Destiny, Fate, Free Will and Free Choice in Oedipus the King - The Fate

The Fate of Oedipus in Oedipus the King In Oedipus the King there comes a point in the play where Oedipus learns something that plays an important component part throughout the play. He learns from a oracle that he will eventually kill his own Father and sleep with his own mother. As one could surmise this is a shock to Oedipus, and he does not believe the oracle. However, he cannot prevent any of this from happening because it is his fate. Oedipus is a victim of circumstances beyond his control, his life had already been planned by the Greek Gods. Throughout the whole play there are references made to many of the ancient Greek Gods, for example, Apollo, Zeus, Dionysis, and Artemis are discussed quite often. In ancient Greece the people believed that if anything happened one of the gods had a reason for it. Each god was related to one specific thing like Poseidon being the god of the sea. They ruling that if there was a tidal wave or a hurricane it was because Poseido n was angry at them. This is the basis for my assumption that Oedipus had no control over his fate. First of all, when Oedipus is only if a baby his father, King Laius of Thebes, is told in an oracle that his own son will kill him. So, with the agreement of his wife, Jocasta, the babys feet are pinioned, and its given to a slave who is vatical to leave it to die on Mt. Cithaeron. However, the slave feels sorry for the baby, and gives it to a fellow shepherd from Corinth. The shepherd from Corinth presented the baby to the childless King of Corinth, who is Polybus, and he brings him up as his own. He gives him the name Oedipus, whi... ...d emotions of all the characters in the play. While doing so Oedipus could in no way control his own fate. The gods mislead him, and did not allow him to economise from his destiny. Oedipus was indeed a victim. A victim of circumstances beyond his control, and it just goes to show that it is impossible for someone to escape their own fa te. Works cited and Consulted Murray, Robert D. Jr. Sophocles chaste Themes. In Readings on Sophocles, edited by Don Nardo. San Diego, CA Greenhaven Press, 1997. Sophocles In Literature of the Western World, edited by Brian Wilkie and James Hurt. NewYork Macmillan Publishing Co., 1984. Sophocles. Oedipus Rex. Transl. by F. Storr. no pag. http//etext.lib.virginia.edu/etcbin/browse-mixed new?tag=public&images=images/modeng&data=/texts/english/modeng/parsed&part=0&id=SopOedi