Oedipus: Fate vs. Free Will In Oedipus the King‚ one of Sophocles’ most popular plays‚ Sophocles clearly depicts the Greek’s popular belief that fate will control a man’s life despite of man’s free will. Man was free to choose and was ultimately held responsible for his own actions. Throughout Oedipus the King‚ the concept of fate and free will plays an integral part in Oedipus’ destruction. Destined to marry his mother and murder his father‚ Oedipus was partly guided by fate. This prophecy
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Sophocles‚ Oedipus has volunteered to find out who killed the previous king‚ King Laius. If he succeeds in finding the “stranger” who committed the crime Oedipus will be able to lift the curse of the plague off the people of ancient Thebes. However‚ in a turn of events Oedipus not only finds out he is the “stranger” who murdered King Laius but also the tragedy surrounding his birth. This discovery leads to an ethical dilemma of “Is the truth always worth finding?”. Since in the beginning Oedipus has cursed
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Fate plays a very extensive role in Oedipus’s life. Nearly his entire life was influenced by his fate whether it be him running away from it or carrying it out. Fate prevented the steps were taken to stop the prophecy. Fate made it so that Teiresias was able to accurately predict that day. The Delphic Oracle told Oedipus his fate causing everything from that point forth to be about avoiding fulfilling the given fate. Steps were taken at Oedipus’s birth and by Oedipus himself to stop his fate
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Tragic Fate Oedipus suffered that could have been avoided in Oedipus Rex The Oedipus Rex by Sophocles written around 429 B.C depicts the unfortunate fate that Oedipus endured since the day he was born. The time period that the story of the tragedy of Oedipus affected the events that happened in Oedipus’s life. The novel is about Oedipus facing his fate‚ and how fate engulfs his life and his surroundings. “Today you will be born. Into ruin.” This quote reveals how fate became a part of his life before
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Oedipus: Fate is Unavoidable No matter what anyone tries‚ no matter what anyone does‚ no matter what anyone believes they have accomplished‚ they have not controlled fate. Fate is uncontrollable. Much like betting on a ³sure thing² and knowing in the back of your mind that there are infinite factors in the outcome--anything could happen. It¹s unfortunate that the people of Ancient Greece sanctioned the concept of fate. In the Era of Enlightenment the idea of God-controlled fate was finally
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Concept of Fate: Today in the 21st century the concept of fate is still used in many different religions. One particular religion is Christianity. Christians believe that their life is already predetermined for them the day they are born. Christian believes in Heaven and Hell‚ and to avoid going to Hell‚ you have to follow the Ten Commandments and believe in the word of God. Many people destiny can be determined based on their circumstances‚ and past problems. Stereotypes: Gender is one major
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The concept of fate is a controversial theme in literature‚ but the dilemma faced by Vulcan and Cryos shows that human destiny is inevitable and should be embraced instead. Inevitable is often defined as an unavoidable situation‚ one that is associated with impending doom. One such example is found in the tale of Oedipus Rex‚ the tragic hero of Thebes who is destined to kill his father and marry his mother. Oedipus learns that in attempting to run away from the prophecy‚ he fulfills it instead. After
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Predestined Fate of Oedipus In ancient Greek society they believed that ones life is predestined and that ones fate is sealed. What is meant to occur will happen no matter what that person does. In "Oedipus Rex" Oedipus’ fate is doomed from his birth because of the actions of his ancestors. Unlike Oedipus most people today don’t believe in predestined fate. People can be all they want to be regardless of their background or the circumstances of their lives. However some people don’t realize that
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Blinded by the Truth Blindness can be defined as lacking sight or a simple impairment of vision. In opposition‚ sight is defined as the faculty or power of seeing. While these are literal definitions‚ the concepts of sight and blindness can have metaphorical connotations as well. The importance of sight and blindness in “Oedipus” create the intriguing plot and progression of the play. When Oedipus is born‚ his parents are told by an oracle that their child will kill his father and marry his mother
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protective‚ loving mother‚ Queen Jocasta is not simply the innocent victim of misunderstanding‚ for it becomes clear that she in fact knows the truth of Oedipus’ life and their union together. After hearing the prophecy about her child‚ Jocasta hands away her only son to be deserted in the mountains‚ believing her difficult choice would protect her baby from a life of fear and suffering. This means she would know about his feet being maimed. Furthermore‚ in a time when blood lines were kept as pure as
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