Oedipus The King: A Tragic Hero

Sophocles presented the world with Oedipus around 2500 years ago. Never-the-less, the story remains among the most riveting of all time. Unfortunately, today when we hear the mention of the name Oedipus we place negative connotations around it. Oedipus, after all, had an unnatural sexual relationship with his own mother! In actuality, however, this relationship emerged entirely innocently. Oedipus was not some misguided sexual pervert of an earlier time. He was, in fact, a man that was driven by a very high internal moral standard. It was that internal moral standard that ultimately entwined him in a sequence of events

Considered one of the greatest dramas of all time, Sophocles’ play Oedipus the King follows the tragic life of Oedipus, king of Thebes. Considered a Satyr play, the Oedipus trilogy is perhaps the most famous of Sophocles’ plays. Oedipus the King, is an Athenian tragedy that was first performed somewhere around 429 BC in Athens, Greece. Originally, the Greeks referred to the play as simply “Oedipus,” as that was what Aristotle referred to it as in the Poetics. Perhaps what makes this play so memorable, is Sophocles’ uses of the tragic hero as the main theme. Sophocles uses characterization and conflict to portray Oedipus as an Aristotelian tragic hero.

     Throught Oedipus Rex, Oedipus displays his heroism many times. From the Prologue of the play to the moment in which he leaves Thebes, Oedipus' heroics are extremely apparent; however, at the same time, the decisions which make Oedipus a hero ultimately become the decisions which bring him to shame and exile.

Oedipus is a man of unflagging determination and perseverance, but one who must learn through the working out of a terrible prophecy that there are forces beyond any man’s conceptualization or control. Oedipus’ actions were determined before his birth, yet Oedipus’ actions are entirely determined by the Gods who control him completely. In the beginning of this tragedy, Oedipus took many actions leading to his own downfall. He tried to escape Corinth when he learned of the prophecies that were supposed to take place in his life. Instead, he

his mother passed, Charles escaped his rickety and small home on the manor of his lord in the most suburban area of England. The two of them had both been serfs on the property, Charles working in the fields and his mother working closer to castle, spinning thread and weaving cloth. His parents were both born on the manor years ago, just like he was, but soon after his parents marriage, with the permission of his lord, and Charles' birth, his father died and he and his mother were left alone to work long days on the manor. The day that his mother's disease was identified as the bubonic plague, Charles had been planning his escape, he was only 16 but quite clever for his age compared to all the other boys his age. He had planned to escape while

Oedipus’ destiny or fate had little to do with his downfall. The prophet told Oedipus that he was destined to kill his father and marry his mother, but the prophet never mentioned Oedipus murdering Laius on the highway, or solving the Sphinx’s riddle, or accepting and taking advantage of his kingship. Oedipus blinding himself was an example of free will, “for he removed from…[Jocasta’s] garment the golden brooches which she was wearing…” by choice “…and struck the sockets of his own eyes..” blinding himself Free will and hubris, according to the ancient Greeks, were separate from unavoidable fate. Oedipus’s fate was to kill his father and marry his mother. However, everything else, including fleeing Corinth, solving the Sphinx’s riddle, and finally pursuing the truth about his life, was by his own free will, a direct result of his ego and pride. Oedipus Rex is a story about the dangers of pride and arrogance, one teaching about the importance of humility and tolerance, and one stressing about the control of hubris, a potentially perilous quality that destroyed Oedipus’s vision and his life.

A tragic hero, as defined by Aristotle, is a man who is great but also terribly flawed, who experiences misfortunes while still remaining admirable to the audience at the end of the play. One of Aristotle’s favorite works, Oedipus the King, a play by Sophocles, is a play that above all others, defines the meaning of what a true tragic hero really is. In the play, Oedipus the King, the story unfolds after Oedipus unintentionally kills his own father and goes on to marry his mother. The events of the play are tragic, but it is the way that Oedipus handles the tragedies that make him a tragic hero.

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.

The harms and pitfalls that Oedipus experiences are all an adverse effect of his attempts to avoid his fate as was foretold to him by the oracle of Delphi. The moment he heard the prophecy that he would kill his father and marry his mother he fled from Corinth to Thebes where on the road he unknowingly kills his true father the current king of Thebes. When Oedipus makes it to Thebes he is coming to a land that has no king and is plagued by the sphinx, this is a turning point for Oedipus and brings about the fulfilment of the prophecy this is confirmed in a later conversation with Tiresias where is quoted saying "It brought about your ruin." (Sophocles 428). When Oedipus solves the riddle of the sphinx he takes his place as king and the hand of the old kings wife Jocasta, who just so happens to be his mother. By solving the riddle Oedipus is filled with confidence and it shows in the way that he addresses the people in the first lines of the play as "My children" (Sophocles 1). By using the term children instead of a more commonly used citizens or people we see that Oedipus himself feels that he is more than just a king to Thebes he feels as if he is almost like a paternal leader to those who look towards him for guidance. This pride first presents its self in a negative context in the conversation between

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.

A great or virtuous character in a dramatic tragedy who is destined for downfall, suffering, or defeat. What makes Oedipus such a Famous tragic hero? To what extent is Nora a tragic hero? Though both compelling in different ways, they hold more similarities then you may realize. Oedipus and Nora are both prideful and naïve but how they handle their tragic situation are different.

Arthur's call to action was the fact that he had to move on with his life after the destruction of the earth. It may seem like his journey was to find the answer to the ultimate question, but he really isn’t interested in that and all he really want to do is move forward. Later his focus shifts to Trillium and she becomes what he acts for. At that point his call to action is to retrieve Trillium from the alien prison and save her life.

Sophocles’ Oedipus exemplifies Aristotle’s definition of a tragic hero. Aristotle described qualities that manufacture a tragic hero. The first quality is that he must be someone of “high estate” (Kennedy & Gioia, 2016, p. 858). His downfall is always a result on his flaw or tragic flaw. He must have a recognition of sorts. The protagonist must experience a reversal of fortune. Lastly, in order to be a tragic hero, the story must make us feel pity and fear. The story of Oedipus The King is a clear and excellent example of a tragedy and the protagonist is a perfect illustration of Aristotle’s definition of a tragic hero.

Knox, B. M. (1998). Hero. In Oedipus at Thebes: Sophocles' tragic hero and his time (1st ed., p. 4). New Haven, NY: Yale University Press.

Oedipus the King by Sophocles is a story about a boy who was left by his own parents in the mountains, by himself, to die because of a prophecy that were given to his parents by the Oracle of Delphi. A shepherd found this young child and decided to bring him to King Polybus and Queen Merope, who can’t have a child of their own. The couple decided to adopt the child and name him Oedipus, which means swollen ankles because of the way the shepherd found him with his ankles pierced with pins. When Oedipus grew up, he saved the town from a beast which made Oedipus be considered a hero of his town. Oedipus is considered an epic hero, but also a tragic hero. An epic hero is someone who is applauded for his bravery against the beast. A tragic hero is someone who does good for its town, but does not always do the right thing which leads to their own ruin. Oedipus is a tragic hero because he has a fatal prophecy that he could not bypass.