Oedipus Fate And Fate

Some people believe that all of their actions are predetermined; almost as if it is set and stone. On the other hand, others believe that you make your own actions and decisions. The story of Oedipus Rex is one of the best examples for this because Oedipus is faced with the impending truth of his foretold prophecy, but continues to try and avoid it through his own choices. No amount of running and hiding could free him from what he was always going to be condemned to; killing his father and sleeping with his mother. In the end, it was fate that led to his downfall, and fate that controls the lives of people. Something many people get confused is fate and freewill itself. The two words mean two different things, and are not connected to each other. Fate is believing that things will happen for a reason and that they are meant to take place, and free will is having the freedom of making choices that are your own and are not affected by the past or future. The contradiction of the two words can be seen when Jocasta is talking to Oedipus about his prophecy. “Listen to me and learn that human beings have no part in the craft of prophecy. (814-815)”. Here Jocasta plainly states that the actions of people have no effect on their fate. Meaning that someone can make their own choices and live their life, but cannot change what is meant for them. For example, when

For instance, Oedipus attempting to outrun fate. He ran away from home and his adoptive parents, so that the prophecy would not come true, but this was counteractive. If only he had just accepted his fate, or not heard of it at all, the deaths of his parents could have been avoided. Since he attempted to elude his fate, it is safe to assume that the Gods were not very with his actions. This can be proved since the Gods are the ones who put a plague on Thebes, since the city was harboring a thief; which was