Oedipus the King: Free Will or Destiny? A common debate that still rages today is whether we as a species have free will or whether a divine source, some call destiny, control our destiny. The same debate applies to Oedipus Rex and Oedipus at Colonus. Is Oedipus in control of his actions, or are they predetermined by the gods? It's this question that makes Oedipus a classic, and many different people think many different things. With all the oracles and talk of prophecies, it is obvious that there is divine intervention in Oedipus. But how strong is he and how much control does Oedipus really have? Destiny, or divine will, manifests itself in many ways. First, in Oedipus at Colonus, there is the oracle of Delphi who tells Oedipus' parents, then himself, that he will kill his father and marry his mother. This eventually happens, proving that divine intervention is occurring. Later, the prophet Tiresias tells Oedipus exactly what the oracle did, thus making himself another example of the divine will, that is, the gods speak through him. Divine intervention is also abundant in Oedipus at Colonus. In it, Oedipus attempts to gain sympathy for himself by saying that all the sins he committed in the previous play were the work of fate, thus proving the point of divine intervention in Oedipus the King. There are examples of divine intervention that are only found in Oedipus at Colonus, like all the prophecies of the oracle. First, it is said that the city in which Oedipus is buried will be blessed forever. Second, it is said that whoever has Oedipus on his side in war will win. Finally, he predicts that Oedipus' sons will kill each other in battle. The three prophecies come true, thus proving the existence of divine intervention. Divine intervention is certainly present, but free will also has its place. Before the play even begins, Oedipus makes the choice to leave his “parents” and settle in Thebes. He then chooses, although ruled by anger, to kill an old man blocking his path, who is later revealed to be his true father, King Laius. Of course, it was fate that pushed Oedipus to kill his father, but free will that pushed him to kill Laius that day, in that way. After discovering that she had married his son, Jocasta chose to commit suicide. Nothing intervened or predicted his death, it was his choice.