A common debate that's been present ever since humankind developed consciousness is whether of not there is fate, or is everything just coincidental. When we discussed this subject in class, God kept being brought up into the discussion and some presented a third option that God helps by providing assistance to make the "correct" decision but it is not certain. I side more closely with organized chaos than I do with with a set fate. I believe this because I look at it from more of a scientific viewpoint than I do a religious one. In Chemistry, the term entropy is defined as lack of order or predictability. This term suggests that even chemical reactions react upon coincidence, not fate.
In Oedipus, fate is very prominent to the point that whatever an oracle says will become true, even when he tried to fight the prophecy. In the poem fate is blamed on the gods and how they will control your actions until you eventually fulfill your prophecy. This is also shown in Beowulf because Beowulf believes the outcome of his fights will be decided by God and no one else. Both stories show belief that there is a supreme being(s) that controls how life flows. But it was discussed in class that Beowulf's belief in god was most likely due to the press of christian's trying to spread their religion. Also Greek stories were usually written to explain the unexplainable and since coincidence cannot be explained then the only option is to blame God for the outcome of something.
In the movie, The Butterfly Effect the plot revolves around a character that can change the past and after he changes the past, it alters the present he is in. This is because it is built on the idea that random acts occur which determines what type of future will brought about. This is also expressed in Men in Black III when the fifth dimensional being can see all the possible futures and it is all decided by certain actions of people, not a supreme being. These movies mirror my beliefs best, because the future is dependent on the actions that are presented to the individual instead of the individual's life being a maze and eventually they will reach the same destination no matter where they turn first.
