It may seem ironic that in such a large number of cases the outcome of some specific actions is completely different from what is expected. The number of times you wonder how quirky or inexplicable certain causalities seem or how things could turn out exactly the way you want increases as you grow up. This unusual sequence of events leads to ideas of destiny and fate. Some people claim that there is no way to control your life because it has been planned in advance for you in a precise and unchangeable way. Despite all efforts and actions, one cannot escape one's fate. Others think just the opposite. According to them, your life is a matter of your own choices and decisions, and you are the sole owner of your destiny. Marva Maynard Hobbs says you should watch your thoughts because they become words. Watch your words, because they become actions. Watch your actions, because they become habits. Watch your habits, because they become your character. Watch your character, because it becomes your destiny. While in the third chapter of the Presbyterian Confession of Faith it is declared that God, from all eternity, has freely and immutably ordained, by the wisest and holiest counsel of his own will, whatever happened . (Presbyterian Confession of Faith, chapter 3, section 1). The contradiction between the two quotes mentioned above is presented similarly in two old literary works of the 24th century, Sophocles' Oedipus the King and Aristophanes' The Clouds. In Oedipus the King, Oedipus is the main character and the entire tragedy focuses on his life. He grew up with the idea that he was the son of Polybius and Merope, the king and queen of Corinth, until someone who had a f...... middle of paper. ..... the king and Strepsiades respectively. Oedipus' rationality is symbolized by his humor "But I, coming by chance, I, without knowing anything, put the Sphinx to flight, thanks to my mind - not thanks to divination!" (Sophocles, Oedipus the King, 391-399). In The Clouds of Aristophanes, this element is presented by Socrates rather than Strepsiades. The reason why it is important to emphasize the characteristic of rationality is because it affects the actions and decisions of the main characters. Lacking rationality, Oedipus uses as an excuse an imagined plot organized by Creon and uses his wits to refute Teresias's statement that the murder he was Oedipus himself was so eager to punish. On the other hand, Strepsiades is easily swayed by Socrates' persuasion to deny the existence of deities other than the Clouds. Works Cited The Clouds of Aristophanes Oedipus the King by Sophocles