Freewill In Oedipus The King

Same as his parents, Oedipus does not compromise to the oracle easily, but his efforts are not efficient at all. Throughout his life, he endeavors to remedy his fate, but he still follows the gods’ plan unwittingly. When he first heard the prophecy, he banished himself from Corinth driven by the fear of killing his father and marrying his mother. Oedipus thought he would successfully avoid the fate as he “[ran] to a place where [he] would never see that shameful prophecy come true” (Sophocles 45). Ironically, during his exile, he accidentally killed his true father and married his mother. Interestingly, there were hundreds of roads for Oedipus to choose, while there were little possibilities for him to run into Laius. Nonetheless, he still

On the contrary, the consistency of Oedipus’ hubris is actually another evidence demonstrating the gods’ control over his fate. Supposedly, the plots develop as the gradual discovery of his origin, and Oedipus has the “freewill” to choose. In effect, his behaviors can be explained as a path set up by God. Normally, a person’s personalities significantly affect his decisions, and the arrogance embedded in Oedipus’ nature gives rise to his determination to quest the truth; hence, he claims firmly: “Nothing will move me, I will find out the whole truth” (Sophocles 61). He is destined to never stop the pursuit of the truth because his stubborn and arrogant personalities are designed as components of his fate. His personalities are fixed because his fate is irreversible. In addition, without the disobedience, Oedipus may not suffer from such a tragic, heroic outcome. As stated by the messenger, “Those calamities we inflict on ourselves are those which cause the most pain” (Sophocles 71). Regret and shame of disregarding the warnings and advice surrounding him should be the factors which completely destroy him: If he is modest, Jocasta may not die, and his daughters will not be despised. Therefore, his rebellion against the gods should be considered as part of fate, which consequently will never