The Interplay of Fate and Free Will in Sophocles’ Oedipus the King
Sophocles’ “Oedipus the King” explores the intricate tension between fate and free will through the tragic downfall of Oedipus. Despite his belief in human agency and reason, every choice he makes leads him closer to fulfilling the prophecy he desperately seeks to escape. Through dramatic irony, symbolism, and prophecy, Sophocles demonstrates that free will operates within the boundaries of destiny. The play ultimately reveals that human efforts to outwit fate only reinforce its inevitability.
References
Chen, Kai. “Determinism in Disguise: Reputation of the Theory that Sophokles’ Oedipus Has Free Will.” Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, vol. 664, 2022, pp. 1852-1856.
Sophocles. The Three Theban Plays: Antigone, Oedipus the King, Oedipus at Colonus. Translated by Robert Fagles, Penguin Books, 1984. Web.
Reference
StudyCorgi. (2025, October 18). The Interplay of Fate and Free Will in Sophocles’ Oedipus the King. https://studycorgi.video/the-interplay-of-fate-and-free-will-in-sophocles-oedipus-the-king/