies, it is necessary to heed their warnings. Oedipus, Jocasta, and Laius are Sophocles’ characters that prove that escaping one’s fate is not possible, as each of their predicted fates is realized despite extensive efforts to thwart them.

Fate and free will played major parts in creating the characters and stories in many of the Greek mythologies and tragedies. The Greeks believes that the Gods and the Oracle's could predict a person's fate before or after birth, and that no one, even the Gods could intervene in that person's fate. They also believed that a person's or God could not create their own fate. This belief stems from the three fates: sisters, The Moirai or Fates were three sister deities, incarnations of destiny and life. Because of these three old women, fate could not be avoided or altered. As such with these stories, in the Iliad fate leads Achilles down his path of glory and his early demise, and cause Oedipus to sleep with his own mother and kill his father. Free will is the power of acting without constraint and fate; acting by one's own decisions. Even though Achilleus and Oedipus have fate, they both also have free will. For instance, Achilles has a double fate: if he goes home, he will live long without glory or if he stays at Troy, he will have lots of glory, but a short life. As such, in Sophocles Oedipus the King, when Oedipus was born he was fated to kill his father and lay with his mother, thought his ability of free will caused his fate to come true.

Free will is the ability to do or make your own choice/decision doing it at your own risk. And also free will is when you do what you want doing what you feel

The concept of fate is a recurring theme in Greek myth and holds more significance than the basic idea of destiny. Destiny, defined simply, comprises the final events that happen to a particular person or thing in the future. In contrast, fate concerns itself more with the development of events beyond a person's control, regarded as determined by a supernatural power (Oxford 2014). There are many supernatural powers in Greek mythology that influence fate—gods, goddesses, demigods, monsters and even the Fates themselves. The inability of any mortal or immortal to change prescribed outcomes stems from the three Moerae, “Fates”: sisters Clotho, who spins the thread of life; Lachesis, who assigns each person’s destiny; and Atropos, who carries

What is free will? Merriam Webster defines free will as the ability to choose how to act and the ability to make choices that are not controlled by fate or God. In the epic poem, Beowulf, the author uses Grendel as a symbol of what is evil and unremorseful. He demonstrates how Grendel is acting on his own free will and what motivates Grendel to behave the way he does. Some may say this is fate, however, the epic poem clearly demonstrates that Grendel’s hideous and violent deeds stem from free will.

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.

Free will, as defined by the Merriam Webster dictionary, is “the ability to choose how to act.” It is something we come in contact with everyday. From the moment you wake up and push snooze or trudge out of bed, you experience the gift of free will. In this case, let’s talk about free will in relation to food. You have to ability to choose whether you want to eat a slice of pizza for lunch or a fresh garden salad. With that free will, you automatically take personal responsibility for the consequences of your own actions.

What is free will? Free will is the freedom that humans have to make decisions not based off of prior influences. In our lives we are given the opportunity of free will. For example, once we turn 18 in today's society we are considered adults, therefore we can make decisions for ourselves whether or not our parents agree or disagree. Suffering in today’s society is inevitable due to the crazed minds that live in our world.

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.

In Greek Mythology, the Fates were three sisters who had the power to control your destiny. Their names were Clotho, who spins the thread of life; Lachesis, who determines how long you will live; and Atropos, who cuts the thread of life with her scissors and decides how you will die. The Fates would visit the house three days after a baby was born, stand over the crib, and determine the child’s fate and life.

The role of the gods/fate in human affairs is a central theme in most works of literature. In Greek literature, particularly, the will of the gods is commonly attributed to human experiences. In Oedipus the King, for instance, the oracle’s message that Oedipus will kill his father and marry his own mother suggests that he was a puppet in the hands of the gods, who manipulated the events that led to his fall. However, the character’s fate is not entirely attributable to the work of the gods. In the play, Oedipus meets his fate due to his determination to unravel the mysteries surrounding the king’s death, despite warnings by the prophet Tiresias and his wife/mother, and his quest to prove the oracles wrong in their declaration that he is

     Free will is one of the features that separates us as humans from animals and allows us to attain intelligent thought and reasoning. Of course, all of the features mentioned are unique to humans; the ability to exercise free will enables us to engage in all