The events in the tragic play, Oedipus Rex illustrates a mixture of fate and free will. Both the concept of fate and free will led to the destruction of Oedipus. Although he was a victim of fate, he was not controlled by it. Oedipus was destined from birth to marry his mother and murder his father. This prophecy was inevitable no matter what Oedipus may have done to avoid it. His past actions were determined by fate, but his decisions to flee from Corinth, murder an older man (which so happened to be his father and the King of Thebes), and to marry an older woman were that of his free will.
From the beginning of this tragedy, Oedipus took many actions leading to his own downfall. When Oedipus heard the news of his fate, he chose to flee Corinth, the city in which he lived. This was his first decision that led to his self-destruction. Also, as the new king of Thebes, Oedipus could have done nothing, hoping that the plague would end by some other means than to find the "sour" thing in Thebes, but out of compassion for his suffering people and his yearning to be the best king to his people he sent Creon to Delphi. When he learned of Apollo's word, he could have calmly investigated the murder of the former King Laios, but in his hastiness, he curses the murderer, and in doing so, unknowingly curses himself. "Whether it be a lurking thief, or one of a number I pray that that man's life be consumed in evil and wretchedness. And as for me, this curse applies no less if it should turn out that the culprit is my guest here, sharing my hearth."(59; l. 30-34).
Oedipus had many personal contributions that also led to his destruction. His pride, or hubris, ignorance, and belief that he could possibly outsmart the gods and fate, and his relentless quest for the truth all destroyed him. When Oedipus was told, after threatening Teiresias, that he was responsible for the murder of Laios, he became enraged and called the seer a liar.
