An individual life is governed by the forces of fate that takes away autonomy and only leaves destiny as the road an individual will travel on.
Despite Queen Jocasta’s individual effort to change her destiny, that she could stop her son from murdering his father and herself will marry her son, she was unable to do so. Even though she gives up her son to death in the useless hope to avoid fate, the oracle seals her destiny. However, later on, she herself admits that “chance rules our life”, for she realizes that all that efforts are not enough to change the predestined course of her life. Jocasta’s calm and reasonable brother, Creon, also support the philosophy that simple mortal do not control life, but gods control human’s destiny. Calm and in control, he announce to Oedipus before his self-proclaimed banishment, by saying that, “god will decide not I.” therefore, it shows that no one can predict their own future because what happenings in our life are decided by a greater force than humanity that is the control of the gods and human beings have little say in their destiny.
Even when others interfere in one’s life, fate will in the end have its way.
Jocasta and Laius try to escape the horrible prophecy set down by the god by giving up their new born son to a terrible death. However, the control of the god reign and the baby does not die, but lives. Oedipus, like his real parents tried to exercise free will in determining his destiny rather than that control by the gods. Once Oedipus hears of his fate from the oracle that he is to murder his father and marry his mother , Oedipus flee from Corinth to save his “parents” lives and so shows that he is willing to do anything, including giving up the throne, to make sure the prophecy does not come true.
Yet, this very act leads him directly towards his fate, it is fate that drives him towards Thebe, the place where his destiny began. As well as placing him on the three crossroads where he angrily killed his real father laius. in addition, the efforts of the shepherd further add to the belief that humans cannot escape the control of the Gods, in his claim that “I hadn’t the heart to destroy it,” thereby ultimately allowing fate to continue in its path.
Some humans, however, are able to exercise free will and control their own life; their lives have not been predetermined by destiny from the gods.
Teiresias exercise free will to determine his own destiny, as such circumstances have not been imparted on him. Although cursed with blindness for he “lives in perpetual night”, Teiresias may exercise his own wish in his actions and is not restricted in his ultimate fate by the workings of the gods.
Creon, jocata’s brother and Oedipus’ brother in law and uncle, has all the rights of a royal couple with none of the kingly responsibilities, for he claims that “who in his right mind would rather rule and live in anxiety than live in peace, mainly if he enjoys the same authority.” Unlike Oedipus who has had his fate set out for him from birth, Creon has not been give with such a tragedy, and so allows “chance to rule his life,” “living each day as best he can.” Likewise
Since human beings often suffer great pains in order to discover their true selves, it is ultimately the powerful and dominant Oedipus, whose “name is known afar,” who pays a very high cost for such revelations. At the same time as demonstrate free will to show himself to be a king with little self knowledge, his passionate and dogmatic nature leads him on this path of self- discovery. However, fate also has its way, for ultimately he suffers the indignity of a man who has committed the most dreadful of crimes.
