Oedipus Rex by Sophocles - Fate vs. Free Will

The Greek tragedy Oedipus Rex, by Sophocles, was written to show the common people of Greece how powerful the gods are and that your fate is pre-determined and nothing you do can change that. According to some, all people are slaves to fate, especially the fate of Oedipus. He does this by showing how people in this story try to escape their fate and how it is no use because in the end, what the …

…gods. In conclusion, by the three examples that were provided above, it is clear that the purpose of this Greek tragedy was to show how fate can not be escaped and that your destiny is planned by the gods and nothing you do can change this. This also shows that although you may know your destiny, you can not do anything to change it and if you do, you will be punished by the gods