Destiny, Fate, Free Will and Free Choice in Oedipus the King - Fate and

Oedipus Rex, Fate, and the Modern cosmea In the two gram since Oedipus Rex was written, it has been analyzed and dissected innumerable measure and in every possible way. Usually the analysis has been in spite of appearance the scope of the play itself or within the context of other Greek tragedies. perhaps it would be more relevant and interesting to evaluate the play within the context of the modern world. In his play Sophocles brings up many questions which ar not easily answered. Does man ha free exit? What responsibilities does a man have for his receive actions? Should the inferior human intellect and despicable human reasoning be placed above obedience to unmatchables God or gods? Neither Sophocles nor the Greeks originated these questions. Thousands of historic period before the fourth dimension of the Greeks man worried that his life, and therefore his dowery, was determined by very virile gods. Hence much time and energy was spent praying and asking the god s to hire divine intervention to provide better hunting, weather, food, and other forms of good fortune. Thousands of years of superstition and spiritual worship evolved into Greeks religion, which was based on mythology and the belief that gods of the Olympus controlled the lives of men. Sophocles brings to illuminance the Greeks beliefs in several scenes as the gods are consulted through the oracles. In hotshot scene, Iokaste tells Oedipus that an oracle told Laios that his doom would be death at the hands of his own son. His son born of his flesh and mine (II. 214-220). Iokaste and Laios had asked an oracle about their tiddlers future (Oedipus) to have better understanding of the childs fate. Upon receiving this information, and realizing the tragic destiny o... ...learn there, I f he can, What act or pledge of mine may save the city. (II. 72-77) As the Greeks did two thousand years ago, the Indians of Guatemala do today. Oracles are consulted about every important exit i n their life. Not only do they go to their future, they also accomplish many futile attempts to change their destiny by offering food, money, inebriant or cigars to Maximon, Culiatlec, Kielem, or whatever god they believe to have the strongest powers. Without rise to power to resources or education, the Mayan Indian is destined to work his small plot of landed estate and barely survive on a diet of beans and tortillas. He will tinge young from hard work just as his father, majestic father, and every other ancestor since the beginning of time. If he tries to change his fate by taking up arms against his oppressor, he will dye even younger. In the same way