ipl-logo

Does Oedipus Have Free Will

664 Words3 Pages

Does Oedipus Have Free Will?
Philosophers throughout the ages have debated whether our choices and actions change the outcome of our lives. Some philosophers believe we define our lives with our actions. Others, such as Sophocles, believe that we each have a fate, and our actions cannot change that fate. In Sophocles’ drama, Oedipus the King, despite Oedipus’ best efforts, he could not avoid his fate. Oedipus’ fate is inevitable; none of his actions can change the outcome determined by the gods. Oedipus’ fate is already determined hundreds of years prior to his birth. It is decided by the curse that Apollo’s oracle placed on Cadmus, one of Oedipus’ ancestors. Cadmus is called by the gods to found the city of Thebes, but he needs to find a source of water. “Cadmus had to kill a dragon guarding the water supply. This dragon, unfortunately was Apollo’s …show more content…

Polybus and Merope, Oedipus’ adopted parents, never tell Oedipus that he is not their biological son. “Because Polybus was no kin to you in blood” (2, 1110). Oedipus does not know that he is not Polybus’ son until after he has both married his mother and killed his father. “But he was paid back full and presently my stick had struck him backwards from the car and he rolled out of it. And then I killed them all” (1, 905-8). Oedipus kills all the men in the coach: an old man and three others. The old man in the carriage was his father, King Laius. It is an unlikely coincidence that Oedipus should meet his father on the road and even more improbable that his father would unknowingly attack his own son, and the son would then kill him. Oedipus does not know until after the fact that this man is his father. Oedipus also does not know his wife is his mother until many years after they are married. The mounting quantity of coincidences can only be explained by the inevitability of Oedipus’

Show More
Related
579 Words | 3 Pages

1. In Oedipus Rex, the audience already knows that Oedipus killed his father, the king. Oedipus himself is still trying to figure out who killed the king of Thebes but he doesn’t know that he is the one who killed the king until the very end of the play. We as an audience already know the prophecy foretells that Oedipus will kill his father and marry his mother. An ironic quote is “Then hear, I’ll not be proved a murderer.

Read More
478 Words | 2 Pages

S.E. Hinton realistic-fiction novel, ‘‘The Outsiders,’’ It takes place with the main character Ponyboy and his crew and with them, and the Socs fighting each other all the time they see each other. Some people think the central theme is ‘‘Hating’’ but, I argue it is ‘‘Respect everyone’’ as evidenced by Hinton use of descriptive language, dialogue, and sentences. From the beginning, Ponyboy talks about his brothers, being a Greaser, and how it is being a Greaser and the members of the group. Hinton had also told about how Darry (Ponyboys older brother) treats Ponyboy bad but for Darry he just looking out for Ponyboy (pg.2-3).

Read More
1585 Words | 7 Pages

One of the many philosophies examined in both Sophocles, Oedipus the King and William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar is fate versus free will. In both dramatic plays, the idea that fate and free can work side by side is supported. Shakespeare and Sophocles allow the theme of fate and free will to wind its way into the downfall of major characters in world literature. In Oedipus and Julius Caesar there are different interpretations of the concept of fate and freewill. Each has different fates and limits of free will that contributes to their death.

Read More
776 Words | 4 Pages

Oedipus fails to overcome the fate that has been set out for him by the gods. Though the case was different for him, as unlike Hamlet, Oedipus really couldn’t have done anything to avoid his fate of killing his father and marrying his mother. He believed that his real parents were in Corinth and the best way to avoid his fate was to flee the city. Unfortunately for Oedipus, what he had not known was that he was adopted, and his real parents lived in Thebes, the city he fled to. It was nearly impossible for him to have avoided his fate.

Read More
345 Words | 2 Pages

Fate and free will co-exist with each other in life and in the story. Oedipus clearly had the conversation of his fate and his destiny. The oracle told him that he was going to kill his father and bed his mother. But he thought that his father was Phoebus, and in order for him to “run away” from this prophecy, he CHOSE to run away instead of accepting his fate.

Read More
732 Words | 3 Pages

Benjamin Disraeli wrote, “Circumstances are beyond control of man; but his conduct is in his own power,” in his book, Contarini Fleming. In other words, a man cannot control the situations of everything that happens in both the world and in his life; however the way he reacts to the circumstances in his own power. This quote is true to the characters of many works; none were able to forcefully change the circumstances of their surroundings. Even then, they were able to behave however they wanted to, which would alter the environment and the outcome of their lives. The same applies to Sophocles’ Oedipus the King-- he was presented with many situations he couldn’t control, but was able to react to them based on his own judgement.

Read More
1826 Words | 8 Pages

Also, Oedipus' fall from happiness caused by the pain of his mother's decision to hang herself can be attributed to free will since the play does not give a prophecy from the oracle about her death. Therefore, some of the things that lead to the fall of Oedipus such as the death of his mother could be prevented by free

Read More
408 Words | 2 Pages

In Sophocles' Oedipus the King, the themes of fate and agency are very strong throughout the play.  Both sides of the argument can be greatly supported.   The attributes of a person have either a positive or negative affect on the choices that they make.   For Oedipus, his main attribute was the desire for knowledge and understanding about his own life. Because of this strong will and desire, this was Oedipus’ driving force in the play to lead him to the truth of his beginnings.

Read More
1210 Words | 5 Pages

There was and still is a huge dispute on whether Oedipus deserves the fate he was given or if he should have carried out with his free-will. The human society depends greatly on this topic as well, meaning do we control our fate or is it already chosen for us. With Oedipus’s situation, many people believe his fate was chosen years ahead by the god’s instead of letting him carry out his actions to face the consequences. That argument is what truly makes the story of Oedipus a classic story. After all the dispute, the fact that Oedipus got what he deserved is what should have happened, especially for all the sins he committed.

Read More
811 Words | 4 Pages

In Oedipus the King, by Sophocles, Oedipus continually attempts to change his fate. His actions, however, directly result in the outcome he has tried to escape. In accordance with a prophecy, Oedipus kills his father and marries his mother. Upon discovering what he has done, in a dramatic act with many witnesses present, Oedipus gouges out his own eyes in despair. Despite all of his attempts at evasion, Oedipus finds that his fate is inevitable, and that he can never go against the gods’ intentions.

Read More
1916 Words | 8 Pages

In “Oedipus the King”, Sophocles clearly represents the Greek belief in fate controlling a man’s life despite man’s supposed free will. Man had free will in making decisions and ultimately was held accountable for his actions. Predestined to marry his mother and kill his father, Oedipus was moderately channeled by fate. Throughout “Oedipus the King”, the idea of fate and free will plays a major part in the destruction of Oedipus; however, Oedipus himself has free will in making decisions and ultimately is held accountable for his actions. Sophocles makes meaning in the play by reducing the role of the Chorus and integrating it into action more than other playwrights of his time making the Chorus a minor character, using dramatic irony extensively and effectively, and forcing Oedipus to extreme limits as a tragic hero.

Read More
316 Words | 2 Pages

The Greeks heavily believed in fate, and the story Oedipus is all about fate and how you have no control over it. In Oedipus, the main character Oedipus leaves his parents after he finds out in a prophecy that he would end up killing them. He tries to change his fate by running away but unknowingly fulfills the prophecy. I believe that Oedipus is innocent of the acts that he committed. “TIRESIAS: Speak not to these or me.

Read More
1552 Words | 7 Pages

Oedipus’s wrongdoings were caused by his actions but fate plays a role in controlling his life. A person might ask what is fate? Fate is the story of your life written with ink so it could not be changed, so free will does not exist because everything a person does is destined to be their fate. For Oedipus the king, his fate was more like hell on earth. Even before he was born the prophecies that were sent for his parents about him were not so good.

Read More
1597 Words | 7 Pages

The Freedom of Oedipus is the Freedom of Thebes: Why Oedipus Cannot be Free Until the Truth is Exposed In Sophocles’ Oedipus Tyrannus, the theme of human fate versus free will is explored in the age-old tale of the king of Thebes who inadvertently murdered his father and married his mother. The play opens with Oedipus, a strong man and compassionate leader whom the audience can easily admire. By the closing of the play, a journey of self-discovery has lead Oedipus to his fall from kingship and exile from the city he loves, as well as the suicide of his wife and his self-blinding.

Read More
1224 Words | 5 Pages

The destiny that Oedipus was attempting to avoid, was the destiny that he was also fulfilling. Fate is defined as a destined outcome; nothing can alter that no matter what is tried. Anyway, it was too late for Oedipus to do anything about it, for the many factors that contributed to his death were irreversible and dormant until the very ironically tragic end. Oedipus tried to master fate and it ultimately mastered him.

Read More

More about Does Oedipus Have Free Will

Related Topics

Open Document