Both the concept of fate and free will played an equal part in Oedipus' destruction. Although he was a victim of fate, he was not controlled by it. Oedipus was cursed from birth to someday marry his mother and to murder his father. This prophecy, as warned by the oracle of Apollo was going to come true (as written in his fate), no matter what he may have done to avoid it. Whatever he did in the past, when he was born to manhood in Corinth, was his fate. And what he did at Thebes was his own free will. .
From the beginning of this tragedy, Oedipus took many actions leading to his own downfall. When he heard that Apollo said some unclean thing was the reason of the curse in Thebes, he could have coolly investigated the murder of the former King Laius, but in his rashness, he curses the murderer (unknowingly curses himself.) .
His pride, ignorance, insolence and disbelief in the gods, and his quest for the truth in the end lead to his destruction. When Oedipus was told that he was the murderer by Teiresias, he called the old man a liar; he could have at least thought of what he was doing before cursing the man. He ran away from his home, to think that he was going to be saved from the prophesy. .
Many tried to stop Oedipus from uncovering the past and not looking at the future, but it was in his fate that he had to know about his own life. Teiresias, Jocasta and the herdsman tried to stop him from pursuing the truth. For example Jocasta his wife, tells him after she saw that the prophesy was indeed true from the beginning, that ignore what has so far happened. "forget the past, uncover the future." Jocasta tells him that "What does it matter, What man he means? It makes no difference now Forget what he has told you It makes no difference." "In God's name- if you want to live, this must not go on. Have I not suffered enough?" (pg. 55; The Theban Play) .
At the end of this tragic story, when Oedipus takes out his eyes, the chorus asks him what god urged him to blind himself.
Fate vs. ... While he has free will to make his own decisions, fate continues to take control in the end. ... His free will and choice to avoid fate actually brought him closer. ... Oedipus accepts what will come of the city's fate. ... The author shows us that his free willed decisions and actions cannot defeat fate. ...
One of the oldest human quandaries is the question of whether our lives are controlled by free will or fate. ... In The Oedipus Cycle the theme of free will vs. fate is thoroughly examined through the tragedies of Oedipus, Jocasta, and several other characters. ... Oedipus exhibits his free will at other points in the story, and similarly, these actions don't deter fate. ... Yes, everyone has the power of free will, but this power will never become superior to that of fate. ... Oedipus, and everyone else in the legend is doomed by fate, no matter how much free will they may brandish. ...
I believe that Oedipus did have free will in this play. ... The debate over fate vs. free choice has been an issue for a long time. ... Bernard Knox believed that Oedipus had one free will. ... Oedipus also used his free will when he decided to run away from his parents to avoid his fate. ... I strongly believe that Oedipus did have free will, it just existed within fate and the limitations that went along with it. ...
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. ... 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. ... Therefore the last act of destruction was caused by Oedipus" free will, but his tragic fate came about because of the destiny Apollo had but upon him. ... Oedipus was doomed at birth by fate, Apollo had c...
