Oedipus The King: Free Will Vs. Fate Essay, Research Paper

Oedipus the King: Free Will vs Fate

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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 which the Greeks believed guided the existence in a harmonious intent. Man was free to take and was finally held responsible for his ain actions. Both the construct of destiny and free will played an itregal 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 what he did in Thebes, he did so of his ain will.

From the beginning of this calamity, Oedipus took many actions taking to his ain ruin. Oedipus could hold waited for the pestilence to stop, 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 passionately curses the liquidator, and in so, unknowingly curses himself. & # 8220 ; Upon the liquidator I invoke this curse- whether he is one adult male and all unknown, or one of many- may he have on out his life in wretchedness or day of reckoning! If with my cognition he lives at my fireplace, I pray that I myself may experience my curse. & # 8221 ; ( pg. 438 ; lines 266-271 )

In order for Sophecles & # 8217 ; Grecian audience to associate to the tragic figure, he had to hold some type of defects or an mistake of ways. This brought the character down to a human degree, raising in them the fright that & # 8220 ; it could go on to them. & # 8221 ; And Oedipus surely is non one without defects. His pride, ingnorance, crust and incredulity in the Gods, and grim pursuit for the truth finally contributed to his destuction. When Oedipus was told ( after endangering Teiresias ) , 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, 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 adult male & # 8217 ; s need to hold fear for the Gods, and the dangers of excessively much pride. & # 8220 ; If a adult male walks with arrogance of manus or word and gives no attentiveness to Justice and the shrines of Gods despises- may an evil day of reckoning smite him for his doomed pride of bosom! – if he reaps additions without justness and will non keep from impiousness and his fingers itch for untouchable things. When such things are done, what adult male shall plan to screen his psyche from the shafts of the God? & # 8221 ; ( pg. 452 ; 975-984 )

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, Jacasta begs him to merely allow the enigma go unresolved for one time. “I beg you- do non run this out- I beg you, if you have any attention for your ain life. What I am enduring is enough.” ( pg. 461 ; 1158-1161 ) Oedipus answers, “I will non be persuaded to allow opportunity of happening out the whole thing clearly.” ( pg. 461 ; 1166-1167 ) He is unable to halt his quest for the truth, even under his wife’s pleading. For it is in his ain vain that he must work out the concluding conundrum, the conundrum of his ain life.

Upon find of the truth of his birth from the herder, Oedipus calls, & # 8220 ; I who foremost saw the light bred of a lucifer accursed, and accursed in my life with them, cursed in my killing. & # 8221 ; ( pg. 465 ; 1300-1303 ) Oedipus knew that his destiny had so come to go through and feels cursed by it. The chorus so sings an ode on the sorrow of life and the tragic destiny to which even the most esteemed, like Oedipus are finally capable. & # 8220 ; What adult male, what adult male on Earth wins more happiness than a seeming and after that turning off? Oedipus you are my form of this, Oedipus you and your destiny! Luckless Oedipus, whom of all work forces I envied non at all. ( pg. 465 ; 1305-1311 )

At the terminal of this tragic narrative, when Oedipus gouges out his eyes, the chorus asks him what god urged him to blind himself. Oedipus replied, & # 8220 ; It was Apollo, friends, Apollo, that brought this acrimonious resentment, my sorrows to completion. But was the manus that struck me was none but my own. & # 8221 ; ( pg. 467 ; 1450-1453 ) 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. The chorus chants about how in prosperity, he was envied by all work forces, he was honored highest above all awards, and how he won felicity by pride ( by butchering the Sphinx, and by seeking to lead on the God & # 8217 ; s will. ) But, how finally, Odipus was judged for it, doing a reversal of luck in his comfortable life.

The fact that Oedpius & # 8217 ; motivations for killing his male parent, Laius, and marrying his female parent, Jocasta, it does non take away from the hideous nature of the offenses. When he tears at his eyes with his Jocasta & # 8217 ; s brooch, 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 nature of the cosmic order ( that every wickedness must be punished ) and 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, ( qualities which Oedipus lacked, and finally led to his devastation. ) They besides warn non to take anything for granted, or endure a destiny like that of Oedipus. & # 8221 ; You live in my hereditary Thebes, behold this Oedipus, – him who knew the celebrated conundrum and was a adult male most consummate, – non a citizen who did non look with enviousness on his lot-see him now and see the surfs of bad luck swall him! Look upon that last twenty-four hours ever. Count no mortal happy boulder clay he has passed the concluding bound of his life secure from pain. & # 8221 ; ( pg. 470 ; 1643-1670 )