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Fate and Freewill as Presented in Sophocles’ Oedipus the King
The term fate, as described in the dictionary, implies that it is an event that has been
developed outside the individual's control and would be propagated through supernatural powers.
Consequently, the event would pose as contrary to the term used to explain free will, which is
defined as the act of performing without constraint at an individual’s discretion. Through
understanding Oedipus the King, it is evident that Sophocles established the concept of fate and
free will as a poignant factor in portraying the character of the king.
The abstract indicates that the gods established fate, which they believed could not be
opposed as it was part of reality and was revealed by the oracle of Delphi. The messages that
came from the oracle could not be disputed, and they were final. The abstract implies that the
gods had the fate of the people and would not pass without being revealed to them. Similarly, the
gods knew what the future of the people was, and it would be revealed in the shrine (Sophocles
1778). The fate, which is associated with the tragic event throughout the story, is established at
the beginning through the words of the oracle. According to the prophecy during his birth,
Oedipus fate, according to the oracle, is that he would kill his father and his mother would be his
wife. His parents, Jocasta and Laius, decided to send him to the mountains to die while he was a
baby. They wanted the prophesy not to be true as they bore his ankle and tied him as they left
him. The action would be termed as a free will by the parents with the aim of countering fate.
