Are we truly the masters of our own destiny? Or is there a force beyond our control pulling the strings? Are we actually beings with free will, or is there someone or something deciding everything for us? Humans have asked these questions for centuries. Different religions and beliefs have different answers to this question. Some believe there is some force out there that controls our destinies for us, and therefore we have no control over the course of our life. Others believe that we have complete autonomy and can exercise free will over everything. However, no matter what one believes, there are always a few aspects of life that are out of our control. After all, no one can control where we are born or to whom we are born. We cannot control …show more content…
Oedipus had no control over his destiny. The control and free will that Oedipus has over his fate is not dependent on making the prophecy come true. Instead, the only aspect that he can exercise free will over is whether or not he will find out the truth. Oedipus chooses to seek out the truth, in order to lift the curse over Thebes. Jocasta even warns Oedipus not to search for the truth, telling him “Ah mayst thou ne'er discover who thou art!” (Sophocles Oedipus the King 1068). Oedipus ignores her advice and says, “Let the storm burst, my fixed resolve still holds, To learn my lineage, be it ne'er so low” (Sophocles Oedipus the King 1078). Oedipus ignores all warnings and consciously chooses to seek the truth. Upon learning the truth, that the prophecy did indeed come true and Oedipus is his father’s murderer and his mother’s lover, Jocasta commits suicide and Oedipus blinds and exiles himself. Oedipus had no control over the prophecy, because it came true despite everyone’s best effort to stop it, but he was able to choose whether or not to uncover the truth. He could have lived out his days in ignorant bliss, but instead he chose to uncover the truth, and as a result he received a horrible
was indeed his own, true father, Laius, that he has killed at the crossroads at
that their son would kill his father and marry his mother (page 56). A son was
Sophocles' tragic tale of Oedipus presents the reader with a very bleak view of mankind and the world in general. According to the story, every person is predestined to enact a role scripted by fate, a "mysterious power" that rules even the greatest of Greek gods (Hamilton, 27). In this tale, the source of this fate is not as clear as its function.
The Greek tragedy Oedipus the King, by Sophocles, was written to show the common people of Greece how powerful the gods are and that your fate is pre-determined and nothing you do can change that. He does this by showing how people in this story try to escape their fate and how it is no use because in the end, what the oracles predict comes true. In the story there are many occasions in which people try to escape their fate.
Even though "fate" seems to determine Oedipus' life, he does, in fact, have a free will.
“Think twice before you speak, because your words and influence will plant the seed of either success or failure in the mind of another”. This quote by Napoleon Hill signifies that whatever we do or say will have an impact on the people around us. This also shows how fate and free will can tie into influence. Whether it be a higher power deciding your life for you or choices that people make. Fate means being influenced by a higher power to fulfill your fate. Where free will is defined as having a personal choice for your behavior. In the play Oedipus king of Sophocles, Oedipus is destined to fulfill a prophecy. During his reign there is a curse put on Thebes. While looking for the murderer a prophet and one of his officials realize how ignorant
A common debate that still rages today is whether we as a species have free will or if some divine source, some call it fate, controls our destiny. The same debate applies to Oedipus the King and Oedipus at Colonus. Does Oedipus control his actions, or are they predetermined by the gods? It’s that question that makes Oedipus a classic, and many different people think many different things.
Some people say that there is no way to control your own life, that your life has been planned out for you ahead of time and there is nothing you can do to escape this fate. Others believe that your life is a matter of choice, and what happens to you during your life is a result of your actions. The story of Oedipus Rex by Sophocles seems to prove truth in both of these statements, that there is a life predetermined for you yet you can alter your life, but you can not escape your prophecy. The quote "I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul," by William Henley states just the opposite of what seems to be proven in Oedipus Rex. Because of the references in the story of Oedipus, I disagree with the quote made by William Henley.
At the beginning of the tragedy, Oedipus was made aware of his destiny. Immediately after receiving the news, Oedipus fled Corinth and headed for Thebes thinking he could escape his fate. Unknowingly, Oedipus had just begun to walk the path that led to his downfall. Shortly after, he killed his father Laius and later married his mother Jocasta. These actions proved that his life was predetermined by fate and that he was unable to change it. Years later, Oedipus is informed of the plague that has struck Thebes, and is asked to help in the matter. Oedipus could have waited for the plague to end, but feeling pity for his suffering people, he sent Creon to Delphi where he was to plead before Apollo to relie...
In Sophocles ' Oedipus the King, the themes of fate and free will are very strong throughout the play. Only one, however, brought about Oedipus ' downfall and death. Both points could be argued to great effect. In ancient Greece, fate was considered to be a rudimentary part of daily life. Every aspect of life depended and was based upon fate (Nagle 100). It is common belief to assume that mankind does indeed have free will and each individual can decide the outcome of his or her life. Fate and free will both decide the fate of Oedipus the King.
Many times in life, people think they can determine their own destiny, but, as the Greeks believe, people cannot change fate the gods set. Though people cannot change their fate, they can take responsibility for what fate has brought them. In the story Oedipus, by Sophocles, a young king named Oedipus discovers his dreadful fate. With this fate, he must take responsibility and accept the harsh realities of what’s to come. Oedipus is a very hubris character with good intentions, but because he is too confident, he suffers. In the story, the city of Thebes is in great turmoil due to the death of the previous king, Laius. With the thought of helping his people, Oedipus opens an investigation of King Laius’s murder, and to solve the mystery, he seeks advice from Tiresias, a blind prophet. When Laius comes, Oedipus insists on having the oracle told to all of Thebes showing no sign of hesitation or caution. This oracle states that he will kill his father and marry his mother. Oedipus must learn to deal with his terrible and appalling fate the way a true and honorable king would. Because...
If Oedipus had not been so determined to escape and prevent the prophecy, he would not have fulfilled it. Possibly, he was doomed to fulfill the prophecy because he believed he could avoid it. Nevertheless, his fate was sealed by his actions of pride and determination. His pride of conquering the Sphinx led him to the marriage of Jocasta, his mother. When avenging Jocasta’s previous husband, and his true father, King Laius’ death, he was blinded by his pride to the concept that perhaps he was the murderer. Not knowing the truth, he cursed himself to an “evil death-in-life of misery”. Of course at that time, Oedipus failed to realize his connections to Jocasta and Laius, but recognition of the truth would bring him to his eventual suffrage.
Oedipus The King, by Sophocles, is a play about how Oedipus lives up his fate that he will kill his father and marry his mother, both of which are extremely bad in the Greek society, even though he thinks he is getting away from it. Despite the Greek notions of supreme power of the gods and fate, Oedipus' downfall is primarily the result of King Laius' and his own actions and attempts to defy the gods, consequently Sophocles says that prophecies from the gods of someone's fate should not be ignored. Prophecies from the Oracle of Delphi are told to King Laius and Queen Jocasta, and to Oedipus.
Oedipus is doomed to his fate so he uses his freewill to purge the truth (WowEssays). He uses this illusion to control his life so he doesn’t feel so scared of the prophecy ever coming true. He goes to his hometown Thebes to get away from the prophecy, and while he was on the road he murders his father not knowing that it was his real father, fulfilling one part of the prophecy. When he arrived in Thebes he married his own mother, Jocasta, and believed he was the king of Thebes. Jocasta believed her son, Oedipus, was dead, but as pieces of information began to fit she realized she had married her son and that the prophecy was coming true. Nevertheless, Jocasta’s blindness lead her to commit suicide.
Oedipus the King by Sophocles is the story of a man who was destined to kill his father and marry his mother. The story continues in the tradition of classic Greek plays, which were based upon the Greeks’ beliefs at the time. The ancient Greeks believed that their gods decided what would ultimately happen to each and every person. Since those gods destined Oedipus to kill his father and marry his mother, Oedipus’ life was definitely fated. However, the gods only decided where Oedipus’ life would eventually lead; they never planned the route he would take to get there. All the decisions that Oedipus made in order to fulfill his destiny, and the decisions he made after the fact, were of his own free will, and were largely shaped by his mien.