Fate and Free Will

The prologue's reference to Doctor Hesselius's essay on drugs and the prophetic fortune-teller suggest a deterministic undercurrent, yet the protagonist's choices—driven by desire and curiosity—actively lead him into the trap.

The oracle's predictions and the narrator's credulous acceptance suggest a belief in fate guiding his romantic destiny.

The narrator reflects on the 'terrible lesson' that shaped his later life, suggesting a providential intervention that turned him toward better paths.