Oedipus Pride Quotes

The first thing he says in the play encases his personality of arrogance: “here I am myself- you all know me, the world knows my fame: I am Oedipus” (7-9). This display of confidence shows that Oedipus knows he is one of the most well-known men in Ancient Greece. He should “act now- we beg you, best of men, raise up our city! Act, defend yourself, your former glory! Your country calls you savior now for your zeal, your action years ago”(57-68). The chorus describes pride in breeding the “tyrant, violent pride, gorging, crammed to bursting with all that is overripe and rich with ruin- clawing up to the heights, headlong pride crashes down the abyss-sheer doom!” (963-967). The chorus is foreboding the downfall of Oedipus, stating that too much pride in a person can crash into the abyss-sheer doom. Once he does become too arrogant, the gods strike him

Oedipus’ pride and a heightened sense of confidence is very conspicuous throughout the play Oedipus Rex. From the beginning of the play, Oedipus accepts the idea that he can avoid the prophecy given to him by the gods. Oedipus is also seen interrogating Creon and attempting to banish him with Tiresias towards the end of the play because they are saying facts corresponding to the prophecy. He tries to become like a god himself by thinking he could control his own fate. Although Oedipus’ pride can be justified by his accomplishments of being king; the tragedy of Oedipus is the pure result of his overwhelming pride because he killed his father, mocked Tiresias, and blinded himself.

“Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18) is a universal message followed by many. In The Odyssey, Homer personifies this quote in the character Odysseus, the protagonist of the novel. A man beset with a hamartia of hubris, Odysseus’ flaw leads to his tragedy and hardships during his years-long journey to return home. With the utilization of motif of a lion, as well as direct and indirect characterization, Homer warns that pride, when controlled, leads to marvelous fame and recognition; however, if unbridled, leads to one’s misfortune and suffering.

“True ignorance is not the absence of knowledge but the refusal to acquire it.” This quote from the great philosopher Karl Popper perfectly describes the actions of Jocasta in Sophocles’ play Oedipus Rex, as she is the one to blame for the main tragedy that occurs in the play. She had the knowledge available to realize that she was marrying her son but refused to allow herself to put the pieces together. Some may be quick to blame Oedipus for the tragedy, as he had a major flaw: arrogance; however, it had no bearing in the ultimate tragedy of the play, which is that Oedipus married his mother and fathered four children with her. Jocasta, on the other hand, knew that her son had his feet pinned and then saw Oedipus walk with a limp, should have communicated with him to find that they had the same incestuous

Oedipus’ pride, drawn from his own heroic qualities, is one factor of his ruining. A hero characteristically prizes above all else his honor and the excellence of his life. When his honor

Due to his arrogance and narcissism, Oedipus fails to take heed of Tiresias warning of whom Creon sent him and decided that the accusations that were being made against him are attempts to steal his throne. Likewise, Oedipus tells Tiresias when he was reluctant to tell Oedipus is Laius’ killer, “What then, thou knowest, and yet willst not speak!/Wouldst thou betray us and destroy the

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

621 ln. 149-150) after Creon tells him why they stopped searching for Laius’s killer. Dramatic irony is present when Oedipus tries to skirt the horrible prophecy of him killing his father and coupling with his mother, because in fleeing Corinth to avoid murdering Polybus, he is actually taking the correct path to fulfill the prophecy. Again his overconfidence and pride contributes to his impending doom; in believing that he has outwitted the gods he challenges his fate. Although he has enough reverence to the deities not to assume himself to be an equal with the gods, but greater than them it is clear through the word usage that Oedipus perceives himself to be of a greater importance than the lesser mortals that surround him “One of you summon the city here before us, tell them I’ll do everything. God help us, we will see our triumph-or our fall” (p. 621 ln. 163-165). He is conceited to think that he can shape his own destiny and the gods punish him for this arrogance.

In Book 9 of Homer’s The Odyssey, Odysseus always has pride in his actions and in his name. After Polyphemus told the other Cyclops that “Nobody” hurt him, Odysseus exclaims how smart and funny he is. Odysseus acknowledges, “they lumbered off, but laughter filled my heart to think how nobody’s name––my great cunning stroke––had dumped them one and all” (Homer 224). He is acknowledging his intelligence when he says “my great cunning stroke”. He is taking all the ownership of stabbing Polyphemus in the eye with the fiery tip of a stake and changing his name to Nobody when truly his men did a lot of the work. Thus suggesting that he is very great and smart and that he should get great recognition for his work. When trying to come up with a plan

One way Oedipus shows excessive pride is by running away from Corinth to escape his fate. Once Oedipus finds out that he is destined to kill his father and marry mother he tries to escape this tragedy by running away from his adopted family. In “Oedipus Rex” Fitts and Fitzgerald translates Oedipus’s feelings by stating, “Horrified, resolved to avert this fate, Oedipus determined never to return to Corinth.” Here we see that Oedipus is leaving his problems at Corinth, hoping to change his fate himself. Instead of leaving, he should have asked for mercy from the gods. He insulted them by rising above them and attempting to change their gift to

     In literature, the tragic heroes Oedipus and Othello allow the pride they have to cause their own demise by putting too much emphasis on the lives they have created for themselves. Oedipus, who blinds himself after finding out he has killed his birth father and married his birth mother, refuses to believe he has truly fulfilled his fate because he is so proud of what he has accomplished since he left Corinth. Othello demonstrates his pride by believing that the people closest to him would never betray him because of his powerful position as a General of the armies in Venice. Both characters example of hubris, or excessive pride, causes the downfall in their lives, which eventually leads to life-long

The first incidents of Oedipus’ arrogance and pride were when he went to the Oracle of Delphi about his lineage. Even though the Oracle did not answer the question about his lineage, the Oracle did give him a prophecy that he would kill his father and marry his mother. Thinking that he was doing the right thing by putting as much distance between his parents and himself, it was arrogance and pride that ruled him. He believed that he could out run the gods and defy prophecy. Another example of Oedipus’ arrogance was when he was forced off the road by another chariot; he lost his temper when the old man angered him causing the death of the old man and his aides. Because of his intelligence and his keen sense being able to solve riddles; again, his arrogance was when he solved the riddle of the Sphinx. The Sphinx was so distraught that

“Oh my children, the new blood of ancient Thebes, why are you here?” said Oedipus when addressing his people during his first appearance (1-2). Flamboyant, yes, well in Oedipus the King, the main character Oedipus is a boastful and pompous character faced with troublesome pasts and future predicaments. In actuality, he is king of Thebes and the rightful ruler, but when a plague strikes he is quickly led into a misfortune of events that ultimately leads him to dig his eyes out in attempt to relieve him from the truth he discovers. It then becomes a revelation to distinguish the characteristic fault which leads Oedipus through such tragedy. Only to become apparent, Oedipus’s excessive pride is the main culprit behind his tragic ending. In

His more significant flaw, his pride, fuels his quick temper which leads to a greater dilemma for the king. For instance, in the fourth episode as the shepherd from Corinth arrives, Oedipus shows his pride when he takes advantage of the old man. “Look, Elders, if I may play the prophet too, I’d say—although I’ve never met the man—there’s the herdsmen we’ve been searching for,” Oedipus declares pompously. Seconds before the shepherd enters, Oedipus compares himself to a prophet when he tells the elders his opinions about the man approaching. When the old man refuses to tell Oedipus the truth, Oedipus threatens to hurt and even to kill the poor man, demonstrating Oedipus’s hubris fueling his temper. Perhaps the most significant example of his vanity occurs when the messenger from Corinth delivers the news to Jocasta and Oedipus revealing the death of Oedipus’s father. Instead of mourning his father’s death, Oedipus celebrates thinking that he broke the curse and outwitted the gods since his

Pride like that of Oedipus had been the downfall of many great leaders. Oedipus is blinded by his arrogance and won’t accept the fact that he can’t avoid his fate. His pride first affects him when he is told about what his fate has in-store for him. Oedipus