Oedipus The King: Fate Vs Free Will

In 429 BC, the famous playwright Sophocles wrote one of his most prominent works: Oedipus Rex. In this ancient tragedy, Sophocles displays the Oedipus complex. In such a plot, the main character is in love with his mother, but hates his father (unknowingly). Throughout the story, Oedipus struggles to acquire the knowledge about his past. Though this play may be regarded as incestuous, Sophocles depicts a much deeper theme: Fate vs. Free Will. Does one really control his actions, or are we chained to the decisions made by our destiny? When Oedipus was sent off to be killed as a child (by his parents), it was his fate that allowed him survived because the person assigned to execute the task couldn’t do it in the end. (Line 1360) “HERDSMAN: O master, I pitied it,
The whole reason for Oedipus to be sent away (from Thebes) was the fact that the prophecy had suggested that Oedipus would kill his father. Yet, fate requires him to return to the city where he was only closer to the dangers of the prophecy. His return to Thebes was his fate pulling him closer and closer to his inexorable demise. It is interesting how one may think that he himself is controlling his actions, yet he doesn’t realize that what he thinks is only what his fate allows him to think. The Fate vs. Free Will puzzle has been very controversial in the past. The answer to this very complicated puzzle lies in one’s moral values, because in the end that's what one chooses to believe. Oedipus possesses a sense of pride and ego. This feeling blinds him from seeing the truth because he essentially doesn’t want to believe the truth. One cannot change his fate, but he can merely change its course. One’s destination has and will always be the same. Sophocles beautifully portrays this theme in his well-written tragedy: Oedipus