Oedipus Tragic Hero

In the play Oedipus the King we identify the classic tragic hero. The character Oedipus Rex plays the role of the tragic hero perfectly. He shows the three main characteristics being talented and of noble birth, possessing a tragic flaw that causes the downfall and pain of everyone, and the recognition of responsibility.

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.

Sophocles presented the world with Oedipus around 2500 years ago. Never-the-less, the story remains among the most riveting of all 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 and circumstances that placed him in the spousal relationship with his mother. Oedipus, in fact, can truly be regarded as a tragic hero as Aristotle himself defined the term.

Abraham Lincoln once pronounced, “You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today.” In Oedipus the King by Sophocles, Oedipus tries to escape his fate by fleeing from his adopted parents in Corinth. Instead, he becomes responsible for triggering the destruction that leads to his eventual demise. A tragic hero is of noble birth characterized by a personality flaw and fated by the gods for doom (Santora). Oedipus is classified as a tragic hero by his tragic and heroic qualities, his responsibility for his fate, and his enlightenment.

Captivating heroes like Batman and Robin have become inspirational figures of modern day society that people love, but do they really dive into how tragic their lives really are? What happened to the truly emotional stories of tragedy rather than 15 minutes of non-important backstory? These heroes had done great things in their life, but fell gracefully from power due to selfish inhibitions and get remembered for how their mess up affected everyone else in the vicinity. Why can’t stories be as tragic as Sophocles’ Oedipus the King? He was a true tragic hero that saved his city and fell due to several flawed character traits. His drop from power came about because of his sense of hubris and ignorance to the presence of facts around him. People’s lives in the media should invoke more tragedy and suffering, making the character more relatable due to his flaws. While this doesn’t happen often, there are a few characters, like Duncan Dewey, that possess traits that make them tragic heroes.

"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.

Oedipus is a victim of fate and a victim of his own actions. Oedipus fate cannot be overcome he knows that his actions are not by choice, but by the actions of gods. If the shepherd had killed Oedipus like he was told Oedipus wouldn't be in the situation he is in. Now that Oedipus is faced with the true he can't even see what's in front of him. "What good were eyes to me?

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

As we journey through life, there are people we come across who remind us of the characters in the Oedipus Plays of Sophocles. There are heroes and there are tragic heroes in life. Heroes don’t think of themselves first but act quickly to help others in dangerous situations. Tragic hero are those who act before thinking about other consequence and the final outcome. Aristotle suggests that a hero of a tragedy must make one remember of the things he does to stir up trouble and bring strong feelings of memories of the past. “Oedipus is a tragic hero in the plays of Sophocles.” A tragic hero has self-confidence and pride and does not always see the truth in every situation. “Oedipus cannot be considered as 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

A tragic hero has many traits and characterized in many lights, but what mainly encompasses a tragic hero six things. The first is called the Hamartia, this is the tragic flaw that causes the downfall of the hero. The second is called the Hubris, this is the excessive pride or,it can also be labeled as over confidence, and their disrespect for natural order. The third thing is called the Peripeteia this is known as the reversal of that the the hero experiences. The fourth thing is called the Anagnorisis, this is the moment in which the hero makes an important discovery. The fifth is known as Nemesis this is the fate of the protagonist. The sixth and final characteristic of a tragic hero is Catharsis and these are the feelings of pity and pity that usually the audience feels for the protagonist after the downfall of the hero. In this book, Oedipus the King, Oedipus posses all of these traits.

Drama has been around since the dawn on mankind. It developed from stories that were passed around. Aristotle described was the first to describe a tragic hero. A tragic hero must have five key characteristics. They must be of noble birth, be imperfect, have a mortal flaw, go through a complete downfall, and realize that their misfortune is their fault. According to Aristotle, Oedipus is the epitome of a tragic hero.

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.

Humans will go to any extent to avoid harmful situations. This is demonstrated in the tragic play written by Sophocles, Oedipus the King. Sophocles describes a tragic hero who tries to avoid his fate only to find that he cannot escape his destiny. Oedipus is given the unfortunate prophecy of killing his father and marrying his own mother. However, it is not fate that leads to his downfall, it is Oedipus’ hubris, uncontrollable anger as well as his insatiable curiosity which contribute to his inevitable ruin.

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.