Puppet of Fate or the Creator of His Own Fate

Puppet of Fate or the Creator of His Own Fate

Introduction

Fate played role in everyone around Oedipus and himself. When Laios and Iocaste had Oedipus they took him to the Oracle at Delphi, there they were told of Oedipus' destiny; to kill Laios and marry Iocaste. The couple decided to pierce his feet and abandon him on a mountainside by a Shepard. The Shepard didn't follow through and gave Oedipus to a herdsman from Corinth, where he was then raised by Merope and Polybus. As Oedipus grew into a young man, he eventually discovered so as to he is not their biological child and also learned of the prophecy he was given. Fate then stepped in again when Oedipus tried to outsmart his destiny by feeling to Thebes from Corinth. He then ended up at a division of three roads; he chose one which then led him to the murder of Laios. After that he ends up in Thebes and marries Iocaste. The choices Oedipus made played role as freewill which reflected his destiny.

Discussion

In the play Oedipus, Rex by Sophocles, many philosophical questions are raised by Iolaste's judgment on the oracles. The chorus responds to these judgments at first as the gods are all knowing and anything said otherwise is blasphemous. Then they seem to go into a rant about how if the gods are not right in their prophecy then everything they say is not law. In the end of the play it is revealed that you cannot avoid the word of the gods.

Laios, and Jocaste frightened that their destiny wasn't good to them as their pleasure. The words on that fright of destiny by Jocaste, "An oracle was reported to Laios once (I will not say from Phoibos himself, but from his appointed minister at any rate)"(Oedipus Rex, 36).

Iokaste raises many philosophical questions about the oracles judgment. The chorus responds two different ways to Iokaste. The first way is that they think that the gods are all knowing. Then the chorus flips the coin by saying if the gods end up being wrong then there is no fate and man determines his own destiny.

In the end of the play it is shown that man cannot avoid his destiny. You can see this in the conclusion of the play when Oedipus finally realizes his fate. He was the killer of his father ...