Fate Human Agency N Reason

The study of Greek Mythology, is one of broadness with a diverse array of narratives dating back centuries, which even today to modern audiences is as captivating and influential as it was centuries ago. When we look at Greek Mythology, we see various themes remaining central to many narratives. Fate, reason and human agency are no exception to this and are dealt with in various ways. The texts which I will use to examine these are as follows the set text: Sophocles: Oedipus the King, as well as the two excerpts: Plato's Apology and Homer's The Iliad. These will be discussed below and finally compared in the conclusion.

Fate can be defined as a power that is believed to control events . However fate as far as Greek mythology goes is not just fate. Fate does not always just happen in some instances the gods are able to meddle with the mortals fate, such as in The Iliad where the presence of the gods is great. Human agency can be defined as the capacity for human beings to make choices and to impose these choices on the world . Finally reason can be defined in its simplest form as the ability to think and make judgements2. However in regards to Greek mythology it is not so simplistic and involves more than just the ability to think but the need to solve problems and seek the truth.

During the 5th Century BC, Greek tragic theatre was one of a kind, drawing sizeable crowds; one such play was Oedipus the King which encapsulates the elements of tragedy. Tragedy is a serious play in which the main character, by some peculiarity of character, passes through a series of misfortunes leading to a final, devastating catastrophe2. The theme most central to this narrative is fate. Oedipus character contains the element of hamartia or the tragic flaw. Hamartia is the excessive defect in a character's behaviour that will contribute to his downfall . Oedipus's tragic flaw was his hubris which compels him to seek the truth. Oedipus's fate is revealed by Tiresias who says he will kill his father and sleep with his mother. Sophocles uses a range of literary devices to involve audiences and help develop themes of fate human agency and reason.

Dramatic Irony, used in Oedipus the King underlines the frustration and impeding doom of Oedipus. The myth of Oedipus is well-known to many audiences and so at the start of the play audiences are aware that Oedipus is in fact Lauis's murderer. Oedipus is unaware of this, however "I never saw the man myself" thus making it ironic to audiences. He also goes onto to say he will fight for Lauis "as if he were my father" (130, Sophocles) this again is ironic as audiences who know that Lauis is his father. When Tiresias reveal Oedipus's fate that he is indeed the murderer he calls Tiresias a liar and that his "eyes blind as stone" (422, Sophocles). The assertion by Oedipus is again ironic as although Tiresias is literally blind it is Oedipus who is blinded by the truth he refuses to see showing a lack of reason in this instance.

In addition, although fate has been pre-determined there is also a place for human agency in Oedipus the King. As although Oedipus is fate bound everything he does from the start of the play to the end are his own choices. Human agency is evident in most of his actions: he could have left Creon to succumb to the plague which swept the city, but compassion for his fellow citizens prompted him to consult the Delphi. When Apollo returned with the news of Lauis's death he could have ignored it; but piety and justice forced him to act. The list goes on to where he finally solves the riddle of the Sphinx, which is the riddle of his own life (Segal. E, 1983). This showing that his ruin or downfall was due to his hubris and his necessity to seek the truth, the truth which no oracle said he must discover this bringing the theme of reason into the play. Also E. R. Dodds goes onto to say "his self-mutilation and self-banishment are equally free acts of choice"3. Thus demonstrating that human agency played an immense part in the play and dramatically shaped the plot.

Alternatively, Homer's The Iliad follows the genre of epic. The epic is a broadly defined genre of poetry, which retells in a continuous narrative the life and works of a heroic or mythological person or group of persons2 . The Iliad focuses on the intricacies of fate and the gods and how they meddle with the mortal's fate. Both Hector and Achilles are aware that they are fated to die in battle. Book 22 illustrates how Hector confronts his fate, deciding to remain outside the walls of the fortified city, within which those who may defend him wait securely inside. Hectors father Priam and mother Hecuba upon seeing the advancement of Achilles, beg Hector to retreat back to the safety of the walls "So they wept, the two of them crying out to their dear son, both pleading time and again" . Hector fearless confrontation of his destiny is an extremely heroic action synonymous of an epic. Again human agency is present as Achilles and Hector alike both make many choices throughout using reason. For example, in book 22 Hectors choice to stay outside the safety of the walls when he could have easily

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