Oedipus was fated to kill his father and marry his mother. Upon learning of this prophecy, his father tried to kill him, in an attempt to avoid fate. Oedipus himself tried to avoid his fate unsuccessfully. Many characters in Greek mythology have attempted to do the same, including the gods themselves, but invariably, they have all failed miserably.
The subject of fate is one that intrigues and disturbs many. No one likes the idea that their lives have already been predetermined. There is no clear definition of fate. Does it obstruct free will? What is fate? Does fate control every step in ones life, or just the end results of ones actions?
I believe that fate is not a force that controls every action of an individual. I do not believe that fate is controlled by the gods. In Greek mythology, the gods are just as flawed as humans; the only difference is that they are more powerful. The gods are not exempt from the clutches of fate.
Fate determines where one's life will lead--where his actions will take him. No matter how hard one tries to avoid fate, they will fail. Oedipus tries to avoid his fate, but in the end, his predicted fate becomes a reality. There are many ways by which he could have led his life--many different paths he could have taken, but in the end, the all lead to the same place. Oedipus's tragic flaw is that he believes he is above fate. He believes that he will be able to determine his own path and disregard what the oracle predicted. However, I am forced to wonder whether or not this character flaw was a determining factor in his fate. Had he been born with a humbler sense of his personal power in terms of his own future, would his fate not have been so sad? The fact that Oedipus somehow presumed that he would be able to determine his own fate illustrates a certain arrogance--hubris. Disregarding the fact that his intentions were noble, in that he was attempting to avoid murdering his fathering and having sex with his mother, they were still arrogantly presumptive in the eyes of the gods. (370)
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