Manpreet Sindhar
Mr. Forbes
ENG-4U0
Monday, July 6, 2015
Fate vs Free Will
Many individuals say that destiny controls the lives of everyday people similar to us, but there is a countless number of people that argue that there is a higher power that controls our lives. In the play ‘’Oedipus the King’’ by Sophocles destiny played a critical role in the lives of the characters. To keep away from their fated destiny, the characters took safety measures to avert their foreordained fates. Beginning with the prophecy further going to Oedipus lastly the Queen otherwise called Jocasta they only proved that you can not outrun or escape your fate. With every one of the prophets and talk of prophecies it is undeniable that there is some form of
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‘’Yes. I can tell you. Apollo once announced that I am destined to mate with my mother, and shed my father’s blood with my own hand. That is why for so many years I have lived far away from Corinth. It has turned out well- but still there’s nothing sweeter than the sight of one’s parents’’(Sophocles, 54-55).Oedipus then picks, however taken over by outrage to murder an old man hindering his way, who at the end of the play is found to be his genuine, biological father; King Laius. Although, it can not be used as an excuse certainly, one can say it was destined that Oedipus killed his …show more content…
In spite of the fact that she set up this false front, she did keep her confidence. ‘’(To chorus) Lords of Thebes. it occurred to me to come to the temples of the gods bearing in my hands these branches and offerings of incense. For Oedipus is distracted with sorrows of all kinds. He does not act like a man in control of his reason, judging the present by the past - he is at the mercy of anyone who speaks to him, especially one who speaks of terrors. I have given him advice, but it does no good. (Facing the altar) So I do come to you, Lord Apollo, for you are closest to hand. I come in supplication with these emblems of prayer. Deliver us. Make us free and clear of defilement We are all afraid like passengers on a ship who see their pilot crazed with fear’’ (Sophocles, 49-50). Just amidst the play when everything starts to go downhill for the Royal family we see Jocasta hoping and praying to Lord Apollo that everything turns out okay. This unquestionably is not the demonstration of a character who does not believe in the higher
... So, Oedipus had every right to be worried. We later get another glimpse of Oedipus’s hubris as he address the chorus, “ Is this your prayer? It may be answered come, Listen to me, act as the crisis demands, and you shall have relief from all these evils.” (Scene 1. 1-4) in this quote he is basically telling the chorus, which represent the city of Thebes, that he once solved the plague problem, and because he is so smart and powerful he will do it again.
Even though "fate" seems to determine Oedipus' life, he does, in fact, have a free will.
Throughout Greek literature, fate has been an influential piece in the plot of many Greek pieces. In Oedipus The King, Oedipus, King of Thebes, knows his prophecy, in which he is to kill his father and marry his mother. He was sent away to be killed by his parents, but he was saved by a servant and became the son of the King and Queen of Corinth. When he learns of his prophecy, he decides to flee Corinth, to not bring pain to his parents. Oedipus believes he is able to disrupt his fate, but fate is set and cannot be changed. From other Greek literature like the Odyssey, gods manipulate the character, but eventually, the outcome is the same. In Oedipus The King, Oedipus’ peripeteia is when Teiresias is summoned, once Teiresias speaks the truth,
Which brings us to our title character Oedipus. There was a prophecy at birth that he would take the life of his father and then shortly after he would take his mo...
under our modern laws. It was every Greek's duty to harm his/her enemies, and as far as Oedipus knew, King Laius was an enemy. & nbsp; Queen Jocasta wasn't exactly guiltless, either. The great Queen had also. tried with King Laius to kill their son, and had no respect for the prophecies. of Apollo: "A prophet? Listen to me and learn some peace of mind: no skill in. the world, nothing human can penetrate the future. She was also the other half.
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.
In Oedipus The King, Sophocles presents a view of life fixed by fate. This fate, predetermined by the gods, is the sole factor in deciding human destiny. Tiresias expresses his understanding of the unchangeable fate of Oedipus, laid out by the gods, as he argues with the King about revealing the truth of all the Theban troubles. When Oedipus, frustrated by the lack of cooperation, insults Tiresias, he responds "I pity you, flinging at me the very insults / each man here will fling at you so soon."(322) Even more telling of the fated existence of Sophocles' characters is Jocasta's revelation of prophecies given before Oedipus' birth which foretold all that the gods had in store, which had indeed come to pass (332).
In “Oedipus the King,” an infant’s fate is determined that he will kill his father and marry his mother. To prevent this heartache his parents order a servant to kill the infant. The servant takes pity on the infant and gives him to a fellow shepherd, and the shepherd gives him to a king and queen to raise as their own. The young prince learns of the prophecy and flees from his interim parents because he is afraid that he is going to succeed. The young prince eventually accomplishes his prophecy without even knowing he is doing it. He murders his father and marries his mother unknowingly. While it may seem to some that Oedipus was destined to carry out his fate, it is also true that Oedipus’ personality led him to his fate.
Tiresias’s comment, “How terrible—to see the truth when the truth is only pain to him who sees” (359-360) suggests that the “truth” is already set in stone; all that is left is for the people involved with the truth to decide how they will handle with the truth. Oedipus’ later response to the truth confirms this. When the Chorus says, “How can I say you’ve chosen for the best? Better to die than be alive and blind” (1497-1498), Oedipus replies, “What I did was best—don’t lecture me, no more advice. I, with my eyes, how could I look my father in the eyes when I go down to death?” (1499-1502) and “My troubles are mine and I am the only man alive who can sustain them” (1548-1549). Instead of committing suicide to end his misery, Oedipus chooses to continue living because of his belief that he can sustain his pain. Sophocles makes it evident that this is by Oedipus’ choice rather than Apollo’s dictation, therefore demonstrating that characters have freedom over their reactions. Through the inclusion of such dialogue, Sophocles shows that characters still have true free will, though in a small
In today's society we let our lives be led by a certain force that we believe in very strongly. Yet, 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. In the play, Oedipus the King, that special force is also used and is known and defined as fate. This played an important role in the lives of the characters just as it plays one in our daily lives.
In Sophocles' "Oedipus Rex", fate truly is a huge factor in many scenes and events. According to ancient Greek belief, the word of God was fate, and fate was the word of God. Therefore, every event that ever happened was predetermined and unchangeable. Oedipus himself has been completely victimized by fate. In the beginning of the play, he was "fated" to kill his father and marry his own mother and conceive children with her. Since it was the word of Apollo, the god, to the Greeks it meant that it was unchangeable. Oedipus escaped Corinth, the supposed city of his birth, and ran far away. He happened upon an old man in the crossroads-a fated event. Though he did not know it at the time, when he killed the man, it turned out to be his own father-a prophecy he was destined by fate to fulfill (Elsom, 85).
In attempting to leave Corinth and prevent the prophecy to the best of his abilities Oedipus alleviates some of the guilt that he could carry. Oedipus’s true defense is his ignorance in not knowing that “Polybus was no kin. . .in blood” (1016), believing that he was doing the right thing to prevent the prophecy and leave Corinth, he hurt himself and unfortunately put into motion the elements needed for the prophecy to come true. One may also be tempted to blame Jocasta for her role in the prophecy coming true, however that is also unfair. Firstly it is important to remember that women had little to no power in ancient Greece, even if they were queens. It is a fair assumption to make that Jocasta had no choice in the matter of marrying Oedipus when he came to Thebes, he was the new king so she would marry him to maintain her power. In considering Jocasta’s innocence it is also important to remember that she did try to kill Oedipus as a baby, which, while morally is a grey zone, shows that she should not be held solely responsible for the prophecy coming true. Jocasta’s innocence could be
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.
In the play Oedipus the King, Sophocles affirms that the gods ultimately have the final say to control one’s destiny; however, an individual is solely responsible for the decisions he makes. Approaching near the climax, Sophocles sets up a fundamental conflict of the play, the need for Oedipus and Jocasta to perceive the immutable state of prophecy through the consequences that deliver itself when the gods fulfill their plans for one’s destiny. The messenger even describes the omnipotent power of the gods, and witnesses the augury of death proposed by the supernatural, finally stating:
But now, the king was killed by a foreign highway robber at the place where three roads meet-so goes the story” (1.1.791-796). The man he killed on that street was actually his dad. What Oedipus did not know, was that the people he thought his parents and ran away from, were just his adoptive parents. So if he had not been so set on changing his fate, then that awful fate the oracle predicted, might not have come true as he imagined.... ...