Free Will In Sophocles Oedipus The King

Prior to the invention of the internet, the television set, and even the postal service, the humble messenger played a vital role in the ancient Greek social structure. The messenger carried imperative missives throughout a territory and between neighboring kingdoms, literally running the messages from place to place. By simply perusing the acclaimed Greek play Oedipus Rex, modern analysts witness the significance messengers play in the ancient world. Composed by Sophocles around 468 B.C., Oedipus Rex investigates the limits of free will and the overall power of fate through the doomed journey of proud Oedipus. The messengers in Oedipus Rex serve as nexuses between fate and Oedipus, delivering writs to trigger Oedipus' destiny. Employing the
role of the messenger as a conduit, Sophocles explores Oedipus' limited free will under the confines of fate through the appearances of the de facto messenger at the banquet, the Corinthian messenger, and the palace messenger.
Oedipus' encounter with the de facto messenger at a banquet acts a catalyst to his decision to seek the truth, beginning his journey on fate's chosen path. In a conversation with Jocasta, Oedipus quickly summarizes his exchange with the de facto messenger, "A man at the banquet table, who had had too much to drink, told me, over his wine, that I was not the true son of my father" (Oedipus Rex 55). With this dreadful news, Oedipus desperately seeks the truth, only to discover an appalling destiny. Based on the newly acquired knowledge, Oedipus chooses to flee his home to evade his fate to sleep with his mother and slay his father. Self-confident and adroit, Oedipus believes he possesses the not only the power to direct his own destiny, but also has the skill to thwart fate. Although Oedipus concedes his frailty in the
face of the gods' the edicts, he attempts to elude his fate; Oedipus still believes that he possesses more power than the gods and can outrun their declaration of his destiny. The de facto messenger, as fate's envoy, provokes Oedipus to choose to behave exactly as fate desires. It is Oedipus' rash application of his free will that affords fate further authority over him. Even if Oedipus had considered his own advice, "Until something happened to me quite by chance, a strange thing, but not worth all the attention I paid it," and either ignored or confronted his fate, he could not have triumphed over his dreadful future (55). Ultimately in this Greek play, fate eclipses free will, allowing a person to run every which way and yet arrive at the same destination. While the de facto messenger lacks the proper trappings of a commissionaire, he still serves his purpose and like the Corinthian messenger provokes action with delivery of ambiguous information to unlucky Oedipus. Oedipus' encounter with the Corinthian messenger also highlights how free will eventually bows to the inclusive reign of fate. Though the Corinthian messenger plays only a minor role in the theatrical production, it is an exceedingly pivotal part. In his own words, "my message will bring you joy – no doubt of that – but sorrow, too," the messenger utters a statement saturated with dramatic irony (63). Unbeknownst to him, the messenger reveals a horrid truth to Oedipus and leads him to the final doomed discovery. With his words, "Because he was no more your father, than I am," he unveils the truth about Oedipus' adoptive parents and eventually his origins from the city of Thebes (72). In these intense scenes, Sophocles exposes the subordinate nature of free will. While previously Oedipus' free will led him scampering away from fate, now it leads him to a head on collision with his destiny. Though Jocasta, both mother and wife, frantically attempts to convince Oedipus to relinquish his search, rash Oedipus disregards her sound advice. "In God's name, if you place any value on your life, don't pursue the search," Jocasta beseeches Oedipus, but under the confines of fate, Oedipus ignores the woman whose words he previously trusted (77). Furthermore, fate utilizes the Corinthian messenger to provoke the predictable brash Oedipus to action. At every turn, Oedipus shuns the opportunities to possibly evade his destiny, choosing to fall into the fate's trap with every rash decision he makes. In choosing to ignore the wise words of Jocasta, Oedipus seals his fate and attests to the superiority of destiny. While the Corinthian messenger delivers the truth to Oedipus, the palace messenger serves to finally clarify the supremacy of fate. In the final scenes of Oedipus Rex, the palace messenger appears and serves as a marker for Oedipus' ultimate demise and fate's ultimate triumph.
"What dreadful things you will see and hear," wails the palace messenger as he prepares to deliver the message of Oedipus' ruin to the loyal citizens of Thebes (91). The messenger despairingly discloses the events that occurred within the palace including Jocasta's suicide and Oedipus' self-inflicted blindness, preparing the city for Oedipus' arrival and exile. With his words, the messenger subtly divulges the triumph of fate, confirming fate's power, and describing its cruel revenge when people attempt to evade fate's edict. With his statement, "It must have been some supernatural being that showed the raving man where she was; it was not one of us," the messenger acknowledges the pull of the mystical force of fate (93). In this conclusion of the play, Oedipus' tragic downfall attests to the comprehensive authority of fate over free will. Throughout the play, Oedipus attempts to avoid fate, to exercise his free will, yet all his free actions lead him directly to the destination the prophecies desire. Fulfilling his destiny, fate leaves Oedipus a humbled disgrace who finally acknowledges the limits of free will under the jurisdiction of fickle
fate. With their pivotal appearances, the messengers of Oedipus Rex herald the tremendous power of fate. In the play, the de facto messenger at the banquet, the Corinthian messenger, and the palace messenger render the vital service of exploring the limits of Oedipus' free will within the confines of fate. The play establishes that despite every evasive action of Oedipus, fate follows and, ultimately, prevails – Oedipus exercises his free will to choose the method of arrival, fate determines the destination. While the humble messenger provides the catalyst and creates the environment for fate to exercise its dominance over free will, the messenger still only relays the message. As the story of Oedipus cautions, remember the authority of fate and whatever the outcome, don't shoot the messenger.