Oedipus Rex: Fate V. Free Will Essay, Research Paper

Oedipus & # 8217 ; unyielding desire to bring out the truth about Laius & # 8217 ; slaying and the enigma environing his ain birth, led him to the tragic realisation of his horrific workss. Teiresias, Jocasta, and the herder tried to halt him from prosecuting the truth. Take for illustration a portion of the last conversation between Jocasta and Oedipus. After recognizing that the prognostication had came true, Jocasta begs him to allow the enigma go unresolved for one time. & # 8220 ; No! By the Gods, no ; go forth it if you care for your ain life. I suffer. & # 8216 ; Tis plenty & # 8221 ; . Oedipus answers, & # 8220 ; I can non give my right to cognize the truth & # 8221 ; . He is unable to halt his quest for the truth, even under his married woman & # 8217 ; s pleading. For it is in his ain vain that he must work out the concluding conundrum of his ain life.

At the terminal of this tragic narrative, when Oedipus gouges out his eyes, The events in Oedipus the King, written by Sophocles, show an implicit in relationship of adult male & # 8217 ; s free will bing within the cosmic order or destiny that the Greeks believed guided the existence. Man was free to take and was finally held responsible for his ain actions. Both the constructs of destiny and free will played an built-in portion in Oedipus & # 8217 ; devastation. Although he was a victim of destiny, he was non controlled by it. Oedipus was destined from birth to someday get married his female parent and to slay his male parent. This prognostication as warned by the prophet of Apollo at Delphi was unconditioned and necessarily would come to go through, no affair what he may hold done to avoid it. His past actions were determined by destiny, but his escapades in Thebes were controlled by his ain free will.

From the beginning of this calamity, Oedipus took many actions taking to his ain ruin. He could hold endured the pestilence, but out of compassion for his agony people, he had Creon travel to Delphi. When he learned of Apollo & # 8217 ; s word, he could hold calmly investigated the slaying of the former King Laius, but in his haste, he condemns the liquidator, and in so, unknowingly curses himself. & # 8220 ; Tis a merely ardor for the cause of that slain adult male. And right it is in me that ye shall see me contending that cause for Phoebus and for Thebes & # 8221 ; .

In order for Sophocles & # 8217 ; play to be categorized as tragic, the tragic hero had to hold some kind of a defect. The hero & # 8217 ; s tragic defects are the qualities, which ultima

tely lead to his ruin. Oedipus’ pride, ignorance, crust towards the Gods, and grim pursuit for the truth finally contributed to his devastation. When Terrisias told Oedipus that he was responsible for the slaying of Laius, he became angered and calls the old prophet a prevaricator. He ran off from his place in Corinth, in hopes of outwiting the Gods Godhead will. Like his male parent, Oedipus besides sought ways to get away the atrocious fate told by the prophet of Apollo. The chorus warns us of man’s need to hold fear for the Gods, and the dangers of excessively much pride. “But if a adult male tread the ways of haughtiness ; fright non justness, honor non the Gods enshrined ; immoralities take him! Ruin be the award of his fatal pride! ”

the chorus asks him what god urged him to blind himself. Oedipus replied, & # 8220 ; & # 8217 ; Twas Apollo, friends, willed the immorality, willed, and brought the torment to go through! And yet the manus that struck was mine, mine merely & # 8221 ; . He claimed full duty for his actions. Oedipus was guilty of killing his male parent and get marrieding his female parent, but possibly the true wickedness ballad in his fanatic effort to raise himself to the degree of the Gods by seeking to get away his destiny. Ultimately Oedipus was judged for his pride in his conquerings environing Thebes. This opinion brought him a loss of everything and an expatriate from Thebes.

Although Oedipus was unaware of the facts refering the true nature of Laius and Jocasta, the extent of his offenses were still malicious. When he tears out his eyes Oedipus is accepting the full load of his Acts of the Apostless and knew that he must be punished for his wickednesss. Therefore the last act of devastation was caused by Oedipus & # 8217 ; free will, but his tragic destiny came approximately because of the function of the Gods in human personal businesss.

The chorus concludes this calamity by warning the Greeks that the lone manner to felicity is through humbleness and regard towards the Gods. They besides warn non to take anything for granted, or else endure a destiny like that of Oedipus.

& # 8220 ; Look, ye who dwell in Thebes. This adult male was Oedipus. That mighty male monarch, who knew the conundrum & # 8217 ; s enigma, whom all the metropolis envied, fortune & # 8217 ; s favourite. Behold, in the event, the storm of his catastrophes, and, being mortal, believe on that last twenty-four hours of decease, which all must see, and speak of no adult male & # 8217 ; s felicity boulder clay, without sorrow, he hath passed the end of life. & # 8221 ;