Oedipus Tyranius and The Illiad

Sophocles once said, “Fate has terrible power. You cannot escape it by wealth or war. No fort will keep it out, no ships outrun it.” When pondering life, one often stumbles upon the principles of fate and free will. Do we as humans really have full control of our life and our actions? Do we have a predestined time to die or is our last breath purely a result of the choices we make? Perhaps Sophocles is correct and there is an element of fate in the universe that ultimately determines what we say, what we do, who we meet, and what trials and tribulations come our way. Perhaps Sophocles is dead wrong and all we know is merely a product of happenstance. Homer and Sophocles examine these ideas in their works, The Iliad, Oedipus Tyrannus, and Antigone. In these tragic tales, it is apparent that although characters seem to have the ability to choose outcomes, destiny is ultimately the stronger force in their lives.
Fate rules over the events that take place throughout the Iliad. In book one, Achilles is faced with a choice. He is debating whether to take out his sword and kill Agamemnon or to quell his rage. His “racing spirit veered back and forth” but he began to draw his sword from his hip. This decision however, was not what was meant to happen. Athena flew in to persuade him otherwise, saying that if he would just “hold back now,” that “one day glittering gifts will lie before [him].” Achilles weighed both of his options and made a choice, however, his choice went against the will of Zeus, and therefore intervention was necessary. Fate is seen often in the war. Throughout the book the gods tinker and tamper with the outcomes of battles and duels between warriors. This is seen in book three during the duel between Paris and Menelau...

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...old that that Laius was murdered, Oedipus is determined to find the murderer, and even goes as far as to curse him, saying, “I damn the killer, whoever he may be… may he suffer and die, pain beyond pain.” This is interesting because Oedipus is damning himself. He is using his free will to determine someone else’s fate, however it is his own fate he is determining. In the end, it is revealed to Oedipus that he is the baby his own mother, now wife, gave away to be destroyed after hearing the oracle that said the baby would kill its parents. Oedipus’ realizes the fate given to him by Apollo has come true and Jocasta realizes the evils she has taken part of. Jocasta commits suicide, and Oedipus gouges out his eyes. Although Oedipus initially tried to escape his curse, his fate was too powerful, and led him every step of the way down the path of his own self destruction.