Oedipus Tragic Hero

By definition tragic heroes can be considered one who is held up high by society for the good deeds they bring, but is then slowly or quickly taken away from that grace and placed in a world far below what they were originally. An example of this is the excerpt and the tragedy of Oedipus the king. The play shows that the faults humanity can fall through when put into a very stressful situation. Oedipus is a tragic hero because he wants to improve the lives of his citizens, he has a major human flaw of being impulsive and easily irritable, Oedipus takes more punishment than what the play told, his life and fate was not fully under his control, and he makes a vast realization with an equal amount of change.

The definition of tragedy is great suffering, destruction, or distress like a disaster. The term is commonly used in our society but where did it come from. Aristotle, an ancient greek philosopher, laid the foundation for the definition of a tragedy that we still use today. His idea of tragedy is a character who makes a judgment error that inevitably lead to his or her own destruction. He called this a tragic hero. Aristotle's’ idea was based on five specific characteristics. The characteristics were hamartia, peripeteia, anagnorisis, hubris and lastly, the character’s fate must be greater than deserved. The book, Oedipus The King, written by Socrates, fits Aristotle’s idea perfectly. Oedipus is an ideal tragic hero because he goes through all the five specific characteristics throughout the book.

The archetypal term “tragic hero” was originally coined by the Greek philosopher Aristotle in Poetics as he began to theorize Greek Tragedy. In the grand debate of who the archetypal tragic hero is, Oedipus fulfills the position just as he fulfilled his inexorable fate with a tragic flaw that brought about his downfall. As Aristotle states, Oedipus eventually comes to recognize his flaw and its consequences, but only after it is too late to change or reverse the course of events.

Oedipus is one of the most famous tragic heroes in drama history. His bizarre fate leads him to a tragic defeat that leaves the audience and reader feeling emotionally overwhelmed. According to Aristotle’s definition, Oedipus’ story makes him as a tragic hero. Oedipus is the personification of Aristotle’s characterization of a tragic hero through his ability to maintain and keep his virtue and wisdom, despite his shortcomings and situation in life. Aristotle’s observation of a tragic hero does not reveal the lack of morality or the evil of the character, based on an error in judgment. The tragedy and drama fit the Aristotelian characteristics of Oedipus.

It is debatable which flaw specifically lead Oedipus to his downfalls. The trait Oedipus demonstrated often was stubbornness, or determination. Determination steered Oedipus to discover and fulfill his fate, he was determined to save Thebes by finding who killed Laius. But Determination is not a flaw, Oedipus did what he morally thought was correct to do; find the murderer of Laius and save Thebes from the plague. The flaw that led Oedipus to his downfall was how prideful he was. He would ignore others who warned him about his fate. Oedipus believed he was above others, more powerful, clever, and

Oedipus is a man of noble blood; his parents, who raised him as a child, were King Polybus and Queen Merope of Corinth. Oedipus also becomes a king himself when he solves the Sphinx’s riddle, thus saving Thebes and taking over the throne of the late King Laius. Oedipus then marries Jocasta, Laius’s widow,

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

Oedipus and Medea are tragic heroes in their own tragic tale. However, they share only a few attributes. The most apparent similarity is the two character's’ tragic flaw. A tragic flaw in Greek tragedies is a quality in a character, usually defined as an error in judgement, that brings about their demise. For both Medea and Oedipus, this was excessive

The definition of a tragic hero is a great or virtuous character in a dramatic tragedy who is destined for downfall, defeat, or suffering. Oedipus is a perfect example of this. He is a leader whose flaws led him and everyone around him to horrible suffering. Oedipus’ denial and pride are the flaws in him that would eventually cause his downfall.

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.

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.

To be a tragic hero, the character must go through an enlightenment where they realize that their misfortune is their own doing. In Oedipus Rex, Oedipus comes to the realization that his kingdom is dealing with the plague that is his fault. Oedipus committed patricide, which is killing one’s father, and incest with his mother. At the time of his actions

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.

The ancient Greek’s culture was greatly influence by their belief in in many gods. They believed that the gods would guide them and that everyone was destined to live out their fates. In the case of Oedipus Rex Fate drove him into a downfall. Oedipus Rex is a part of the great Sophoclean play, written by Sophocles. Sophocles’ write this story to portray a tragic hero, using character flaws to explain his downfall. Oedipus is a perfect tragic hero because his whirlwind of a life force the audience to admire him in the beginning of the story as a privilege young man and also pity him a he falls into a crushing downfall. Sophocles intentionally gave Oedipus certain flaws because he intended his downfall. His tragic flaws, pride, persistence, and ignorance lead to his fate.

Oedipus is a boy who was left on the mountains to die by his own parents, the King and Queen of Thebes, due to a tragic prophecy told by the Oracles of Delphi. The prophecy declares that the boy would be destined to murder his father, king Louis of Thebes and then incest with Louis’s wife, Jocasta, Oedipus mother. After being abandoned on the mountain by his wicked parents, a shepherd found this little child and takes him to the King and Queen. King Polybus and Queen Merope of Corinth decided that since they don't have a child of their own, it would