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Oedipus The King Fate Vs Free Will

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Oedipus the king is an Athenian tragedy that was written by Sophocles in 430 B.C. and first performed in 429 B.C. The story talks about a king who brought his own downfall by his own actions and terrible fate. The king was a victim of his terrible fate; however, he was not innocent either. He is responsible of the consequence of his own actions. According to the book, fate and free will plays equal role. Both side of the themes can be supported. Oedipus was a very hubris king and his stubbornness led him to his own downfall. According to Sophocles he notes that “oh no listen to me, I beg you, don’t do this. …. Oedipus: listen to you? No more. I must know it all, must see the truth at last” (Sophocles). His desire to know his true …show more content…

He doesn’t chose to be like that; nonetheless he was created like that. The God created him to be stubborn and hubris so that the prophecy can be fulfilled. According to Sophocles, he explains that every decision he decided and every step he made leads him to his very fate. One points out that Oedipus’s desire for knowledge, directed him to his own downfall. In addition, when Oedipus met with caravan on the crossroad, it was his fate that led him to the event that was prophesied before. Thus, His stubborn nature helped him to fulfill his own fate. He was fated to kill his own father and indeed the prophecy came true on that very moment. Sophocles states that “short work, by god-with one blow of the staff” (Sophocles). He elaborates that there an involvement of the god on the event that took place. His troublesome nature blended with a terrible fate that was given to him by the god to complete the event. Oedipus was also fated to sleep with his own mother. Therefore, he completed his fate on the very moment he took the lost king of thebe’s wife as his wife by unaware of that she was his mother. He could’ve refused to marry the former king’s wife, however, here it seems that some of the decisions are controlled by destiny. One believes that Oedipus didn’t decline the offer, for it might be destined that

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