A question that has existed in the minds of many since the beginning of time is whether life is determined by fate or free will. Most people have an opinion often based on their religious beliefs. Marcello Gleiser writes on the subject, “The question of free will is essentially a question of agency, of who is in charge as we go through our lives making all sorts of choices” (Gleiser). Many have looked to Oedipus: The King as a representation of fate vs. free will. Oedipus’ childhood is one in which an impossible number of things have to fall into place for it not to be fate. King Laius’ mysterious murder leads Oedipus to do some investigating, and in doing so, he uncovers something that will change his life forever. There is no way that free …show more content…
When Jocasta hears that Oedipus might be to blame for her husband’s death, she reassures Oedipus that it was a robber who murdered the king and that there is no possibility it was him. Oedipus sends for the one man who survived the roadside slaughter to serve as a witness. Meanwhile, a messenger comes and tells Oedipus that the king who raised him is dead. At first, Oedipus is relieved that the Oracles were wrong and that he did not kill his father, but then, the shepherd enters the palace and tells the truth: Oedipus is the one who killed the king. The shepherd continues to reveal that he is the one who saved Oedipus’ life when he was an infant. The shepherd knew who Oedipus was when he murdered the king; that is why he gave a false testimony previous to this occasion. Jocasta, shocked that she has married her son, commits suicide. When Oedipus sees what she has done, he gouges his eyes out with a pin on her dress. No matter how hard he tried to avoid fulfilling the prophecy, every path he followed led him to the same destination. E.R. Dodds, who believes the Greek tragedy is about neither fate nor free will, writes, “Bernard Knox aptly quotes the prophecy of Jesus to St. Peter, ‘Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.’ The Evangelists clearly did not intent to imply that Peter’s subsequent action was ‘fate-bound’... Peter fulfilled the prediction, but he did so by an act of …show more content…
This is proven by the storyline of Oedipus’ childhood, King Laius’ death, and Oedipus’ arrival to Thebes where he marries Jocasta. Perhaps, every human being has a sense of “free will,” but will the decisions each individual makes lead him or her to a destination already
was indeed his own, true father, Laius, that he has killed at the crossroads at
Even though "fate" seems to determine Oedipus' life, he does, in fact, have a free will.
Another thought that exemplifies the significance that free will holds, is seen in elements of Sophocles' classic, which revealed that Oedipus had more knowledge over the details of his dilemma than he let himself become conscious of. The last idea will reveal how the onset of fear will push people down a treacherous path of risk and pain, which is also seen in the play through multiple characters. Free will is an attribute that all people possess. It could work as a tool to get individuals through the scary twists their lives may entail. It could also work against them in many ways, which depends on the level of human weakness and ignorance. But, the most important assertion that can be made after considering the argument of, "fate vs. free will," is that...
The purpose of this essay is to demonstrate that the events in Oedipus the King, written by Sophocles, are the result of the hero’s self determination and restless attempt to escape a terrifying destiny predicted for him by the oracle of Apollo at Delphi. My intention is to prove that although the Fates play a crucial part in the story, it is Oedipus'choices and wrong doing that ultimately lead to his downfall.
that their son would kill his father and marry his mother (page 56). A son was
Some people say that there is no way to control your own life, that your life has been planned out for you ahead of time and there is nothing you can do to escape this fate. Others believe that your life is a matter of choice, and what happens to you during your life is a result of your actions. The story of Oedipus Rex by Sophocles seems to prove truth in both of these statements, that there is a life predetermined for you yet you can alter your life, but you can not escape your prophecy. The quote "I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul," by William Henley states just the opposite of what seems to be proven in Oedipus Rex. Because of the references in the story of Oedipus, I disagree with the quote made by William Henley.
“I will do all that I can…” proclaims Oedipus (43). People can control the direction of their lives. In life, decisions are made, advice is given, but ultimately the one dealing with the issues makes the decision. Oedipus was born with a fate, as described by the oracle. His family took precaution to avoid the fate. Inevitably, the fate was fulfilled, but he made his own decisions throughout his life, as well as having decisions made for him. In Oedipus the King, we are able to see that certain things in life can be controlled: family, personality, and success.
In “Oedipus the King,” an infant’s fate is determined that he will kill his father and marry his mother. To prevent this heartache his parents order a servant to kill the infant. The servant takes pity on the infant and gives him to a fellow shepherd, and the shepherd gives him to a king and queen to raise as their own. The young prince learns of the prophecy and flees from his interim parents because he is afraid that he is going to succeed. The young prince eventually accomplishes his prophecy without even knowing he is doing it. He murders his father and marries his mother unknowingly. While it may seem to some that Oedipus was destined to carry out his fate, it is also true that Oedipus’ personality led him to his fate.
The Greek tragedy Oedipus the King, by Sophocles, was written to show the common people of Greece how powerful the gods are and that your fate is pre-determined and nothing you do can change that. He does this by showing how people in this story try to escape their fate and how it is no use because in the end, what the oracles predict comes true. In the story there are many occasions in which people try to escape their fate.
“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.
Sophocles believed in both fate and free will, but even with the power of free will, a man has limitations as to the choices made. As Oedipus’s fate is already being determined by the gods, he goes against them and fate. What is being determined cannot be changed by actions and decisions. Oedipus’s rejection against his foretold fate, quick temperament, and rational decisions led to the path of his
The tragedy of the play is Oedipus ' family, and it all started with King Laius. The gods cursed Laius so that his son would kill him and then sleep with his wife. Laius then endeavoured to have his son killed, but rather than doing it himself, he handed the boy off to a shepherd, who then passed the boy onto Polybus and Merope of Corinth. Had Laius not tried to kill his son, he and his family could have lived their lives without worry. There are those who would argue that fate would still have made the prophesised events occur, but I do not believe this to be true. Without going too much into the fate versus free will debate, it is clear in the play that the events occur not because fate made them happen, but because each character made decisions that ended up fulfilling the prophecy. Bernard Knox explains that a hero must have free will and "that he is in some way responsible for what happens to him" (149). Fate does not control each character, but each character does make choices based on what they perceive to be their
In conclusion, Oedipus the King consisted of fate and free will. Not one more than the other because in order for fate to have taken its course; Oedipus had to use his free will to get there. Oedipus’s choices of free will to make his decision to find his identity, marry Jocasta, stay in Thebes, all led him to his fate of fulfilling the prophecy. Without even knowing it, the thing he tried so hard to run away from and prevent from happening was ultimately inevitable and it resulted in this great tragedy.
From the very beginning, Oedipus was destined to fulfill Apollo's prophecy of killing his father. Even though King Lauis tries to kill Oedipus to stop the fulfillment of this shameful prophecy, fate drives the Corinthian messenger to save Oedipus. What the gods fortell will come true and no human can stop it from happening, not even the kings. Oedipus is once again controlled by this power when he leaves the place of his child hood after he hears that he is to kill his father and marry his mother. "I shall shrink from nothing...to find the the murderer of Laius...You are the murderer..." Oedipus tried to stop the prophecy from coming true by leaving Corinth and only fate can make Oedipus turn to the road where he kills his true father. Leaving Corinth makes Oedipus lose his childhood by making him worry of such issues young people should not have to worry about and becoming a king of a strange land. Last of all, Oedipus carries the last part of the prophecy out, marrying his mother. " I would... never have been known as my mother's husband. Oedipus has no control over the outcome of his life. Fate causes Oedipus to have known the answer to the Sphinx's riddle and win his marriage to his mother, Jocasta. Had fate not intervened, the chances of marrying Jocasta would have been small since there is an enourmous number of people and places to go. Oedipus loses his sense of dignity after he discovers he is not only a murderer, but also that he had committed incest.
In Oedipus Rex, fate is something that unavoidably befalls two characters. The gods decide Oedipus and Jocasta’s fate even before they know it. Trying to avoid destiny is pointless because no matter what, it will catch up to you where ever you are. It is often thought that you can change your destiny, but in reality our fate was put into action the day we were born.