The Workings of Destiny, Fate, Free Will and Free Choice in Oedipus the

Fate in Oedipus Rex Sophocles tragic tale of Oedipus presents the proofreader with a very bleak view of mankind and the world in general. According to the story, every person is predestined to enact a portion scripted by fate, a mysterious power that rules even the superlative of Greek gods (Hamilton, 27). In this tale, the source of this fate is not as move in as its function. The first of many allusions to fate in Oedipus the force comes from the chorus, which calls upon the gods Athena, Artemis, and Phoebus (Apollo), ternion averters of Fate, (Sophocles 163) to save Thebes. The phrase implied that the gods could help man avoid the dictates of fate, but that they cannot variegate fate. Sharing the terrible facts of Laius death, Teiresias tells Oedipus It is not fate that I should be your ruin, Apollo is equal it is his care/to work this out (Sophocles 376-378). The prophets pronouncement links fate and Apollo, even so he suggest... ... the Sphinx in its puzzling presence and ruthless punishment of the innocent. If Oedipus the King does not define fate, it aptly demonstrates its workings. Works Cited Greene, David and Richmond Lattimore, Eds. Greek Tragedies. second ed. Vol. 1. Chicago U of Chicago P, 1991. Hamilton, Edith. Mythology. New York Penguin, 1969. Sophocles. Oedipus Rex. An Introduction to Literature, 11th ed.Eds. artless Barnet, et al. New York Longman, 1997.