Oedipus Fate Vs Free Will

If the culture someone was in was very religious, Oedipus the King would be a play that explains how fate is too powerful to conquer. Oedipus’s fate was what caused his downfall, there was nothing he could do. Depending on what religion their culture is fond of, the god/gods would have wanted Oedipus to kill his own father, marry his mother, and stab his eyes out. Oedipus couldn’t have done anything about it. Fate led Oedipus to the crossroads as said in the play, "Short work, by god-with one blow of the staff" (Sophocles 189). Fate was the one that decided all his actions. If the audience was religious, they would have felt bad for Oedipus because there was nothing he could have possibly done to avoid his fate. On the contrary, in a culture where religion is not prevalent, free will would be the theme that is the most prominent. The whole play would be about how Oedipus chose to kill his father and marry his mother, due to his actions and decisions. For starters, Oedipus could have neglected the throne when he solves the Sphinx riddle. If he had refused to take the throne, he wouldn’t have married his mother and the situation all together. Not only that, considering he chose to find out about his fate, his free will is based on his drive for knowledge. Oedipus’s expressed this determination when he said, "Oh no, listen to me, I beg you, don't do this....Listen to you? No more. I must know it all, see the truth at last " (Sophocles 195). This quote expresses how his own ignorance led to his downfall in the end. He had the option of dropping the whole situation, but he decided to continue. If someone that grew up in a culture where free will was a common
Antigone can be seen as a heroine that tried to please the gods at all times or a rebel that doesn’t take the king seriously. Oedipus the King would be seen as either free will or fate, according to the culture the audience grew up