Fate And Freewill In Oedipus The King

Fate versus freewill is a baffling subject matter. Many believe in fate; fate is one's destiny. Their freewill is what gets them there. Some may say that there is only fate or only freewill, but the play Oedipus demonstrates a case of both fate and freewill. The mystery that is fate versus freewill is what drives Oedipus. Though Oedipus tries to avoid his fate at all costs his freewill gets him there, making fate versus freewill a prominent subject throughout the play.

In the beginning of the play the audience is introduced to Oedipus’ fate. His fate is that he will kill his father and end up having relations with his mother. Due to his fate Oedipus is sent away from his family as a small baby. He ends up being taken in by another family and they raise him as their own. Oedipus knows his fate but he also believes that the family he is raised by is his biological family. Knowing his fate leads him to leaving his home so that he can not hurt his family. What he does next, his freewill, shows that no matter how hard he tried he could not avoid his fate.
This man that Oedipus would murder would be no other than his biological father. This is a clear case of fate versus freewill. Oedipus takes many precautions to avoid his fate but his choices will lead him to his fate without his knowing. Now after Oedipus kills his father he will find himself falling in love with a women. She has his children and they live together. This women that his loves is his biological mother. This again is a part of this fate and again his freewill got him