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Fate, Freedom, And Flies: A Consideration Of The Flies And The Oresteia, Ann Taylor

Ann Connolly

Jean-Paul Sartre, as an existentialist, puts at the center of his works the question of freedom and responsibility. Existentialism posits the idea that “existence precedes essence,” thus leading to the conclusion that one is only what one makes him or herself to be through his or her actions; no purpose or meaning is pre-given to individuals. Sartre seems to be completely rejecting any ideas of determinism or fate as factors influencing one’s life. The Greeks, on the other hand, speak constantly of the impact of fate and the actions of the gods on the lives of individuals. Perhaps the most …