Fate vs Free Will in Oedipus Rex
Fate is a crucial facet that plays a dominate role in a man’s life. Defined as a “fixed force in which the order of predestined events are defined” (Merriam-Webster, 2003), this paves reason for man to believe that their lives are controlled by a higher power or being. As much as each life is victimized by their predetermined fate, man is still free to choose their course of actions, and is ultimately responsible for his doings. In Sophocles’ Oedipus the King, the hero’s fate of murder and incest was predetermined by the Gods that controlled him, yet Oedipus’ downfall is attributed to the decisions and actions in which he performed. The play Oedipus the King primarily illustrates an underlying relationship of man’s free will existing within the cosmic order of fate which guides the tragic hero towards his ruin.
In the beginning of this tragedy, Oedipus learns of the prophecies that will take place in his life, and flees from Corinth in attempt to escape his fate. Instead, he falls into the trap of meeting his father, in his journey towards Thebes. It was his actions and free will that allowed for the prophecy to come true, as he recalls the murder of the mysterious travelers on his journey to Thebes, “… I killed him. I killed them all” (Sophocles, 819). He prizes his pride, honour, and excellence of his life above all else, yet as a hero, must choose between impending doom or an alternative “which if accepted would betray the hero’s own conception of himself.” In the end, he “refuses to yield; he remains true to himself to his physis, that “nature” which he inherited from his parents and which is his identity” (Knox, 8). The murder of his father is due to his inherited arrogance and inability to control his violent anger, leading to the simple refusal of stepping aside for a chariot to pass on a road, “… forced me off the road at his lord’s command; But as the charioteer lurched over toward me / I struck him in my rage.” (Ibid, 819).
