In five pages this paper considers the motivations of heroism, free will, and fate as they relate to the characters of Oedipus. There are no other sources listed.
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He is fully aware of the fact that he is responsible for someone elses pain and suffering, yet he is unsure whether or not to accept the applicable blame.
As protagonist, Oedipus ultimately ends up a tragic figure as a direct result of his inability to alter his lifes course. Defining this particular concept calls for ones
close interpretation of what the protagonists role truly represents; with that, it becomes quite clear how the lead character can so easily slip into the tragic state he eventually inhabits.
Through his difficult and sometimes life-changing experiences, Oedipus comes to recognize what his own self-knowledge has gained through various struggles with both himself and other characters. When assessing
the integral components that comprised each character, it is important to determine just how much of their actions were motivated by fate or free will; summation of all applicable elements
will likely lead one to conclude that determinism played a significant and essential role. In establishing the answer to whether Oedipus actions -
as well as those inflicted by other characters - were based in determinism or free will, it is essential that one understand the difference between the two representations. When
one is cast forward by way of determinism, it is as though one has absolutely no control over the various and sundry occurrences that take place during ones life.
Free will, on the other hand, speaks to the concept of having full authority over ones aspirations and ultimate direction, reflecting the exact opposite of those ruled by determinism.
Having grasped the meaning behind Sophocles version, it can easily be argued that Oedipus and the rest of the characters were more than significantly overruled by a preponderance of determinism.