How Fate Can Influence Free-will
In the play, Oedipus Rex, written by Sophocles, Laius received a prophecy stating that his son would murder him and lay with his wife. This prophecy directly influenced Laius's decision making on how to raise his son. Laius had his son exiled from Thebes to die. Laius's son now named Oedipus was saved from death so both Laius's and Oedipus's fate would come to fruition. The prophecy sent from Apollo, god of light and music, led Oedipus to make decisions such as where to live, who to live with, and how to interact with family members. In the end Oedipus's fate did come true despite the grand measures taken to prevent it. However, the true tragedy of the play was not Oedipus's fate, It was Oedipus's search for …show more content…
The play starts out with Oedipus saying “ I have been weeping much/ and wandering many roads of the mind”(Sophocles line 71-72). Oedipus is trying to uncover the mysteries of life through his own intellectual search. This act of thinking and searching one's innermost thoughts was very popular in Ancient Greece with nobles, the most prominent of which were philosophers such as Plato and Aristotle. Plato who wrote The Republic and talked about the intellectual search, similar to that of Oedipus's search for the truth. "the business of us who are the founders of the State will be to compel the best minds to attain that knowledge which we have already shown to be the greatest of all -- they must continue to ascend until they arrive at the good; but when they have ascended and seen enough we must not allow them to do as they do now". What do you mean ? I mean that they remain in the upper world : but this must not be allowed; they must be made to descend again among the prisoners in the den, and partake of their labors and honors, whether they are worth having or not".(Plato Book 7) This quote from Plato's The Republic shows how intellectuals in ancient Greece should not only seek the truth, but also to share it with others. Oedipus does in fact share with the people of Thebes, the crimes against nature that he committed. Sophocles lived at the same time as Plato and very likely came into contact with his work. Oedipus learning of his fate and showing it to his people was meant to showcase Greek philosophy. When Oedipus uncovered his crimes he showed that spreading knowledge is more important than one's personal happiness, this philosophy was widespread in ancient Greece and showed how one should use their own free will to enlighten others. While Oedipus did slander those who spoke the truth of his actions earlier in the play,
In the play, Oedipus Rex, written by Sophocles, Laius received a prophecy stating that his son would murder him and lay with his wife. This prophecy directly influenced Laius's decision making on how to raise his son. Laius had his son exiled from Thebes to die. Laius's son now named Oedipus was saved from death so both Laius's and Oedipus's fate would come to fruition. The prophecy sent from Apollo, god of light and music, led Oedipus to make decisions such as where to live, who to live with, and how to interact with family members. In the end Oedipus's fate did come true despite the grand measures taken to prevent it. However, the true tragedy of the play was not Oedipus's fate, It was Oedipus's search for …show more content…
The play starts out with Oedipus saying “ I have been weeping much/ and wandering many roads of the mind”(Sophocles line 71-72). Oedipus is trying to uncover the mysteries of life through his own intellectual search. This act of thinking and searching one's innermost thoughts was very popular in Ancient Greece with nobles, the most prominent of which were philosophers such as Plato and Aristotle. Plato who wrote The Republic and talked about the intellectual search, similar to that of Oedipus's search for the truth. "the business of us who are the founders of the State will be to compel the best minds to attain that knowledge which we have already shown to be the greatest of all -- they must continue to ascend until they arrive at the good; but when they have ascended and seen enough we must not allow them to do as they do now". What do you mean ? I mean that they remain in the upper world : but this must not be allowed; they must be made to descend again among the prisoners in the den, and partake of their labors and honors, whether they are worth having or not".(Plato Book 7) This quote from Plato's The Republic shows how intellectuals in ancient Greece should not only seek the truth, but also to share it with others. Oedipus does in fact share with the people of Thebes, the crimes against nature that he committed. Sophocles lived at the same time as Plato and very likely came into contact with his work. Oedipus learning of his fate and showing it to his people was meant to showcase Greek philosophy. When Oedipus uncovered his crimes he showed that spreading knowledge is more important than one's personal happiness, this philosophy was widespread in ancient Greece and showed how one should use their own free will to enlighten others. While Oedipus did slander those who spoke the truth of his actions earlier in the play,