Does Oedipus Deserve His Fate

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The eyes of the gods watch carefully over all of Thebes, a city cupped in the hands of Fate. Those trying to jump out from those hands plunge to their death into the dark abyss below. In traditional Greek lifestyle, no one dared to challenge the gods and their infinite power, in fear of being smitten to Hades. However, there are, on occasion, holes in which the gods’ intimidation leaks through – this case being Oedipus and his true parents. Attempting to change the prophecy proved to be in vain, for obvious reasons. By attempting to change their fate, Oedipus and his parents had attempted to escape from the gods, only to find eternal damnation lurking below. The gods above controlled each and every person’s fate, it was impossible to…show more content…
When he forces himself into exile, such a demise can seem pitiful, a peripeteia. However, each of the characters is human, and all humans make mistakes in their lives. When Oedipus took responsibility for his fate, he took his fate out of the hands of the gods, so to speak. In many respects, the irony is that while Oedipus is treated unfairly by fate, and is also the instigator of the events that constantly bombard him. Oedipus uses free will, although fate molds the result of the decisions he made. Oedipus is free and completely responsible for all the events that happen to him. The fact that Oedpius’ motives for killing his father, Laius, and marrying his mother, Jocasta, were unintentional, does not take away from the nefarious nature of the crime. When he rips his eyes out, Oedipus is accepts full responsibility of his acts and knew that he must be punished for his sins. Therefore, the last act of destruction was caused by Oedipus’ free will, but his fate came about because of the nature equivalent exchange – one must give in order to

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