Oedipus The King: Fate Vs Free Will

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In the play Sophocles Oedipus Rex, the theme of fate and free will are highly strong throughout the play. There was only one, on the other hand it brought about Oedipus' downfall and it was the cause death. In ancient Greece, fate was considered to be a rudimentary part of daily life. Every aspect of life depended and was based upon fate. It is a common belief to assume that mankind does indeed have free will and each individual can decide the outcome of his or her life. Fate and free will both decide the fate of Oedipus. The Greeks believed that the personality of an individual plays a big role in his or her life. Their personality was what decides their own free will. A wise man makes good decisions in his life as an ignorant stubborn…show more content…
Oedipus demonstrates an important trait in his character, stubbornness. This trait is visible when Oedipus reacted to the man pushing him aside at the crossroads. "The one shouldering me aside, the driver, I strike him in anger! I killed them all--every mother's son!" (Sophocles 527). In ancient times when a caravan was coming down the road they usually pushed you to the side. Oedipus didn't like this and flipped out, killing all of them. It was his ...and his father too. If he were a wise and content man, then his decision would have differed. If he was a wise man thing probably would have been different. Once Oedipus defeated the Sphinx by solving the riddle, he could have refused to take the missing king's throne. He could have also failed to marry the former king's wife, even though that the queen was his own mother. He accepted both of these without any regrets. If his decision was different it might have altered the course of events in the future. His personality made sure that the choices went the way they did. These choices were made by Oedipus with his own free will, his own decisions. He didn't have to accept these gifts, but did nothing less. These conclusions would lead to his own demise, but it was his own fault, not…show more content…
A good question is, would the prophecy still have taken place? It seems that it wouldn't have, because Oedipus wouldn't have involved in the misled traveling after he left his adopted household. Oedipus had no reason to fulfill the prophecy, but that is a question nobody really knows. But if Oedipus didn't listen to the prophecy recommended to him in Corinth, he never would have returned to Thebes to carry out his destiny. All these examples can be looked at that free will was the deciding factor. Is this correct or no? Fate can also be looked upon in every example, similarly a strong disagreement against free will. Oedipus' desire for knowledge can also be looked at by the viewpoint of fate. He was born with his own stubbornness. The Gods made him that way and it cannot be altered. No matter what his decisions were, their gift to him will lead to the path they gave him. He can't escape the destiny the Gods have given him. He kept pushing farther and father, but it just led to his defeat. Nothing he could have done would have stopped that. The prophets make this very clear in their prophecies throughout the text. All the signs they showed came true. They can't be evaded because the Gods made you with your personality and it controls your life. For the most part the Gods control your

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