Fate And Free Will In Sophocles Oedipus Rex

What is fate? Is it in our control? How do we predict what our future will look like? We, as humans, can only try with our earnest efforts to design our own future. In Oedipus Rex, by Sophocles, its been predicted by the Apollo at Delphi that Oedipus, will kill his father and marry his mother. Many characters, such as his parents, Laius’ herdsman, shepherd of Corinth, King Polybus, Queen Merope, and Creon try to prevent this prophecy from occurring. Even though each of them have their own reasons, their efforts ultimately lead to Oedipus’ set destiny.
To prevent his inevitable death, Oedipus's father,Laius decides not to give his son the chance to grow up and pose a threat to him. As a result, he pierces Oedipus's ankles and ties a rope
around his ankles when he is only 3 days old. “But his child had not been three days in this world Before the King had pierced the baby’s ankles And left him to die on a lonely mountainside”(Sophocles 38). They were afraid of what the child would become and Laius was afraid of his death. As a precaution, he told the shepherd to leave the baby on the mountainside, where he would die. The shepherd, however, felt sympathetic toward the baby. He felt that the baby was being killed for something he hadn’t done and he felt that the baby should be allowed to live his life to the fullest. So, the herdsman came up with a simple solution. He put the baby in an adoptive home where he would be adopted by a new set of parents. Shepherd of Corinth, however, retrieved the baby from the adoptive home and he gave it to King Polybus and Queen Merope.
When Oedipus grows up, unbeknown, kills his father Laius at the Crossroads because the man did not let Oedipus cross first.
The people of Thebes were punished for the death of Laius by the gods and the result being the plague and infertile land. If they found and exiled the murderer of Laius, the plague and infertile land that has been placed upon Thebes will come to an end. Since Creon, the brother of Jocasta, knew that Oedipus was a saviour, suggests that he should try to find the murderer of Laius. But when Oedipus meets Teiresias, Teiresias refuses to speak with him. After much taunting by Oedipus, Teiresias finally tells him that Oedipus was the one that killed Laius. Enraged, Oedipus accuses Creon of working with the prophet to frame him and seize the throne. “True: it is not from me your fate will come. That lies within Apollo’s competence, As it is his concern. Tell me: Are you speaking for Creon, or for yourself”(21). This explains how Creon sent for Teiresias and how his intentions were actually good.. Creon simply wanted to make the job of finding the murderer of Laius
easier.
King Polybus and Queen Merope adopt and raise Oedipus as if he were their own child since they did not have any of their own. As King Polybus was afraid of his reaction, he never tells Oedipus that they are his adopted parents. Even though Polybus does not speak in the play, the herdsman tries to tell Oedipus that “Polybus was not your father. ”(53). “Then why did he call me son”(54).Oedipus is very much confused with what is going on. He was oblivious to the fact that Laius was his father. Jocasta explains that “Why think to him? Forget this herdsman. Forget it all. This talk is a waste of time”(56) She explains to him that he should not believe in the prophecy nonsense. All that matters is the present, not the future. Since Oedipus is adamant, he continues to strive to find King Laius’s murderer.
When Oedipus asks the shepherd about the baby which he had many years ago, he explains that long time ago a stranger from Thebes gave him a baby to give it as a gift to king and queen of Corinth.
“Where did you get him? From your house? From somewhere else? Not from mine, no. A man gave him to me”(62). The baby was Oedipus, who would eventually become king himself. When Oedipus asks questions to the shepherd, he answers in riddles to avoid Oedipus from knowing the truth about him murdering his father. The shepherd slips the fact that the herdsmen witnessed Laius’s death. Oedipus sends for the herdsman hoping that he will get more insight on the truth. “I do not know. The man who gave you to me Can tell you better than I. It was not you that found me, but another? It was another shepherd who gave you to me”(55). This clearly shows that the shepherd was the one who gave the baby to the herdsman. The herdsman, in turn, gave the baby to King Polybus and his wife. Eventually Oedipus fathoms the truth, feeling foolish for not understanding the whole situation. As a repentance for the grave crime he has committed unknowingly, Oedipus stabs out his eyes and Jocasta starves herself to death. Creon finally exiles Oedipus for the murder of his
father.
Throughout the entire story, Oedipus shows perseverance as he strives to learn the truth about Laius’s murder and his true family. This complicated plot begins at the Crossroads, where he kills a man, not knowing who he is. Through the irony of fate, he discovers that the man he killed was his biological father. Ashamed and disgraced, he gouges his eyes and is removed from his kingdom. In spite of efforts of many, the prophecy still carries out as predicted.. The same people, whether it be his biological parents or adoptive, or whether it be the herdsman or Shepherd of Corinth or Creon, who try to change the path of Oedipus’s life, in turn help him achieve the same end. Humans can only control their efforts but destiny still prevails.