Sophocles and Euripedes on Fate

“Fate has terrible power. You cannot escape it by wealth or war. No fort will keep it out, no ships outrun it.”

 

and Fate for Euripedes                                             

Fate is the universal principle or ultimate agency by which the order of things is inevitably predetermined; it is also known as destiny. Free will (or self-determination) is the ability to direct one’s own actions by spontaneous, uncontrolled decisions. An examination of the function of fate and self-determination in the literary composition and a dramatic performance of the tragedy Medea will determine what effect the theme has in each medium.

Euripides’ Medea is the ancient Greek tragedy about a woman seeking revenge against her husband, Jason, by killing her children, because he abandoned their family to marry a princess. Whilst the central action in the film remains the same, director Lars von Trier’s 1988 made-for-television adaptation of Medea, written by Carl T. Dreyer and Preben Thomsen, takes the issue of fate versus self-determination and examines it more in terms of the less central characters, like the children and the princess Glauce. By examining the level of self-determination (if there is any at all) of Jason, Glauce and the children, the effects shall become clear.
In Euripides’ play, Jason believes that he is determining a better life for himself and his children.  In reference to his new marriage, Jason tells Medea that “Here I will prove that, first, it was a clever move. Secondly, a wise one, and finally, that I made it in your best interests and the children’s.” He believes that through his own logic, he has willed a better fate. This has instead lead him to his own downfall, as many other characters in the play recognize. Their Nurse states that “God indeed, when in anger, brings greater ruin to great men’s houses.” The Chorus possess this knowledge as well, saying “You too, O wretched bridegroom, making your match with kings, you do not see that you bring destruction on your children and on her, your wife, a fearful death. Poor soul, what a fall is yours!”
When her murderous deeds have been revealed to him, Medea puts the blame not on herself, but on Jason, telling him that “The gods know who was the author of this sorrow.” In von Trier’s film, Jason’s (played by Udo Kier) motivations appear to be far more complex (despite still claiming he has done this for Medea [played by Kirsten Olesen] and the children. He feels not only like he is fulfilling his duty to his king and country, but also lust for Glauce (played by Ludmilla