Preview

Fate And Freewill In Oedipus The King

Satisfactory Essays
Open Document
Open Document
271 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Fate And Freewill In Oedipus The King
Tapia 1
Reyniel Tapia Geiss 11/11/12

Oedipus Is Innocent

The difinition of gods in a polytheistic point of view are supreme beings considersd to have total control over a specific attribute. In the tragedy Oedipus the King, Grecian author Sophocles displays a topic that many people debate on: whether we believe in fate or freewill. Oedipus is king of Thebes. He came to his throne by killing his father and marrying his mother who abandoned him while he was young. The gods are all knowing and all powerful, so they had sealed the fate for Oedipus. Therefore, while Oedipus did make many mistakes, the gods are to blame because, because they control Oedipus’ fate and they put all the townspeople in Many mistakenly believe
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    How Is Odysseus Similar
    • 814 Words
    • 4 Pages

    How Is Odysseus Similar

    These gods controlled the humans' every move like if the people were puppets on puppet strings. In other words, gods controlled the fate of the humans. In The Odyssey, Zeus was pretty much in charge of everything including the search for the god- like Odysseus. Poseidon, the sea-god who had a grudge on Odysseus, was testing Odysseus' fate by making him undergo a wide variety of torments. Oedipus on the other hand, was living out a prophecy that the gods assigned his family that led to Oedipus' banishment from his own…

    • 814 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    How Does Oedipus The King Have Free Will
    • 1552 Words
    • 7 Pages

    How Does Oedipus The King Have Free Will

    Prepare for a trial in which you must defend King Oedipus against the charge of killing his father and having an incest relationship with Queen Jocasta.…

    • 1552 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Free Will In Oedipus Rex
    • 1231 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Free Will In Oedipus Rex

    Oedipus later finds out that even though he escaped his fate when he was born (when he was spared from death and crowned prince of Corinth), the boundaries of his free will led him back to the inevitable fate that the gods had in store for him. When Oedipus discovers this, he cries out and says, “Apollo, he ordained my agonies, these, my pains… I did it myself! What good were eyes to me? Nothing I could see could bring me joy.” (Sophocles, Ln. 1467-1473) Here, Oedipus is blaming Apollo for his troubles, but then goes on to admit that it was he too who was to blame for what happened. This shows the audience that as much as it was his free will that had a hand in his depression, it was also in the hands of the Gods, and that there is no escaping…

    • 1231 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Free Will In Sophocles Oedipus The King
    • 676 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Free Will In Sophocles Oedipus The King

    Oedipus the King, a play written by Sophocles, is the story of Oedipus and his prophecy. The prophecy stated that he would kill his father and marry his mother. Against all efforts to prevent this prophecy from becoming true, Oedipus discovers the truth behind his past and how he unknowingly fulfilled the prophecy. Was Oedipus responsible for his actions, or was he bound by the fate of the Gods?…

    • 676 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Fate And Free Will In Sophocles Oedipus The King
    • 820 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Fate And Free Will In Sophocles Oedipus The King

    In Sophocles’ O edipus The King, Oedipus was born with the curse that he would kill his father, Laios, and marry his mother, Jocasta. Oedipus tries to avoid his fate by running away from Corinth, however this causes him and Laios to meet one last time, and Oedipus ends up fulfilling the prophecy. With this in mind, the gods create a person’s predetermined fate, and no one can ever escape it, as Jocasta points out; “No mortal can practise the art of prophecy, no man can see the future.” (935). O edipus The King i llustrates t hat the gods have the ultimate power in people's’ lives rather than free will of the people, an individual cannot overcome fate because the gods determine their future, and personalities are chosen by the gods and as well…

    • 820 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Destiny In Oedipus The King
    • 669 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Destiny In Oedipus The King

    Living a life as a sovereign ruler is not always the peaceful, golden roads of glory one would think. In the tragic play of “Oedipus the King”, Oedipus completes a dreadful and long journey in which his respected and well-known position in the Greek city of Thebes crumbles because of his tragic flaw of ambition and hubris. The claws of the past are at the throat of the king and the audience begins to feel pity for Oedipus when his renowned name tragically falls down from grace.…

    • 669 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Fate In Oedipus The King
    • 565 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Fate In Oedipus The King

    The concept of fate is a controversial theme in literature, but the dilemma faced by Vulcan and Cryos shows that human destiny is inevitable and should be embraced instead. Inevitable is often defined as an unavoidable situation, one that is associated with impending doom. One such example is found in the tale of Oedipus Rex, the tragic hero of Thebes who is destined to kill his father and marry his mother. Oedipus learns that in attempting to run away from the prophecy, he fulfills it instead. After blinding himself in shame, Oedipus bemoans to his friends that “my measure of ills fills my measure of woe; Author was none, but I” (Sophocles 47). Oedipus laments the fact that he was the one who authored his fate as he tried to run away from it.…

    • 565 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Oedipus Free Will Analysis
    • 201 Words
    • 1 Page

    Oedipus Free Will Analysis

    The argument on whether free will or fate governs the destinies of human beings has been the main topic of various writings, such as the tale of Oedipus Rex written by Sophocles. Oedipus demonstrated to have a fulfilling praise life by many to see, however, he had a past or a fate unknown to him. His naive and stubborn personality made this lie an even greater tragedy. As Mike Kelley once said “Guilt is a powerful affliction. You can try to turn your back on it, but that’s when it sneaks up behind you and eats you alive. Some people struggle to understand their own guilt, unwilling or unable to justify the part they play in it. Others run away from their guilt, shedding their conscience until there’s no conscience left at all.” Oedipus guilt…

    • 201 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Oedipus's View Of Fate
    • 429 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Oedipus's View Of Fate

    The second paragraph Dodds is giving examples to support his view that fate does not make us determined in our ways. With the use of secondary sources Dodds is able to elaborate on his belief that Oedipus acted on his own will rather than being a forced by fate. Dodds made a reference to philosopher A.W. Gomme and Jesus Christ who both spoke about actions being fate bound. He cited Gomme because Gomme made it unquestionable that the gods may say something will happen but they do not give a direct order to make the act in question play out. Dobbs wanted to make the reader see that even though Jesus prophesied that Peter would betray it was Peter who did so at his own will. The person with the foreknowledge can share their knowledge with the person in questioning and they can acknowledge it. However, it is in the hands of the person who received the foreknowledge to…

    • 429 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Oedipus Free Will Research Paper
    • 716 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Oedipus Free Will Research Paper

    Free will is something that has always been questioned from the beginning of time. Do we really have the option of free will, or are we all destined to fate? The ancient Greeks believed in fate and that the gods had complete control over our lives. That concept is also believed in modern day society; Christianity believes that God has a plan for us and that our futures are already preordained. We see throughout the play that Oedipus’s life was prophesied from the beginning and as much as he tries to avoid it fate always seems to find him.…

    • 716 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Oedipus Fate Vs Free Will
    • 413 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Oedipus Fate Vs Free Will

    If the culture someone was in was very religious, Oedipus the King would be a play that explains how fate is too powerful to conquer. Oedipus’s fate was what caused his downfall, there was nothing he could do. Depending on what religion their culture is fond of, the god/gods would have wanted Oedipus to kill his own father, marry his mother, and stab his eyes out. Oedipus couldn’t have done anything about it. Fate led Oedipus to the crossroads as said in the play, "Short work, by god-with one blow of the staff" (Sophocles 189). Fate was the one that decided all his actions. If the audience was religious, they would have felt bad for Oedipus because there was nothing he could have possibly done to avoid his fate. On the contrary, in a culture where religion is not prevalent, free will would be the theme that is the most prominent. The whole play would be about how Oedipus chose to kill his father and marry his mother, due to his actions and decisions. For starters, Oedipus could have neglected the throne when he solves the Sphinx riddle. If he had refused to take the throne, he wouldn’t have married his mother and the situation all together. Not only that, considering he chose to find out about his fate, his free will is based on his drive for knowledge. Oedipus’s expressed this determination when he said, "Oh no, listen to me, I beg you, don't do this....Listen to you? No more. I must know it all, see the truth at last " (Sophocles 195). This quote expresses how his own ignorance led to his downfall in the end. He had the option of dropping the whole situation, but he decided to continue. If someone that grew up in a culture where free will was a common…

    • 413 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Examples Of Free Will In Oedipus Rex
    • 471 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Examples Of Free Will In Oedipus Rex

    “Failing to meet your true destiny is a tragic act of free will”-Unknown. In “Oedipus Rex” by Sophocles uses Oedipus to prove fate overcomes free will. The story take place in Thebes and theirs was plague that went around in the town and the king (Oedipus) wants to find the killer so they can stop terrorizing the people.…

    • 471 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Oedipus The King Free Will
    • 1244 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Oedipus The King Free Will

    Unlike the king that dies with his image and greatness, a self sacrificing individual dies with the start of their legacy. In the play Oedipus, the protagonist’s free will generates the downfall in the play which becomes clear that fate takes over his life. Oedipus, the protagonist, is still able to make his own decisions; however, he was mainly mortified based on his lack of judgment and his bad decisions throughout the play. Aristotle, the Greek philosopher considers this play to be a huge example of tragic drama and theory in it due to Oedipus’s terrible philosophy long ago. “Shepherd: There had been prophecies... It was said that the boy would kill his own father.” (64). Even though young Oedipus could not control the sociological causes during his childhood, he failed to acknowledge the truth about himself even when he was told by several other character in the play and still refuses to face his responsibilities.…

    • 1244 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Oedipus The King Free Will Essay
    • 1105 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Oedipus The King Free Will Essay

    Everybody has to be responsible for what they have done, and the inescapable fate would give a rise to a tragic ending. Compare to different tragedies, some of them would exhibit more remorse from audience about its tragic heroes. Two of the great tragedies are Oedipus Rex, by John Bennett and Moira Kerr and Prometheus, by Rex Warner. The character Oedipus in the tragedy Oedipus Rex definitely exhibits the highest degree of remorse from audiences, because the character goes from happiness to suffering, the uncontrollable fate, and often involving the deaths or suffering of their families.…

    • 1105 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Fate And Free Will In Oedipus The King
    • 566 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Fate And Free Will In Oedipus The King

    In Oedipus the King, fate and free will play a huge role throughout the storyline. Only one however brought Oedipus to his death and downfall. Both points can be argued greatly! The ancient Greeks acknowledged fate as a reality outside an individual that developed and determined their life. It is that mankind does have control over his or her individual life. I assume that fate does indeed lead to Oedipus’s downfall.…

    • 566 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More

Related Topics