FATE AND FREE WILL IN OEDIPUS REX.

Fate and free will are the most debated concepts. Fate dominates humans. Free will lands us into various troubles because the decisions and determinations are circumstantial and situational. Having choice could ameliorate the matters of humans but one is bound to cut ones coat according to cloth. 

Oedipus Rex is partially based on free will and partially based on fate. Both have been aptly discussed taking references from the original text. The play propagates the beliefs  and  ideas cherished by Greek masses in general. Common people usually were staunch believers of determinism . The highest authority, Oracle of Delphi, was unchallengeable. Its word was ultimate and no one could even doubt its predictions. Oracle had already made a prophecy that Oedipus will murder his father, Laius, and marry his mother, Jocasta. This prophecy is final and can not be parried even if one tries to. According to this prophecy Oedipus is bound by his fates and can not be spared by anyone. He kills his father and begets his mother fulfilling the foreseeing of the Oracle. Through this fulfillment of prediction , Sophocles strived to highlight that fatalistic beliefs are true and one can never overpower ones fates. He diffused his deterministic ideas by showing Oedipus grappling with his fates and finally surrendering before his fates. The second reference one can cite to show that Oedipus suffers due to his fates, is the futile struggle of Oedipus`s real parents to avoid the prophecy of Oracle . They left their child at lord`s mercy  on the mountain to die but he was saved to materialize the same predictions. This also shows that fates turned out cataclysmic for Oedipus and ruined him completely. Oedipus ironically thinks Polybus and Merope are his biological parents. He leaves them believing that he would avoid the anticipations of Oracle but audience know that he goes to do reverse of his intentions. One the way he fulfills one prophecy of murdering his father. Fates have played jokes with him. He considers himself wise by resolving the riddles of sphinx but he is ignorant of his approaching doom, winning the queen and marrying her. This rouses spectator`s sympathy . They feel for him and pity him but simultaneously they fear and pray not to encounter similar fates. 

Who knows truth is so bitter? It is not always pleasing . One needs gallons of fortitude to know truth and be satisfied over it. The tale of Oedipus is pathetic and pitiable. Above, it has been justified that fates played a huge part in the devastation of the protagonist . Here in this portion, i will quote references from the text and argue how only fate is not responsible for his doom. His free will equally played its part in ruining the peaceful life of the Oedipus. It is paradoxical that Oedipus while struggling not to be the victim of prophecy of Oracle actually headed to fulfill it. He left Polybus and Merope resolute to change prophecies but it is here that he committed a blunder out of his own free will. He could have easily freed himself from the clutches of fates by not trying to change them. Staying where he was was an opportunity for him to protect himself. The moment he left Polybus and Merope, his doom started ruining him. He did not stop here only. He stubbornly wanted to know the cause of plague in Thebes. Here he is himself  responsible for his destruction. Being ambitious turned out to be his tragic flaw that drowned him completely. He was even advised by Jocasta not to dig up buried truths but he did not stop. After knowing whole reality, he severely punished himself. He could easily stop himself and not add to his ruin but he stepped ahead unwisely and left no stone unturned to destroy himself. Here he , out of free will, took wrong decisions and paid the price.

In summation, it can be argued that this tragedy bases itself both on fate and free will. Fates were unchangeable for Oedipus but he misapplied his free will as well. In both ways , Oedipus suffered, he suffered till end.