Free Will In Oedipus The King And Julius Caesar

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.
As we look into Julius Caesar, Cassius, the plotter despised Caesar, claiming that Caesar is feeble, womanish, and sick. He believes that he is just as commendable human being as Caesar. He resented the

They both agree on the fact that fate led to death. Cassius, ceasar’s and Brutus death was by fate even if Cesar accepted his fate. In each play the main characters were warned about their upcoming events. In Julius Caesar, the Soothsayer conveys to Caesar, "Beware the ides of March," (Shakespeare 1.2.103). For on March 15th, it is predicted that something bad will happen to Caesar. In Oedipus the King, the Oracle of Delphi prophesied that Oedipus would kill his father and sleep with his mother: "You are fated to couple with your mother...you will kill your father, the one who gave you life!" (Sophocles 873-875). Despite this comparison, they both reacted to their fate in different ways. Caesar is too egotistical and ambitious and chose to ignore the Soothsayer: "He is a dreamer; let us leave him: pass," (Shakespeare 1.2.110), while Oedipus took it the oracle very seriously and fled Corinth: "I heard all that and I ran. I abandoned Corinth," (Sophocles Line 876). Another similarity is that both Oedipus and Caesar were caught in a series of situations, which eventually lead to their demise. Oedipus kills an old man without knowing that he had just fulfilled his fate by killing his father on his way away from his adopted parents. Caesar was driven by his ambition and arrogance that he ignored the warnings by the soothsayer and his wife, Calpurnia, to walk into his death at. They are both are led to their death because of