Oedipus Free Will versus Fate
“Oedipus the king”, a play by Sophocles, is a Greek tragedy that tells of the downfall of Oedipus, king of Thebes. Abandoned on a mountainside as a baby, Oedipus was adopted and raised as the son of Corinthian king Polybus. When a journey to Delphi foretold what horrible fate was in store for Oedipus, Oedipus flees Corinth and eventually becomes king of Thebes, after liberating Thebes from the riddling sphinx. Unbeknown to Oedipus, however, Oedipus murdered his birth father and committed incest with his mother. After a relentless search, Oedipus gouges his own eyes out and banishes himself. From being the mighty king of Thebes, Oedipus becomes a blind beggar. The events that had occurred show a relationship of mans free will existing within the universal order that the Greeks believed guided the universe. Man was free to choose and was ultimately held responsible for his own actions. Both fate and free will played an important part in Oedipus destruction.