Destiny, Fate, Free Will and Free Choice in Oedipus the King - Victim of Fate

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The Victim of Fate in Oedipus Rex

The question has been raised as to whether Oedipus was a victim of fate or of his own actions. This essay will show that Oedipus was a victim of fate, but he was no puppet because he freely and actively sought his doom, although he was warned many times of the inevitable repercussions of his actions.

When first considering this topic, I speculated that maybe it was the destiny of Oedipus to suffer, but a friend asked me to explain why Oedipus, in the act of gouging his eyes out, cries explicitly:

No more, no more shall you look on the misery about me,

The horrors ...

... middle of paper ...

...ology of the Great Myths and Epics. Illinois: Passport Books, 1988.

Segal, Charles. Oedipus Tyrannus: Tragic Heroism and the Limits of Knowledge. New York: Twayne Publishers, 1993.

Sophocles. "Oedipus Rex." An Introduction to Literature, 11th ed.Eds. Sylvan Barnet, et al. New York: Longman, 1997. 800-836.

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