Fate And Free Will In Sophocles Oedipus The King

Fate Over Free Will In the play Oedipus Rex, Sophocles portrays the clash between fate and free will that is a cornerstone of Athenian culture. Sophocles shows us that Athenians are ultimately puppets of the Gods through the life and death of Oedipus. The actions Oedipus takes to counteract the foretold prophecies ultimately lead to his fulfillment of them. The lack of control Oedipus has over his fate emphasizes the tragedy of the story. Oedipus’ life has been out of his hands since he was born, thus he is merely an instrument of the Gods’ bidding. Oedipus does not have control of his life, though he may have been deceived into thinking so. Teiresias tells Oedipus the prophecy that, “He shall be proved both father and brother to his own

However, the Gods had this plan set forth for Oedipus since his birth. The series of events and coincidences that occur to lead Oedipus to his demise are not all of his own doing, but the Gods deceive him into thinking so. “It is not fate that I should be your ruin, Apollo is enough; it is his care to work this out” (Sophocles 436-438). Teiresias clearly states that the god Apollo is at fault for Oedipus’ fate, but at the end of the tragedy, Oedipus blames no one but himself. This is the illusion of free will that is often given in cases where fate is dominant. Of course, Oedipus would have no control over his mother casting him out of Thebes in fear; he was an infant. There are too many coincidental events, many of which are not even of his own actions, to argue that Oedipus is in control of his destiny. The illusion of free will brings Oedipus to symbolically gouge his eyes out with pins from Jocasta’s dress. The dominance of fate over free will in Sophocles’ story emphasizes a key element of tragedy. The lack of control Oedipus has over his own destiny contributes strongly to the feeling of catharsis the audience gets from the play. The feeling of pity for Oedipus is exacerbated when it seems all these ill fortunes are thrust upon him without any control. Essentially Oedipus is purely a victim of the Gods’ will. But these feelings, although made worse by the lack

Oedipus’ entire life has been dictated and controlled since birth, and that includes his behavior and personality. Personality is partly due to the environment in which you are brought up in. If the Gods had not sent a prophecy to Jocasta, Oedipus would have never been cast out and brought up in the environment he did, likely changing how he would react in situations such as this. But the mere fact that the Gods’ prophecy altered the circumstances of his upbringing argues fate over free will. Secondly, what would a king be if he did not pursue justice in his city? He had no reason to believe he was the murderer, so there would be no reason for Oedipus to not seek justice in this situation. Lastly, the culture of the time dictated that he should believe in the Gods’ prophecies and that they are the truth. The oracle may speak in riddles and irritate Oedipus, but there was still no reason to distrust the