Fate : Fate And Fate In Oedipus The King

The fulfillment of prophesies has enthralled ancient people since the beginning of time. Greek culture, in particular, relied predominately on Athenian religion and credited their actions to the work of gods. In Sophocles’ work, Oedipus the King, Sophocles defines an indication that men may not have accountability for their own moral sanctity because their lives are determined through fate. In fact, within Oedipus the King, Oedipus has to complete an investigation of his own self and determine his punishment regardless of who it hurts because of his willingness to comply to a god. In response to this, many believe that the title of this particular tragedy is Oedipus the King because it illustrates the conflict Oedipus has with his family and state. Although this is true, the title, Oedipus the King, also exemplifies Oedipus’ response to the idea that everything that has ever happened and ever will happen is necessary. The title and evidence that supports the title in this play comprise logic that enables one to understand how the law of necessity drives Oedipus’ decisions. It eventually claims that Oedipus does not act at random but rather in response to causality, and he ultimately does so in a dignified nature.

If predictions were to be real, one could really believe that is what is going to happen in the future. In “Oedipus the King” this is actually true, Oedipus calls for his fate unwillingly and definitely inevitably. Fate is described as something that unavoidably befalls a person. The author of “Oedipus the King,” Sophocles, writes a tragic fate that Oedipus was born to live. I will begin by giving a brief analysis of the story to give a better understanding, and explain point by point why fate was just inevitable in this story.

“Every man has his own destiny: the only imperative is to follow it, to accept it, no matter where it leads him.” In other words, the connotation of this anonymous quote states that despite whatever one chooses to decide, the outcome of their choices and decisions will still result to their predetermined fate. Sophocles’ tragedy, Oedipus the King, demonstrates this statement throughout the play in the role of his tragic hero Oedipus. In the course of Oedipus’ actions of trying to escape his predestined fortune, his fate and flaws of being human played major roles to bring about his downfall.

Fate as defined by the Merriam Webster dictionary is ‘an inevitable and often adverse outcome, condition, or end’. Sophocles discusses fate vs free will in his plays. In the play Oedipus Rex there was a prophecy that Oedipus was destined to kill his father and marry his mother, he attempts to escape his destiny by running away to Thebes where he meets his fate. In the play Antigone, that main character Antigone decides to go against Creon’s (her uncle who has inherited the throne) decree and bury the brother, Polynices, knowing the consequences would lead to her death. In Sophocles’ plays Oedipus Rex and Antigone, the theme is mankind not being able to escape their fate.

Sophocles states that “Fate has terrible power. You cannot escape it by wealth or war. No fort will keep it out, no ships outrun it.” Fate derives from a Latin word, fatum, meaning that one’s future is predetermined. In Oedipus Rex, Sophocles unfolds the misfortune of a noble king who searches for knowledge. Evidently, Greek heroes like Oedipus are destined to rule, but are also bound to fall, therefore, he cannot alter his own fate. This tragic play proves that the power of fate is indeed stronger than one’s free will. Despite his attempts to fight his destiny, Oedipus can never outrun his fate. Regardless of his parents’ desperation to evade the predicted outcome, fate guides his journey for knowledge, leading to his destruction.

The gift of free will is an idea accepted by all people, but some, however, believe in it having strict boundaries. The ancient Greeks worshipped many gods, and along with this came obedience to them and their will. One who disobeyed the will of the gods was doomed to suffer a grave punishment. In the case of Greek tragedy, this was the downfall for many tragic heroes. Sophocles’ Oedipus the King follows the plight of a sovereign and well respected king, but whose good intentions led to his ultimate downfall. Oedipus’s steep demise is the result of decisions that he and other people consciously made in a futile attempt to change their grotesquely intertwined fates.

Throughout the vast history of literature, various concepts have come and gone. The idea of fate or fatalism has been a concept that has survived the test of time. Numerous characters have succumbed to the power of fate and the character of Oedipus from Sophocles’ Oedipus the King is a prime example of the vast power of fate within literature. Sophocles effectively depicts the wrath of fate as he portrays how Oedipus fell victim to fate and his efforts to disregard fate were futile. Once again fate manages to triumph and displays no character whether king or slave can avoid its gaze.

In Sophocles’, Oedipus the King, fate and free will are two prominent themes presented. Often times the main character in a story is given a predetermined fate from the moment they are born, and feels inclined to live up to it or avoid it- taking away their free will. Immediately, Oedipus’ fate is decided by the Gods, but there is also an aspect of free will. Throughout the whole play, we see how Oedipus decides on how he wants to approach his fate decided by the Gods. One may argue that there was no free will in mythology and just fate, but in Oedipus, we see aspects of both themes.

“Oedipus the King” is a tragic story written by Sophocles. Oedipus is a king that is trying to escape his fate. An oracle had predicted that he was going to be the killer of his father, and was going to sleep with his mother. When he was first born, his parents attempted to kill him yet he survived and was adopted. Instead of getting away from the atrocious future that was predicted, Oedipus walks right into his fate. This Greek tragedy is about transitions. He starts off as arrogant, unknowing, and full of ego but this drastically changes as we reach the end of the play. Oedipus becomes a wise man and has accepted how life is. No matter how much power or knowledge you have there is no way of tampering with fate, instead accept and learn from it.

Fate and free will in Oedipus Rex In Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex, the theme of fate and free-will is clearly brought out throughout in the play. Fate is a rudimentary part of human everyday life because almost all aspects of life are based upon it. From the beginning of the play, Oedipus’s greed for power and control is paranoid in his state of mind. When he is informed that the former ruler of Thebes King Laios was murdered, he is furious although his fear is that he might well be murdered. Therefore, he is determined to find the murderous in order to secure his throne and to rid of the turmoil affecting the land.

Sophocles’ play, Oedipus the King, has risen many questions concerning the main character and whether or not he acts on free will or if his future is predestined by the gods. I am going to test the theory that although Oedipus believes he is acting on his own free will, he is in fact a victim of the gods. I will analyze several different sources that discuss fate and human agency in Oedipus the King and then proceed to build my original argument on the archaic debate.

When we look at situations that occur in our lives every day, we tend to think that maybe the end result was destined to happen and foreseen many years ago, perhaps even before our birth. Even so, we remain aware of the fact that “for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.” Hence, our actions can have some bearing on our lives, whether the effect is adverse or desirable. Sophocles’ Oedipus the King is a play representing a Greek belief determining the fate of men. The Greeks firmly believe that they are bound to any prophecy made by the gods. With this in mind, one would initially agree that “moira” is solely responsible for determining Oedipus’ fate. However, after a thorough analysis of Oedipus’ character we see how his

Despite Oedipus believing in divine interaction along the lines of his fate, he acknowledges the idea of having free will. While talking to Creon about the fate of an unknown murderer, Creon says, “The God commanded clearly: let someone punish with force this dead man’s murderers” (Sophocles, Oedipus the King, 15). Oedipus surrounds himself with people who lack the ability to think on their own, making them followers of a higher authority. These followers are willing to kill because of a command from God. However, Oedipus does not feel chained to the almighty powers of the gods. He knows that he does not need to execute the murderer because on the next page, he declares that when he drives pollution out of his land, he will act in his own interest (17). Similarly, when Teiresias delivers the news to Oedipus of him being the murderer of the king, Oedipus declares, “Your life is one long night so that you cannot hurt me or any other who sees the light” (26). Despite hearing the dreadful news, Oedipus repudiates Teiresias’s message. Oedipus is not fearful of his

Fate played an important part in the plays and literature of the Greeks as is shown in Sophocles' play

In Oedipus king wrote by the dramatist and philosopher Sophocles, Oedipus is the only responsible of his destiny. Oedipus was the one who held his fate and destiny in his hands. Because of his actions that he made, the curse that he swore and the prophecy about him, he had to be punished for his actions and sins.