Arrogance In Oedipus The King

Throughout the play Oedipus the King written by Sophocles, there are many themes portrayed, however hubris appears to be a prominent trait. Oedipus, the main character displays such pride that impacts his ability to perceive and understand the past as well as interact with others. When pronounced King of Thebes, he is filled with pride from such honor. The citizens of Thebes glorify him and come to him for help and comfort in their time of need. However, Oedipus doesn't treat them with the same respect, referring to the townspeople as his "poor children" (Sophocles 65) even though they are all adults. Oedipus also believes he is more valuable than everyone else for "his suffering is greater" (Sophocles 67) and he "suffers the most" (Sophocles

The ancient adage “Pride goeth before a fall” symbolizes a common trait seen in tragic heroes meaning that their pride and arrogance are a significant factors in their downfall. This is mainly because their pride in themselves makes them feel like they are untouchable and everything they do is right. But what they don’t realize is that these traits make them ignorant to what others tell them or anything they hear that makes them look bad. In the play Oedipus Rex , The main character Oedipus is clearly the character that best fits this idea. His pride in himself is what makes him ignorant to the truth and what other characters in the play tell him. Also, it prevents him from accepting his true fate which he cannot avoid. But it is also his pride

Oedipus causes his own downfall through his arrogance. He thinks that Teiresias is falsely accusing him of murdering Laius when Teiresias says, “…you are the murderer whom you seek” (Sophocles 1264). Teiresias then tells Oedipus that the man who he seeks will be brother and father to his children and husband and son to his wife. Oedipus’s hubris is also a major cause of his downfall. Because he tries to escape what fate has in store for him, he ends up falling right into what was planned

In Oedipus Rex, Oedipus faces a terrible tragedy mostly caused by his own insecurities. Sophocles literally shows us the human nature for always wanting to know more information about ourselves no matter the cost. Had Oedipus not cared about what was being said about him and left well enough alone he could have avoided his whole predicament and lived a happy life with his wife and children.

The theme of hubris can be seen throughout Oedipus The King, and is the reason for the downfall of more than one character. Oedipus’ parents, are the first to commit hubris; instead of letting destiny take its course, they acted as if they were more powerful. They attempted to destroy their child and change their fate. Oedipus’ adoptive parents also commit hubris, as they lie to him about his past. Like his parents, Oedipus’ believes that he can change his own destiny. His hubris leads to him being irrational, and jumping to conclusions without first analyzing things. This is what leads him to eventually kill his biological father. Oedipus might have been able to save his biological mother’s life, had he not been too

Pride and arrogant dispositions appear in Oedipus the King from the main character because he believes he is the best. Oedipus’ prideful attitude causes his own fate, which is not what he expected. On the other hand, Oedipus’ pride is the result of his power he possesses. Subsequently, his arrogance causes him to become paranoid because he is scared of losing his hierarchical position. Hence, in Oedipus the King, the main character shows arrogance in the event of how he achieved the title that he holds.

Oedipus has problems because at the very beginning because of his arrogance. Oedipus blindness affects everyone. However, he does not change and continues giving orders till the very end until he tells Creon to bury his mother/wife and deport him. Without realizing it Oedipus actions which are full of arrogance has a negative effect on him and everyone else that surrounds him.

How can a powerful being fall so far when they let their own pride take over and consume them? In the play, Oedipus Rex, we take a close look on how a great king abuses his power for his own pride and desire only to then have it all taken away. There's a popular statement that holds a lot of truth to, “it takes an eternity to build up a good reputation , but it only takes a split second to have that reputation crumble.” Oedipus had his own pride challenged in many ways and unfortunately instead of the caring king that everyone knew and loved, oedipus believed his pride was more important. In Oedipus, sophocles shows how with excessive power and pride, anyone can easily lose sight of putting those whom you care for and putting yourself first could lead to a tragic demise.

Oedipus has a very short temper building anger, leading him to have poor judgement. Rash anger led him to unknowingly kill his real father, King

After his famed victory over the sphinx and rise to power, Oedipus tragically destroys and devours the good fortune and joy of his family and himself, after he realizes his crimes and exiles himself, embodying the original curse set upon him. However, this devouring is not as sudden as it may appear; it begins to unfold before the play even formally starts.

In ‘Antigone”, Ismene says, “To them that walk in power; to exceed is madness, and not wisdom”. Her statement makes it clear, those who “walk in power”, allow it to corrupt them. Throughout the history of humanity there has been a correlation between those who have excessive power and corruption. Webster’s Dictionary defines corruption as, “impairment of integrity, virtue, or moral principle”. In the story of Antigone the tragic hero Creon, shows all of the common characteristics of corruption. Before one can analysis the character of Creon they would first have to look at the story of Oedipus the King.

Benjamin Whichcote once said, “None are so empty as those who are full of themselves.” The words ring true through the character Oedipus whose tragic flaw of arrogance brought his downfall. In his timeless play, Oedipus Rex, author Sophocles unflinchingly illuminates the haughtiness and hubris displayed by the hero Oedipus. Through his candid exploration of the ship/captain and light/dark motifs, Sophocles makes an effort to ultimately bring the reader to the realization that arrogance creates an illusion to the truth and the potential dangers such pride poses for both the guilty party and those for whom the arrogant are responsible.

"Listen to me. You mock my blindness, do you?/ But I say that you, with both your eyes, are blind" (I, 195-196). With these memorable words, the sightless prophet Teiresias all but paints the entire tragic story of Sophocles' Oedipus the King, one of the most prominent pieces of Greek literary heritage. Greeks knew and loved the story of Oedipus from childhood, just as children today cherish the story of Cinderella. In his version of the beloved tale, Sophocles concentrates his attention on the events directly leading to Oedipus' destruction, portraying Oedipus as a helpless pawn of fate. The most prominent literary device is dramatic irony, primarily of the spoken word, through which--especially in the Prologue--Sophocles captures

In the play Oedipus the King by Sophocles, Oedipus exemplifies a man whose hamartia is that he does not know himself. Hamartia is a fatal flaw leading to the tragic downfall of a hero, and Oedipus’s fatal flaw is how he does not know his real self. In the play, the truth about many parts of his life are revealed; such as how King Polybus and Queen Merope of Corinth are not his real parents, that he was the one who killed King Lauis and caused the plague to the city, and that his prophecy was unknowingly fulfilled because he killed his birth father, King Lauis, and married his birth mother, Queen Jocasta. Oedipus’s lack of knowledge about these parts of his life gives rise to his tragic downfall as the hero of Thebes.

Oedipus states, “ My fate was to be yoked in marriage with my mother and kill my father, Polybus who begot me and had reared me.” (46) In other words, those surprising facts leads to his downfall because he can’t escape what he did. He can’t repress the memories of what he has done that corrupted his whole lifestyle.