Oedipus Rex : A Tragic Hero

"A man doesn't become a hero until he can see the root of his own downfall." -Aristotle No one wants to be a tragic hero. A great or virtuous character, but sadly they are destined for downfall because of their own judgement. Sophocles’ Oedipus exemplifies Aristotle’s definition of a tragic hero.

Aristotle’s tragic hero is one of the most recognizable types of heroes among literature. A tragic hero combines five major points all of which have to do with the hero’s stature in society, his faults, how these faults effect him, the punishment his faults gets him, and how he reacts to this punishment. Aristotle explained that the story of Oedipus the King, written by Sophocles, is a perfect example of a tragic hero. In the play, Oedipus is given a prophecy in which he is told that he will kill his father then marry his mother. As in many Greek plays, Oedipus tries to run from his prophecy and ends up fulfilling exactly what it is foretold. Through the play we see that Oedipus posses many of the characteristics

It is a common human flaw to only see things that are pleasing and choose to ignore distasteful situations. Falling into this trap, Oedipus, the King of Thebes in Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex, finds his doom by choosing to turn a blind eye to reality. The king falls from his throne by choosing to live in an illusion and failing to recognize the power of fate.

Discuss whether or not a hero who is tragic by trait and definition can exist within the structure of the monomyth.

Even though Oedipus killed his father and married his mother, he is often portrayed as a Christ figure, sacrificing himself for the good of the people. The tragedy Oedipus Rex was written by Sophocles in the fifth century BC. Oedipus is a Christ figure because he put his life in danger to save the city from the Sphinx, displayed his deep concern for the health of his people, and sacrificed himself to save Thebes from the plague.

King Oedipus, was a flawed leader with many issues due to his past which plagued his city and his life. To save his people and free himself, he needed to go back to the very beginning to learn the cause of this curse to correct the future. On this journey, new information was revealed to Oedipus about his life which he would try to repress each time he learned something new until he couldn’t hide it any longer by blinding himself; therefore, consumed by his knowledge. Hence, he confronted his destiny which predicted that he would kill his father Laius and marry his mother Jocasta (Sophocles, p. 34). A tragic hero would describe his upbringing. With unfortunate circumstances birthing his future, he fought the gruesome fight to the ignorant

Killing his father, marrying his mother, blinding himself, abandoning his country; these are all actions the main character, Oedipus, commits in Oedipus the King and Oedipus at Colonus, which adds to his tragic heroicness. He starts off with the potential to be great, but was doomed to eventually fall and by the end, he meets his moral victory. Although some may disagree with the fact that Oedipus is a tragic hero, there are a plethora of examples to prove that he is the tragic hero of both plays. In fact, almost every major action Oedipus takes throughout the two plays are actions that could qualify him as being a tragic hero.

In Sophocles' captivating ancient Greek tragedy play widely known as Oedipus Rex, which was performed at the Dionysiac Festival that was in honor of Dionysus, the god of wine and revelry a.k.a partying. Sequentially, Oedipus Rex is the first in a trilogy, that encompasses of Oedipus Rex, Oedipus at Colonus, and Antigone. During Sophocles lifetime, the plays were performed by three actors who played all of the characters. In fact, Sophocles before his plays were staged , ancient Greek plays only used two actors. The protagonist of Oedipus Rex is Oedipus, and he is condemned for destruction. This play is set in ancient Greece, specifically the city of Thebes and Oedipus's palace. Oedipus is indeed a tragic hero, who's life seems to be filled

Aristotle describes a tragic hero as a man or woman of noble stature who is “good, but not perfect” (pg. 1252) and whose downfall is undeserved but is by his own hand; however, his misfortune is not pure loss because he reaches fuller self-knowledge. In the end, a tragic hero “arouses solemn emotions – pity and fear…but compassion and awe might be better terms” (pg. 1253). This description can be held against any protagonist to determine if they are a tragic hero or just another character. When held against Sophocles’ character Oedipus in the play Oedipus Rex, it becomes clear that he is not just another protagonist. Sophocles’ Oedipus is a textbook tragic hero that falls from greatness due to his prideful mistakes and ignorance of the consequences

The story and life of Oedipus is one of misfortune and misunderstanding. Oedipus is generally percieved as a tragic hero, but I think that theres more to him. I believe that Oedipus can be considered an epic hero on top of already being a tragic hero. There are a few reasons why I think this.

Sophocles's Oedipus Rex is probably the most famous tragedy ever written. Sophocles's tragedy represents a monumental theatrical and interpretative challenge. Oedipus Rex is the story of a King of Thebes upon whom a hereditary curse is placed and who therefore has to suffer the tragic consequences of fate (tragic flaws or hamartia). In the play, Oedipus is the tragic hero. Even though fate victimizes Oedipus, he is a tragic figure since his own heroic qualities, his loyalty to Thebes, and his fidelity to the truth ruin him.

In the play Oedipus the King, Oedipus struggles to accept the truth and lets his temper over power him. He can be displayed as a tragic hero. His refusal to accept the truth led to Oedipus’ down fall. A tragic hero, as defined by Aristotle, “is a literary character who makes a judgment error that inevitably leads to his/her own destruction.” Sophocles’ Oedipus exemplifies Aristotle’s definition of a tragic hero.

Although not all who wander or deviate from the path are lost, some clearly are. When Oedipus, the eponymous character of Sophocles’ tragedy Oedipus Rex, first learns that he is destined to kill his father and marry his mother, he abandons his home intent on never returning in order to avoid meeting his fate. Unbeknownst to the tragic hero, before the curtain’s rise, the prophecy has already been fulfilled. Consequently, due to the underlying corruption in Thebes, the people are perishing of a plague that will not cease until the man responsible for the death of the previous Theban King, King Laius, is identified and brought to justice. This urgency propels Oedipus to discover that his biological father is not the King of Corinth who

Have you ever tried to avoid something, but you still end up encountering it in the near future? Well, that is the story of Oedipus Rex, the tragic hero. According to Aristotle, “a tragic hero is a literary character who makes a judgment error that inevitably leads to his/her own destruction.” Oedipus tries his best to dodge the future, but his decisions come back to stab him right in the back, or his eyes. Although Oedipus’s decisions made his future worse, he was a victim of his fate. Oedipus has tried to escape the future, he victimized himself by killing her own father, marrying his mother, and being blind.

Thesis: In Sophocles’ “Oedipus”, Oedipus is exemplified as a tragic hero according to Aristotle’s definition because his story appeals to the reader’s humanity in the way he maintains his strengths after inadvertently causing his own downfall.