In Oedipus Rex, both themes of individual action and fate strongly play and overlap each other and ultimately help in determining the overall destruction and demise of the king, further analysis of the play shows that free will itself and the actions that Oedipus takes determines his own downfall due to flawed characteristic traits that if were happen to not exist would lead to a totally different end product and outcome. Oedipus possesses free will, and even though the Oracle predicted his fate, prophecy, and what he will do, his drive for knowledge and unveiling these prophecies merely helped it all become a reality. Throughout the play, it is evident that Oedipus is not only ignorant and temperamental, but he also goes through life with an impulsive nature and an indefatigable, remorseless, and persistent attitude to find out the truth.
Oedipus’s flawed character aspects and traits
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From possessing flawed characteristic traits such as ignorance, stubbornness, temper and even excessive pride (hubris), which is evident when Oedipus gets the prophecy from the oracle when he is young that he will one day kill his father and marry his mother, he runs away thinking that he has tricked and outwitted the gods but unknowingly follows the correct path to fulfil the prophecy that was set. Oedipus, in this case, believed that he could get away from running away from a proclaimed prophecy which was a sin at the time, which he already he knew, but let his excessive pride in the way of his thinking. These flawed characteristics and aspects of Oedipus are the very things that led to his demise and overall destruction. If it weren’t for them then he very well could of lead a normal life for much longer perhaps. Though free will by itself didn’t cause all of this destruction, in hand with fate, Oedipus’s own choices helped him uncover his horrific deeds and put into play the devastating prophecies that were