Destiny, Fate, Free Will and Free Choice in Oedipus the...
The Role of Fate in Oedipus Rex
Before we approach this complex question inductively, we are at first obliged to contemplate what definitions and assumptions are being made. This essay, perhaps more so than others, requires a more extensive look at this aspect of the question, because of the sheer variety of possible responses. However, I now have reduced them to three possibilities. Firstly, we could make the assumption that perhaps as destiny controls all fates, then Oedipus' character was created long before he was conceived. On the other hand, we could also say that perhaps Oedipus' horrific fate came about because of his character and fate. The final possibility is that everything is inevitable – therefore no one ever has had ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...Yet if would be interesting to note that as this play is constructed along the lines of Aristotle's theory of tragedy, the way in which the play is constructed would try to convey the sentiment that fate was the overriding factor and thus could be a valid basis for the argument just outlined. But if we were to look at the play and interpret it according to our own value judgement system, then we could just as easily reject this premise. It all depends on how we would like to approach the play. And as there is no definitive, positive way of doing this, neither way can be said to be "right" or "wrong".
The next solution that I outlined to this problem was the idea that it could be a amalgamation of both destiny and character. At first this would seem to be a complete paradox, but if we extrapolate upon these ideas it should become clear. After all, how can anyone's character have any consequence if destiny is at work? During Oedipus we see many examples of how this can be resolved. When Oedipus (unbeknown to him) meets his father on the road, he could have decided to walk away and not react. However he decided to react aggressively, and thus kills his father. But theoretically, if his character had been different, fate could have returned later and tested him in different ways, perhaps then
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