Oedipus the King Essay

In Sophocles Oedipus the King, the themes of fate and loosen result are very strong end-to-end the play. Only adept, however, brought about Oedipus d ownfall and death. Both points could be argued to great effect. In antiquated Greece, fate was considered to be a rudimentary interpreter of workaday conduct. Every formulation of life depended and was based upon fate (Nagle 100). It is common whim to assume that mankind does indeed make rationalise will and each individual tramp regulate the outcome of his or her life. Fate and liberal will both decide the fate of Oedipus the King. Both sides of the argument rear be greatly supported.The Greeks believed in the idea that spirit of the individual greatly affected his or her life (Nagle 120). Their personality was what decides their own devoid will. A sweet man will make good purposes in his life an ignorant and stubinnate(p) man wont be so fortunate. The character traits of a person have a certain confirming or negat ive affect on the choices that he or she makes. For Oedipus, wizard of these attri stilles was the desire for know directge and fairness about his own existence. This driving military capability in the play led to the truth of his origin. This ties in with his own aspect of free will.His free will is based on his drive for knowledge. throughout the entire play, Oedipus pushes Tiresias, Creon, Jocasta, the prophesier, the messenger, and the shepherd for information regarding his wooinnings. Each one of these characters in just about way or form refused to give him a thorough answer. As he draws closer to the answer, a nonher character tries to stop his journey. Oedipus continues moving forrad even though others request he didnt. Oh no, listen to me, I beg you, dont do this. Listen to you? No more(prenominal). I must know it all, see the truth at last (Sophocles 195).His desire for truth unploughed pushing him to continue his search, ultimately leading to his downfall. The e ntire clipping Oedipus had the capability to discontinue the plight. However he make the independent purpose to continue. Another instance where choices directly linked Oedipus to the divination was at the crossroads. Oedipus demonstrates an important trait in his character, stubbornness. This trait is visible when Oedipus reacted to the man pushing him past at the crossroads. the one shouldering me aside, the driver, I strike him in anger . I killed them allevery mothers son (Sophocles 189).In ancient times when a caravan was coming down the road they normally pushed you to the side. Oedipus didnt like this and flipped out, killing all of them. It was his stubbornness that caused this to happen. His personality led to the decision to kill the caravan and unknowingly, his father too. If he were a wise and content man, then his decision would have differed. When Oedipus defeated the Sphinx by puzzle out the riddle, he could have refused to take the missing kings throne. He cou ld have also declined to marry the former kings wife, unsuspecting that the queen was his own mother. He accepted both of these without any regrets.If his decision was different it might have altered the course of events in the future. His personality made sure that the decisions went the way they did. These choices were made by Oedipus with his own free will, his own decisions. He didnt have to accept these gifts, unless did no(prenominal) the less. These conclusions would lead to his own demise, but they were his own mistakes, not fate. Free will stooge also be found in the actions of Jocasta and Laius. The choices they made were not made by their own judgement, but rather reactions to a power that neither of them was prepared to deal with.Upon hearing the vaticination that foretold the future sins in their household they made a harsh decision out of fear. They had subatomic Oedipus sent to die at the foothills of a mountain. This reaction seems very cruel, but back in anci ent times it was very natural. Being that an oracle foretold the prophecy, Jocasta and Laius responded as any Greek parents would. They solved the problem by removing Oedipus from the equation, but in the end their decision wasnt the right one. This leaves the readers of the play to marvel what might have happened if Jocasta and Lauis neer sent Oedipus to die as an infant.Would the prophecy still have taken place? It seems that it wouldnt have, because Oedipus wouldnt have engaged in the misled wandering after he left his adopt home. Oedipus would have had no reason to fulfill the prophecy, but that is some other interrogate that we dont know. On the other hand, if Oedipus didnt listen to the prophecy suggested to him in Corinth, he never would have returned to Thebes to carry out his destiny. all(a) these instances can be looked at that free will was the deciding factor. Was it real? Fate can also be looked upon in every instance, as a strong argument against free will.Oedi pus desire for knowledge can also be looked at by the standpoint of fate. He was born with his own stubbornness. The Gods themselves made him that way and it can not be changed. No matter what his decisions were, their gift to him will lead to the path they gave him. He cant escape the fate the Gods have disposed him. He kept pushing farther and father, but it just led to his downfall. Nothing he could have done would have stopped that. The prophets make this clear in their prophecies throughout the text. each the premonitions they say come true.They cant be avoided because the Gods made you with your personality and it controls your life. Ultimately they control you. When Oedipus reaches the crossroads, it was fate that led to the events that took place. gip work, by god-with one blow of the staff (Sophocles 189). This quote reveals that the gods did play apart in the events that took place. Oedipus prophecy was to kill his own father. Unwillingly because of his stubbornness Oe dipus in love down and did indeed kill his father. Because the gods gave him this trait, his fate was unavoidable.The traits of Oedipus would generate the right while of events that would eventually lead to his prophecy coming true. Oedipus personality was the cause of the events. His free will blended in with the fate given to him by the gods. All together it was fate that decided these actions. The prophecy given to Lauis and Jocasta is also another example of unavoidable fate. Even though it wasnt there own choices to get rid of their son, their reaction to the prophecy set up the events for the future. If they never sent Oedipus to die at the mountainside, he most likely never would have killed Lauis at the crossroads.Their reaction was to a message given to them by the Gods. The Gods dictated what was going to happen. They told the prophet to give out the prophecy. Leading to the vanquishing of unforesightful Oedipus. All along every action leads to ones fate in life. The g reat show of fate in the text is when Oedipus gauges his eyes out with the well-fixed clips. He does this in reaction to the events that take place. Oedipus was aware that he all was responsible for his actions and gauged his own eyes out. That is the free will standpoint on the issue. Oedipus was at the same time not responsible for his actions.The gods controlled his personality and wherefore controlled the outcome of his life. If Oedipus realized this he might not have taken his own sight. The gods use their power to provoke humans free will. They were responsible for the demise of Oedipus, but in the same time persuade the human that it was there fault. Free will and fate can be related to every aspect of Oedipus the King. The gods who control fate manipulate the cerebration and concepts in humans free will. Ultimately fate is what overcomes all. It may not seem like it, but free will was given to mankind by the gods or God.So in turn the gods decide the fate of everybody when they created man. It was already decided and can not be changed. ace can still argue the position that free will is more dominant, but if you relate to creation and how the gods made man, fate overcomes. In Oedipus the King, Sophocles made it clear to his fellow Greeks that mankind has the ability, even with prophecies and oracles, to make choices free from define of divine forces. He also shows that fate does play a part in humans lives too. They tie into each other for a direct balance. Overall, fate is the divine power that controls free will and determines ones life.