Fate In Antigone

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Do people have free will or is fate inevitable? This question confused the Greeks for many years. Some of the Greeks thought fate was unavoidable tragedy, others thought fate could be changed by their choices. A few Greeks predicted their tragic fate and accepted it. Modern readers should read Greek literature to gain understanding about the role fate plays in the lives of the Greeks. Once the reader understands what fate is, they can decide whether or not they believe fate plays a role in their life. In ancient Greek literature, fate reveals the unavoidable outcome of events, but free will has the power to delay or rearrange the events. The literary classic, Antigone, by Sophocles, depicts fate as an unavoidable outcome of events that ends tragically.…show more content…
Her father, Oedipus, had been feared ever since he was born, after his father, Laius, received a prophecy telling him that his son would kill him. Oedipus unknowingly kills his own father, as the prophecy predicted, marries his mother, and has children with her. When the gods reveal these incestuous acts, Jocosta, Oedipus’ mother, commits suicide and Oedipus gouges his eyes out. For Oedipus and his family, fate always ends in tragedy. Antigone’s brothers, Eteocles and Polynices, were both killed while fighting each other. Eteocles was praised for his valor and for fighting for his city, Thebes. In contrast, Polynices was despised for turning against Thebes. Creon, uncle of Antigone and king of Thebes, declared that Eteocles would be given an honorable burial, but no one should bury or mourn the body of Polynices for the penalty is death by public stoning. Antigone defies Creon’s law and buries Polynices. She knows the penalty yet; she is still willing to live out her tragic fate. Antigone is caught burying Polynices and is taken to Creon, where she admits her crime and is
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