Oedipus The King: An Example Of A Tragic Hero

Throughout Oedipus Rex, there are several instances in which the power of fate is demonstrated. This, through the use of Sophocles prose and craft, is able to fully demonstrate the raw capability fate can yield upon one person’s life. What began as a common societal belief that manifested itself into the arts became a pivotal impact upon the plot of the play. This is the underlying theme Sophocles communicated within his

In addition, the story of Oedipus Rex is another outstanding tragic literature. However, compared to Tim O’Brien’s writing style, Sophocles’ work inspires the emotions of pity and fear, and not depression. Normally a person with status, the tragic hero can be placed with sins of the gods or be a victim of given situations. Their fate often establishes an advanced social rank, often based upon exile. Tragedy illustrates the manner in which pride can overturn even the strongest characters, as it makes the readers aware of human suffering.

In his play Oedipus the King, Sophocles uses the ancient Greek idea that the gods determine a person's destiny by giving them certain inherent characteristics. He does this by predisposing Oedipus with the tragic flaws of rage, stubbornness, and pride, which leads to his eventual downfall. By doing so, Sophocles evokes pity and fear from the audience, reminding them to avoid the tragic pitfalls of Oedipus, lest they end up in a similar doom. Sophocles gives Oedipus irrational rage, which causes him to make some questionable decisions throughout the play.

Throughout the vast history of literature, various concepts have come and gone. The idea of fate or fatalism has been a concept that has survived the test of time. Numerous characters have succumbed to the power of fate and the character of Oedipus from Sophocles’ Oedipus the King is a prime example of the vast power of fate within literature. Sophocles effectively depicts the wrath of fate as he portrays how Oedipus fell victim to fate and his efforts to disregard fate were futile. Once again fate manages to triumph and displays no character whether king or slave can avoid its gaze.

“Oedipus the King” is a tragic story written by Sophocles. Oedipus is a king that is trying to escape his fate. An oracle had predicted that he was going to be the killer of his father, and was going to sleep with his mother. When he was first born, his parents attempted to kill him yet he survived and was adopted. Instead of getting away from the atrocious future that was predicted, Oedipus walks right into his fate. This Greek tragedy is about transitions. He starts off as arrogant, unknowing, and full of ego but this drastically changes as we reach the end of the play. Oedipus becomes a wise man and has accepted how life is. No matter how much power or knowledge you have there is no way of tampering with fate, instead accept and learn from it.

    Oedipus Rex (the King), written by Sophocles, is the tragic play depicting the disastrous existence to which Oedipus, an Athenian, is 'fated' to endure. With a little help from the gods and the 'fated' actions and decisions of Oedipus, an almost unthinkable misfortune unfolds. Athenian perfection can consist of intelligence, self-confidence, and a strong will. Oedipus, the embodiment of such perfection, and his tragedy are common place to Athenians. Ironically, the very same exact characteristics that bring about the ominous discovery of Oedipus' fate: to kill his father and marry his mother. Oedipus' 'fated' decisions entangle everyone whom is of any significance to him

Sophocles’ tragic heroes are those of noble birth with heroic potential, but this character is fated by the Gods to doom and destruction through great suffering. With their prophecy, the tragic hero typically fights against the fate, which creates suffering and through this suffering, the hero learns about their true self and place in the universe. Throughout the drama of Oedipus the King, Sophocles retells the downfall of the Theban king and questions his guilt and innocence. The tragedy is typically read as the unraveling of Oedipus’s true origins through his transition from ignorance to knowledge and the change in his moral standing from innocent to guilt as the plot proceeds. However, Sophocles gives multiple instances were Oedipus could be seen as guilty or innocent based on his ignorance or pride.

In Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex, the protagonist named Oedipus falls to his ruin. Throughout the story, Oedipus struggles against the fate prophesied by the gods, his pride not allowing him to accept the horrible future of sin that was decided for him the moment he was born. In an attempt to avoid his inevitable future, Oedipus makes a series of unwise decisions, pushing himself further onto the path of misery and ultimately causing the pain he was trying to escape. In this way, Oedipus is also the antagonist of the story, constantly getting in the way of his own happiness in his search for the truth.

The ultimate tragic hero is presented in all its glory in the play “Oedipus the King.” Rather than being a typical tragic hero, “Oedipus,” has gone beyond the traditional into the unbelievable. “Oedipus” when we come to him in this play has already taken three noble positions. He was born the babe, and prince of one Royal Family, then discarded because of an oracle. This cast off prince, was then brought low to die, facing the flaw of naivety, which a babe only knows. A shepherd discovered him and took him to another royal couple, to which he became a prince once more. Later, as he became older another oracle was spoken of him and in his flaw of fear, he fled from the second royal family, becoming of no account once more. The purpose for this qualification. Following this, on the way he killed several men in ignorance, impulsiveness and anger. Later, when he would sit in his own father’s throne, sleeping with his mother, who bore children of this ungodly union, his tragic flaws would strike at his core and be brought lower than a man could ever or should ever know. Thus, the identification of “Oedipus” as a tragic hero is fulfilled and demonstrated three times over in this heartbreaking tale of woe.

There are various meanings of what a tragic hero is, but Aristotle follows the character of Oedipus most specifically. Aristotle’s definition of a tragic hero has many different parts that a person must have. The first thing that the person must have is the man has to be a man of noble stature. The noble stature is usually gained by becoming a prince or a king. The second guideline is that the tragic hero has to be a good person, but his downfall results from his committing of an act of prejudice through obliviousness. Thirdly, the hero’s downfall is his own fault, no one else’s. His fate may contribute to his downfall, but it is eventually the hero’s own varieties and arrangements that signal to his downfalls. The blend

The Sophocles authored a play about Oedipus Tyrannus, a king, that was admire as a hero and beloved by his people, however, he was filled with tragic prophecies by oracles & Gods that later will question his destiny. He was foreseen to be a strong and intelligent man that loved his kingdom; but soon his life starts to unravel with act of crimes of secrets and intentions. A tale of a tragic hero. Now according to the author, they described the character as a “tragic hero exhibits intransigence, strength of will, stubbornness, harshness, and he is easily angered and opened. Isolated, the hero refuses to compromise, setting his own conditions for existence. Often, death is the only solution. Through the hero’s loyalty to his nature humanity achieves its true greatness." (Sophocles 36). Throughout Oedipus’s case of events it involved sacrifice, loss, and love, that formed acts of heroism.

Doomed to suffer the unrelenting punishment of fate itself, Oedipus struggles to find the root of the disease and sickness in Thebes only to bring himself full-circle in the play Oedipus Rex by Sophocles, the famous playwright. Over his life, Sophocles wrote a large number of tragic plays, and Oedipus Rex is one of the greatest there is. Not only does Oedipus come from high power, fame, and fortune; but is also of good character and seeks to help his people, no matter the cost. Most importantly, after the downfall of Oedipus the audience is moved in both pity and fear, tribute to the Chorus. This definition of a tragic hero by Aristotle fits the storyline and moral of Oedipus Rex like a jigsaw puzzle.

Oedipus Rex, by Sophocles, is the tale of a tragic hero, as defined by Aristotle. This book is the story of a king who learns that he has done a terrible deed through his folly. This classic story teaches the lesson that pride and other sins come before a fall. The first part of the definition of a tragic hero states that the character, usually the protagonist, must be of a noble birth and also must be virtuous and noble of character. Oedipus is all of these things; he is a king and a king's son. All of his people come to him when they are in a time of trouble, showing that they trust him to treat them with virtuousness and nobility.Another feature of Aristotle's definition states that the character is not perfect; he or she is like any other

Sophocles were well-known as a master of tragedy. Sophocles was born at Colonus, not far from Athens. Sophocles wrote over 100 different dramatic stories. “Oedipus the King” is one of his great stories that has a mix of heroics to it and yet, we feel sorry for Oedipus and his fate that was handed to him. We ask ourselves after reading “Oedipus the King” who was this man and why did he think he could run from his destiny of fate. Was Oedipus responsible for his final fate and could he have changed his fate? We are going to talk about Oedipus and how his life unfolds from his birth. Then you, the reader will decide if you feel empathy for Oedipus and was this story about a tragic hero?

In the Greek tragedy, Oedipus the King, Oedipus struggles to accept the truth and he lets his temper over power him. Throughout the tragedy, he displays all the necessary elements to be categorized as a tragic hero as defined by Aristotle. His refusal to accept the truth led to Oedipus’ downfall. A tragic hero, as defined by Aristotle, “is a literary character who makes a judgment error that inevitably leads to his/her own destruction.” Based off this definition, Sophocles’ Oedipus clearly exemplifies Aristotle’s definition of a tragic hero.