Oedipus
Oedipus Rex, by Sophocles, illustrates the relationship between free will and fate. The ancient Greeks believed the gods had knowledge of humansą fates, although man was free to choose and would ultimately be held responsible for his own actions. Some people believe that fate controls a personąs entire life and that all our actions are inevitable. But that is not true. Although people will unavoidably fulfill their fate, they can choose the actions they want without fate playing a part. Both the concept of fate and free will played a large part in Oedipus's destruction. Oedipus feared that a certain prophecy would come true, and that he was doomed. Even though he fulfilled his own fate, he wasnąt controlled by it. Before the play even starts, Oedipus makes the choice to leave his parents and move to Thebes in an attempt to avoid his own fate. He then chooses to kill an old man blocking his path, who later is discovered to be his real father, King Laios. It was fate that said Oedipus would kill his father, but free will that made him kill Laios that day. Although we are able to see him as a mere pawn of fate, it seems almost as if Oedipus brings catastrophe upon himself willingly, in the fact that he is determ
The tyrant is a child of Pride who drinks from his great sickening cup recklessness and vanity, until form his high crest headlong he plummets to the dust of hope, that strong man is not strong. Only then did Tiresias reveal the truth that Oedipus was the murderer. People frequently do not realize the significance of their own action when they are in the process of doing that action. (13) It was predicted that Oedipus will sleep with his mother and kill his father, but the prophecy never said he had to find out what he did. What just happened here is a result of his own actions, he being the king could have had anyone go and find the murderer, but he chose to do this because he felt it was his duty. Let him not keep silent: he shall have his reward from me. By going against the larger order, Oedipus' fate was determined. Oedipus uses his free will, to eventually come to his doom. The messenger told him that his parents were King Laios and Iocaste, so the prophecy was fulfilled and it was all by his free will that he found out. He chose to exile and blind himself, once again an example of his free will. In actuality it was Oedipus who was blind because he could not see because of his pride and self-assurance. He had the option to let the plague, which had attacked the people, to blow over, but because he cared about his people he decided to search for whoever killed king Laios, not knowing that he would find that the murderer is himself. The servant told him about the prophecy which led his parents to leave him to die, that he would kill his father and sleep with his mother. If Oedipus hadnąt infuriated him then he wouldnąt have ended up knowing something about his parents which causes him to go on a longer journey to find out who his parents were. Rather than wanting to help the people rid the plague, Oedipus is angrier at the idea that he himself started it.
Common topics in this essay:
Laios Iocaste,
Ode II,
King Laios,
Rex Sophocles,
Teirsias Tiresias,
Oedipus Teiresias,
Ultimately Oedipus,
kill father,
committed crime,
king laios,
own fate,
killed laios,
help people,
own actions,
fate oedipus,
sleep mother,
murderer laios,
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Acceptance Essays
