Free Will Essay

The Horrendous Choices Of A King
It has been said that our destiny will always come to pass. We have no choice in how our future will unfold because destiny shows the way. What is the point of life if we can not choose our future? Why should fate be the only path that we can take? In Oedipus Rex, a man named Oedipus is the king of Thebes. As a young man he discovers a dreadful prophecy about himself that is said will come true in the future. Oedipus runs away from his prophecy only to discover the truth about himself later on in the future. The choices that Oedipus made determine his path for his future.
Oedipus Rex is told about his prophecy and decides to run; he allows fear take control of him. Even the messenger can see that Oedipus is scared so he asks Oedipus, “and is this the fear that drove you out of Cornith?” (Sophocles 52). The messenger understands that Oedipus is making a choice to run away from what he is scared about. There was no divine sign or person telling him to go to Thebes. He goes to Thebes on his own without anyone forcing him to go. The messenger then goes on to say, “Can you not see that all your fears are groundless?’’ (Sophocles 53). The messenger has a point when he tells Oedipus that there is no reason to be afraid. The more that Oedipus worries about it, the greater risk of it happening. Oedipus literally drives himself towards his doom. He is so worried about not letting the prophecy pass that he is pulling himself into it. Oedipus makes the decision to stay far away from his parents to make sure that the prophecy does not come true.
Oedipus makes the decision to run away from his prophecy by staying as far away from the parents that adopted him as possible. Oedipus has a discussion with the messenger and during the conversation the messenger asks Oedipus if he would ever return home. Oedipus responds by saying, “ No: I will never go near my parents again” (Sophocles 52). The choice that Oedipus makes is to protect his family. He tries to protect his reputation and family by making the choice to never go near his mother and father again. Oedipus then explains, “And so, for all these years I have kept clear of Cornith, and no harm has come” (Sophocles 52). It has been Oedipus who has made his own choices to stay clear of his beloved family, and that is his decision to make, not someone else’s. Oedipus believes that he is making the best decision to keep his family and honor safe, but the worry is just driving him mad.
The thought that Oedipus might be adopted has really started to scare him. The thought that he could have still killed his father and married his mother makes Oedipus freak out about the prophecy. People are starting to notice that Oedipus is acting differently, especially his wife. Iocaste can see what