Oedipus Rex Fate Vs Free Will

A tragic hero, as defined by the Greek philosopher, Aristotle, is a character whose actions lead to their own downfall. A perfect example of a tragic hero is Oedipus Tyrannus. This character’s life is discussed in Oedipus the King by Sophocles. Oedipus tries to outrun a prophecy that states he is fated to kill his own father and lay with his mother. As a result of this running, he only seals that fate. Oedipus becomes a king, but he is never shown as heroic or villainous. He is only a flawed human being, desiring to pave his own path and create his own future. This trait can be found in most of humanity. From this, Sophocles seems to be arguing that there are limitations to free will, and that humans have the potential for their desires and curiosities to lead to harmful consequences.
The play starts out with Oedipus …show more content…
If Oedipus had not learned of the prophecy and fled from his hometown, he would not have encountered Laius and killed him. This mistake of killing Laius sets in motion the tragedy of Oedipus. After a harrowing journey of trying to find out if he is indeed the killer, the prophecy is proved right. Oedipus seeks to kill his wife whom he now knows is his biological mother, finding she hanged herself in her chambers. In his despair, he gouges his eyes out. (Oedipus the King, p 33-188). The irony is clear; if he had remained blind to his future, his choices would not have created the figurative and literal blindness he undergoes. This builds the argument that human curiosity is not always a good thing, especially in the matters of fate. A chorus line exemplifies this, “Mortals have no deliverance from fated misfortune” (Oedipus the King, p. 188). Sophocles is arguing that dwelling on the unknown future will only have adverse consequences. That is seen through Oedipus who got an in-depth look on how knowing the tragedy of his fate resulted in his that