Oedipus and Maze of Destiny Essay -- Literary Analysis

Responsibility is key to living a life that is ones experience. In the play, Oedipus Rex, by Sophocles, The tragic protagonist, Oedipus, was afflicted with a harsh sense of guilt once he learned that he has killed his father and married his mother. The play presents this appalling outcome through a soothsaying that leads the audience to assume that Oedipus, like the rest of humanity, has little control over their destinies. People of the time when the play was first written, as well as many an(prenominal) Christians today believe that God has a plan for everyone, but they ar still responsible for the choices they make. In a life of uncertainty, people must assay not to be afraid of what may lie ahead and press forward. Many tough decisions must be made that will develop aspects of their characters along these paths, which were separately designed for specific people. In this sense, life can be thought of as a maze. In Oedipuss case, he was given a top about one of the paths w ithin his maze. Another thought that exemplifies the significance that free will holds, is seen in elements of Sophocles classic, which revealed that Oedipus had more knowledge over the details of his dilemma than he let himself become conscious of. The last idea will reveal how the onset of fear will push people down a treacherous path of risk and pain, which is also seen in the play through multiple characters. Free will is an attribute that all people possess. It could work as a tool to get individuals through the scary twists their lives may entail. It could also work against them in many ways, which depends on the level of human weakness and ignorance. But, the most central assertion that can be made after considering the argument of, fate vs. free will, is that... ...e individual and lays out the structure of the life that this person was meant to wander. Similar to God, Apollo could all predict the different paths that Oedipus would take. The unchangeable factors of life have a large effect on how a person lives, but this does not mean that they are not the leaders of their own destinies. The knowledge of what was to come made Oedipuss journey much more complicated, but it was his duty to deal with it in his own way, because this maze was his own to bid upon. Works CitedSophocles, Frederic Will, and Bernard Knox. Oedipus the King. New York Pocket, 2005. Print. Sophocles, Frederic Will, and Bernard Knox. Critical Experts. Oedipus the King. New York Pocket, 2005. Print.Abcarian, Richard, Marvin Klotz, and Samuel Cohen. Literature the Human Experience. Boston, MA Bedford/St. Martins, 2010. Print.