Oedipus The King: Fate Or Freewill?

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Fate Or Freewill? In Oedipus Rex, an Athenian tragedy by Sophocles, the theme of fate and free will is seen throughout the play. Sophocles demonstrates throughout this play, the Greek belief that a man's life is controlled by fate, regardless of his free will-- Both of these points can be argued to be responsible for Oedipus' death, but I believe free will is the ultimate reason for Oedipus' demise. Oedipus was the son of the king and queen of Thebes, Laius and Jocasta. Led by free will and the desire to know of his new son's future, Jocasta traveled to the oracle at Delphi. From the oracle, Jocasta received the news that Oedipus would grow up to kill his father and marry his mother. In an attempt to avoid destiny, Jocasta gave his new…show more content…
The servant, instead of just killing Oedipus, left him on the side of Mount Olympus to die instead. Fate cannot be avoided, though, so Oedipus was rescued and raised by Polybus and Merope, king and queen of Corinth, who were unable to conceive their own child. Oedipus grew up and found out that the parents he was raised by may not be his real parents. Determined to find out who his true parents are, Oedipus traveled to the Oracle at Delphi to ask for the identity of his parents. Instead of revealing who Oedipus' parents were, the oracle instead gave him the prophecy that he would kill his father and marry his mother. In another attempt to stop fate, Oedipus, believing that Polybus and Merope are his true parents, decides to never return to Corinth. Oedipus decides to travel to Thebes, where he meets a carriage driver trying to go in the opposite direction as Oedipus. The impatient driver strikes Oedipus in the head
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