Fate vs Free Will

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Fate and the power of free will, major themes in the story of, Oedipus Rex. Both responsible for the outcome of the play. Fate is believed to be a predetermined outcome of a persons life controlled by a higher power, being the gods. Free will being the ability to control your actions, is also believed to be given to humans by a higher power in most religions. In the story of Oedipus Rex the two conflict with each other. Oedipus could have used his free will to change his fate as anyone can. Oedipus was given a prophecy by the oracle who gets his prophecy's straight from the gods. The prophecy is to sleep with his mother, and kill his father. The prophecy is god given so its presumed to be unavoidable, but if free will is also god given Oedipus could have easily avoided his fate and created a new one. “ I can tell you, and I will. Apollo said through his prophet that I was the man who should marry his own mother, shed his own father’s blood with his own hands. And so, for all these years I have kept clear of Corinth, and no harm has come. Though it would have been sweet to see my parents again” (II.III.944-949). Oedipus is aware of his fate and he tries to avoid it in the least effective way possible, by moving away from his parents. Oedipus does not consider the fact that they may not be his birth parents even though his suspicions should have bee raised when a drunken man tells him his parents are not his real parents “ At a feast, a drunken man maundering in his cups Cries out that I am not my father’s son” (I.II.735-736). His fate could have been avoided if he used his free will to not have and sexual relationships with any women older than him because it would be physically impossible to have a mother who is younger than you. Oedipus also could have avoided killing his father by simply not killing anyone. “ Since fate rules us and nothing can be foreseen? A man

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