Free Will In Oedipus
analytical Essay
1772 words
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…
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how oedipus rex is an example of people trying to fight a horrible fate. an oracle told him that he would kill his father and marry his mother.
- Analyzes how oedipus' free will is not dependent on making the prophecy come true; he chooses to seek out the truth to lift the curse over thebes.
- Analyzes how creon, jocasta's brother, ascends to the throne of thebes after oedipus' two sons kill each other.
- Analyzes how creon was given a warning by the seer tiresias after it was too late to save antigone.
- Asks whether humans are truly masters of their own destiny, or if there is a force beyond their control pulling the strings.
- Analyzes how the iliad details the trojan war, a war fought between trojans and greeks, to reclaim helen, the wife of menelaus.
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
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- Opedipus Free Will and Fate in Opedipus Rex by Sophoclesanalytical essayOedipus Free Will and Fate Have you ever been told that you would kill your father and marry your mother because that what Oedipus Rex was told by prophecy. In this play called Oedipus Rex, Sophocles uses his play to show the theme of free will versus fate. This play explores what is a Oedipus free will and fate and how much a this prophecy controls him. Also how can prophecy be prevented and how it affects Oedipus family.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how sophocles uses his play to show the theme of free will versus fate in oedipus rex.
- Explains how oedipus will fulfill the prophecy of "apollo said through his prophet that i was man who should marry his own mother, shed his father blood."
- Analyzes how oedipus' parents tried to prevent the prophecy by trying to kill him but it didn't work for them. he kills the king of thebes and then tries to find out if he guilty of it.
- Analyzes how fate affects the two daughters of oedipus and jocasta because no will ever marry them.
- Explains that the prophecy was always gonna happen to oedipus, but finding out it is true and his reaction to blinding himself are always his own free will.
544 wordsRead More - Oedipusanalytical essayOedipus was unknowingly set down the path towards impending doom by the Gods at an early young age, and perhaps one could venture as far as to say that his destiny was written before he was born into this world. He was sent away from Thebes by King Laius and Queen Jocasta - his true parents - and was raised by the king and queen of Corinth. The truth of this arrangement was concealed from Oedipus. He was then later told by a prophet that he was destined to “mate with [his] own mother, and shed with [his] own hands the blood of [his] own [father],” Oedipus inadvertently fulfils the final half of this prophecy while leaving Corinth with the intention of avoiding this realisation. He meets the King Laius, of Thebes, at a crossroads. Whether out of pride or a simple argument, Oedipus ultimately commits an act of unknowing patricide over who had the right of way. Being unawar...
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes sophocles' tragic play, "oedipus the king", which revolves around the events which lead to the demise of oe
- Analyzes how oedipus was unknowingly set down the path towards impending doom by the gods at an early age. he was sent away from thebes by king laius and queen jocasta - his true parents.
- Analyzes how oedipus is distressed by the plague that starved the population and wreaked disaster among the city of thebes.
- Analyzes sophocles' belief that all people are traveling on a predestined path, which cannot be avoided no matter what actions are taken to avoid following the destiny.
- Analyzes how fate is a theme that is often persistent in greek works, tragedies like this in particular. the idea that attempting to avoid an oracle’s prophecy is the very thing which brings it about is common motif in many greek legends.
- Analyzes how oedipus left the plague to take its course, but pity for the sufferings of his people compelled him to consult the oracle of delphi.
- Argues that it is not for us to question fate as it leads to the development of events that is outside our control. katharsis causes the deep sense of pity and fear in the audience.
- Analyzes how oedipus left corinth to avoid the prophecy by removing himself from the people he believed where his true parents.
1400 wordsRead More - Free Will: An Example in Sophocle´s Oedipus Rexopinion essayDo we really have free will or is it as mythical as are the gods and most just simply don’t know it yet? As I am not a philosopher I do not know for sure, but I would assume that it is a question that has been a plague to their thoughts for a while. There are many ways to talk about this topic though this will only be covering a few aspects. The inspiration for this was a combination of the popular Greek play called Oedipus by Sophocles and a paper written by Mrs. Cysewski containing instructions for a report which her class was going to write. Back to the topic at hand: do we make our own personal decisions or is that just what we think?
In this essay, the author
- Opines that free will is a mythical question that has plagued people's thoughts for some time. the inspiration for this was the greek play called oedipus by sophocles and mrs. cysewski.
- Explains that the brain conducts business on its own. it generates a strong sense of personal agency, borne out by the obvious fact that people accomplish many things in every way.
- Analyzes how wegner points out that humans are experts at deluding themselves that they are ideal, always aware of what they’re doing, and why. they can even create intentions after having acted, but make it seem as if the intentions came first.
- Analyzes how the play oedipus brings to the scene a lighter side of free will: are we fools of god, or the gods?
- Opines that oedipus was a hot tempered person who killed lius, but the gods refused to be wrong, so they sent him down another path leading up to the same destiny.
- Explains that they plan to use this source to connect the story of oedipus to their topic using points that others have brought up.
- Opines that wegner's the illusion of conscious will supports the side against free will.
560 wordsRead More - Oedipus the King: The Free Will of Oedipusanalytical essayEven though "fate" seems to determine Oedipus' life, he does, in fact, have a free will.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how oedipus' choices brought the prophecy to life. only his decisions were in side of the limits set by fate.
- Analyzes how the prophecy drove oedipus away from home; the terror of the predictions was too much to live with. he married an older lady when he came to thebes.
- Explains that oedipus' quest for truth was his choice when the teiresias tried not to reveal the truth.
- Analyzes how oedipus accuses creon of truing to take his powers away from him. he faces that he might kill the king laius.
- Explains that oedipus' fate was determined before he was born, and by trying to overcome it, a prophesy became reality.
352 wordsRead More - Free Will In Sophocles Oedipus The Kinganalytical essayThe play Oedipus the King by Sophocles is a very well studied piece of literature. It can be used to study human actions and their subsequent consequences. The character Jokasta is a difficult woman to understand in the subject of philosophy. It can be debated whether or not Jokasta knew she was marrying her son Oedipus and whether that decision was made out of her own free will. After reviewing the play, Jokasta does not have free will and should not be held responsible for marrying her son Oedipus because it was an involuntary action out of ignorance.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how the play oedipus the king by sophocles can be used to study human actions and their subsequent consequences. jokasta is a difficult woman to understand in the subject of philosophy.
- Analyzes how aristotle proposed free will through the idea of voluntary and involuntary actions. jokasta was unaware of the consequences of marrying her son oedipus.
407 wordsRead More - Comparing Fate And Free Will In Oedipus The Kingargumentative essayThroughout history the story of Oedipus the King has remained a timeless classic. Due to this there have been many translations of the original story each with their own nuances. However, as evident when comparing the Robert Fagles and the Fitts and Fitzgerald, often times certain literary elements may be altered between translations. These changes have larger implications on the themes and motifs of the work, and make it seen in another light. Two of the biggest changes made between Fagles, and Fitts and Fitzgerald are the portrayal of the motif of fate and free will, and the word choice regarding fear and its implication for Oedipus’ character in the text.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the story of oedipus the king has remained a timeless classic. however, certain literary elements may be altered between translations.
- Compares fagles, and fitts and fitzgerald, in how fate and free will are portrayed in oedipus.
- Analyzes how the omission of the word fear in oedipus the king is important in understanding the impact of this scene in regards to the play as a whole.
- Compares the fagles and fitzgerald translations, and explains how the two texts cover the same topics in different ways.
660 wordsRead More - The Fate of Oedipus in Oedipus the King In "Oedipus the King" there comes a point in the play where Oedipus learns something that plays an important role throughout the play. He learns from a oracle that he will eventually kill his own Father and sleep with his own mother. As one could imagine this is a shock to Oedipus, and he does not believe the oracle.
In this essay, the author
- Opines that oedipus' shock at his mother's death is a shock to him.
- Explains that thebes is told in an oracle that his own son will kill him.
- Explains that the slave is supposed to leave it to die on mt. cithaeron.
- Describes the childless king of corinth, polybus, who brings him up as his own.
- Explains that the boy had no way to control what his parents did to him after he was born.
- Analyzes how she tells a story of how her and laius were told by one.
- Analyzes how the man remembers that he killed a man and wonders if it was intentional.
- Explains that this witness to be found so that his fears can be laid to rest.
- Opines that laius was the witness to his murder.
- Argues that he should be left to die on mt. cithaeron just as the gods intended.
- Analyzes how the god's mislead him, and did not allow him to keep from his own fate.
- Narrates how polybus, the king of thebes, meets an old man driving a wagon of slaves.
- Analyzes how he tells oedipus that the baby was given to him by jocasta to be killed, and that it was passed on to the corinthian out of pity.
- Describes murray, robert d. jr.'s "sophocles' moral themes" and wilkie, brian, and hurt.
1223 wordsRead More - Oedipus Rex Fate Vs Free Will Analysisanalytical essayA question that has existed in the minds of many since the beginning of time is whether life is determined by fate or free will. Most people have an opinion often based on their religious beliefs. Marcello Gleiser writes on the subject, “The question of free will is essentially a question of agency, of who is in charge as we go through our lives making all sorts of choices” (Gleiser). Many have looked to Oedipus: The King as a representation of fate vs. free will. Oedipus’ childhood is one in which an impossible number of things have to fall into place for it not to be fate. King Laius’ mysterious murder leads Oedipus to do some investigating, and in doing so, he uncovers something that will change his life forever. There is no way that free
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes the question of whether life is determined by fate or free will. many have looked to oedipus: the king as a representation of fate vs.
- Analyzes how oedipus' childhood has to have been pre-planned by someone or something. king laius and mother jocasta receive word from the oracles that he will murder his father and marry his mother.
- Analyzes how oedipus is to blame for laius' murder, but that's not the worst part of the scenario.
- Opines that jocasta's arrival into oedipus' life is a coincidence.
- Analyzes how oedipus: the king is a story of fate written by an individual who clearly thought everyone’s lives were planned out by the gods.
916 wordsRead More - The Victim of Fate in Oedipus Rex The question has been raised as to whether Oedipus was a victim of fate or of his own actions. This essay will show that Oedipus was a victim of fate, but he was no puppet because he freely and actively sought his doom, although he was warned many times of the inevitable repercussions of his actions. When first considering this topic, I speculated that maybe it was the destiny of Oedipus to suffer, but a friend asked me to explain why Oedipus, in the act of gouging his eyes out, cries explicitly: No more, no more shall you look on the misery about me, The horrors ... ...
In this essay, the author
- Opines that oedipus was a victim of fate, but he was no puppet, and actively sought his doom. he was warned of the inevitable repercussions of his actions.
- Explains why oedipus, in the act of gouging his eyes out, cries explicitly.
- Explains that the friend declared that oedipus was aware that he alone was responsible for his actions. they stayed silent and urged roy to look at him as a hero who was trying to assert his rights.
- Argues that oedipus's inability to control his violent anger was a tragic flaw or what the ancient greeks called hubris.
- Explains the ancient greeks' idea of the hero: a person who possesses superior qualities of mind and body and who proves his superiority by doing great deeds of valor, strength, or intellect.
- Analyzes how rosenberg and nagle agree that death was the inevitable and final fate of the hero.
- Opines that soon all the achaeans will set upon you and kill you.
- Opines that if i lose you, it would be better for me to die.
- Opines that it would be a mistake to view the hero as someone who is devoid of compassion. hector also shows how much he cares for andromache.
- Opines that they know and are certain that the day is coming.
- Opines that it will carry you away in tears, and end your days of freedom.
- Narrates how a man will say, as he sees you weeping, 'this is the wife.
- Compares the dialogue between oedipus and jocasta, when she begs him not to pursue his inquiry regarding his origin, and that of hector and andromache.
- Analyzes how oedipus shows his compassionate nature when he tells the plague-stricken citizens of thebes about his feelings for their distress.
- Analyzes how the hero's conscious choice to pursue and accept his doom makes him a tragic figure.
- Analyzes how the hero's unyielding resolve to accept his doom gives him dignity, nobility, and grandeur that do not tarnish with the passage of time.
- Opines that oedipus is a tragic figure because of his heroic qualities, his loyalty to thebes, and his fidelity to the truth that ruined him.
- Explains that the royal house of thebes has a long history of undeserved misfortune, starting with cadmus and harmonia.
- Explains that the oracle's prophecy is unconditional, and what he foretells is "inevitably and inexorably bound to happen no matter what oedipus may have done to avoid it."
- Concludes that oedipus was a victim of fate, but he was no puppet. he sought his doom in thebes, and claimed full responsibility when choragos asked what god drove him to blind himself.
- Explains abrams, m. h., a glossary of literary terms, 7th ed. new york: harcourt brace college publishers.
- Describes benardete, seth, and woodard's sophocles' oedipus tyrannus.
- Opines that dodds, e. r., "on misunderstanding the oedipus rex" is a collection of critical essays from the 20th century.
- Explains that knox, bernard m. w., the heroic temper: studies in sophoclean tragedy. berkeley: u of california press, 1964.
- Explains that nagle, brendan d. the ancient world: a cultural and social history. new jersey: prentice-hall, 1979.
- Describes rosenberg, donna, world mythology: an anthologies of the great myths and epics.
- Explains segal, charles. oedipus tyrannus: tragic heroism and the limits of knowledge.
- Explains sophocles' "oedipus rex." an introduction to literature. sylvan barnet, et al.
3438 wordsRead More - Fate And Free Will In Oedipus The Kinganalytical essayIn 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.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes the themes of fate and free will in sophocles' oedipus the king, but only one brought about his downfall and death. in ancient greece, fate was a rudimentary part of daily life.
- Explains that the greeks believed in the idea that personality of the individual greatly affected his or her life.
- Analyzes how oedipus pushes tiresias, creon, jocasta, the oracle, messenger, and the shepherd for information regarding his beginnings.
- Analyzes how oedipus demonstrates an important trait in his character, stubbornness, when he reacted to the man pushing him aside at the crossroads.
- Analyzes how oedipus defeated the sphinx by solving the riddle. he could have refused to take the missing king's throne, or declined to marry the former.
- Analyzes how jocasta and laius' actions were not made by their own judgement, but reactions to a situation that neither of them was prepared to deal with.
- Analyzes how jocasta and lauis never sent oedipus to die as an infant. he wouldn't have engaged in misled wandering after he left his adopted home.
- Analyzes how oedipus' desire for knowledge can be looked at by the standpoint of fate. he can't escape the fate the gods have given him.
- Analyzes how the gods played apart in oedipus' prophecy to kill his own father, which was unavoidable because of his stubbornness. his personality was the cause of the events.
- Analyzes how the prophecy given to lauis and jocasta is another example of unavoidable fate. the gods dictated what was going to happen, leading to the vanquishing of oedipus.
- Analyzes how the greatest show of fate in the text is when oedipus gauges his eyes out with the golden clips. the gods controlled his personality and therefore controlled the outcome of his life.
- Explains that free will and fate can be related to every aspect of oedipus the king. the gods who control fate manipulate the thinking and concepts in human's freewill.
- Analyzes how sophocles' oedipus the king shows that mankind has the ability, even with prophecies, to make choices free from influence of divine forces.
1493 wordsRead More