Oedipus the King

Sophocles introduce one of Oedipus’s hamartia when he is approached by an old prophet that informs him “that he should kill his father and marry his mother” (Oedipus Rex as the Ideal Tragic Hero of Aristotle). Oedipus determined not let the prophecy come true, hurried off in the direction of Thebes, where he could distance himself from who he believed were his parents.This revealed Oedipus’s first tragic flaw (pride) that made him fight against the idea that the gods are in charge of the lives of mortals. Moreover, Oedipus pride pushed him to believe that he could control as well as create his own destiny. The possession of such fatal flaw started Oedipus path towards the realization of the gods’ prophecy. As a matter of fact, his refusal to accept a fate that was set up for him since the day he was born, contributed greatly to his own

In the greek drama, Oedipus the king by Sophocles, King Oedipus shows all the characteristics of a tragic hero. By definition A tragic hero is, “A privileged, exalted character of high repute, who by virtue of a tragic flaw and fate suffers a fall from glory into suffering”. That definition perfectly describes Oedipus and his life. Throughout this whole story we see the real Oedipus emerge. Oedipus starts out in the beginning by being the best king around but by the end of the story we see the ups and downs of his life and how it changed forever. In the story we here Oedipus say these words, “ah! My poor children, known, ah known too well, the quest that brings

In Oedipus the King, Oedipus can be considered to be the tragic hero of the play. Aristotle’s definition of a tragic hero holds that the tragic hero is “a person who is neither perfect in virtue or justice, nor one who will fall into misfortune through vice or depravity, but rather, on who succumbs through some miscalculation” (Brown). Aristotle also believed that the tragic hero’s misfortune or demise was not “wholly deserved” and that the punishment would exceed the crime that he or she committed (“Aristotle”). The tragic hero’s fall was also meant to serve as an allegory and intended to “raise awareness [or] gain self-knowledge” (“Aristotle”). In many cases, the tragic hero’s fall is due to a tragic flaw that serves as a catalyst for his or her demise. In other cases, supernatural forces help to cause the tragic hero to fall (“Tragedy: The Basics”). In the case of Oedipus, it is King Laius that initiates the conflict between himself and Oedipus who retaliates against the king and kills him in self-defense. When Oedipus is told the truth, he cannot understand what has happened, which is a direct result of being lied to about his biological parents. When Oedipus is finally able to piece together the fragmented facts that

Aristotle explains that a tragic character is just and good, but his misfortune is brought about not by wickedness or depravity but by error, pride, or frailty. Oedipus fits this description perfectly. "The story of Oedipus fascinates us because of the spectacle of a man freely choosing, from the highest motives, a series of actions which lead to his ruin." (Dodds 23). Oedipus could leave the city of Thebes and let the plague take its course "but pity for the sufferings of his people compelled him to consult Delphi" (Dodds 23). When Apollo's word comes back, he could leave the murder of Laius uninvestigated, but pride and justice cause him to act. Oedipus cannot let a murder investigation go by without solving the riddle of who killed King Laius because his pride overpowers him. Oedipus' pride reveals itself again in his loyalty to the truth. Oedipus' constant struggle to discover the truth for the sake of his people ruined him most in the end. Even though he is warned many times to stop seeking the truth, he keeps on searching. Oedipus has to choose between his doom and an alternative "which if accepted would betray the hero's own conception of himself, his rights, his duties," but in the end the hero "refused to yield; he remains true to himself, to his physis" (Knox 8). Therefore, one can see Oedipus' need to uncover the truth about Laius and then about himself as proof of his commitment to uphold his own nature, pride. Oedipus' quest for

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.

In the play Oedipus Rex, Sophocles portrays Oedipus who is also the main character, as a good- natured, beautiful, noble yet narcissistic person who has a lapse of judgment and fall from power. Throughout the play Oedipus makes a few profound decisions for which he is condemned to plentiful suffering; thus making Oedipus fit the mold of a tragic hero if we agree with Aristotle that Oedipus ' misfortune happens strictly because of his tragic flaw. Oedipus’ judgment alongside classic narcissistic behavior caused such events as the killing of

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 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.

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

Oedipus’ character is set as a king who is considerate of his people, yet a man full of pride because of his power to be everyone’s savior during the plague. When addressing the plague, he refers to himself as, “I Oedipus whom all men call great” (73.8). Not only does his words show how great Oedipus thinks of himself, but his subjective tone emphasizes his ego right from the start. This portrays the status that he thinks he holds in the eyes of all people, showing the readers his potential to excessive pride. Oedipus addresses the plague and says, “The town is heavy with a mingled burden of sounds and smells, of groans and hymns and incense; I did not think it fit that I should hear this from messengers but came

The play Oedipus Tyrannus, written by Sophocles, is one of the greatest renowned Greek drama tragedies. Have you ever heard the saying if you do not know your past, then it can come back to haunt you? This theme is played upon heavily though out the story to where it also becomes somewhat about self-discovery along the way. The Greek philosopher, Aristotle, based some of his book Poetics on Oedipus. According to Aristotle the definition of a tragic hero is a character that due to the wrongs of their judgment leads them to their own demise. Oedipus’s downfall was brought about by his lack of knowledge, his quick impulsive and angering temperament, and arrogance.

In Sophocles’ Oedipus The King, Oedipus is shown as a confident man of dignified origin who inevitably meets a catastrophic end. Oedipus is a tragic hero because of his strong traits of confidence, as well as, virtuous intentions, his tragic downfall due to on his own flaws, and lastly his self-inflicted severe suffering and punishment. When Oedipus realizes the truth about his past he suffers the harsh reality of his condemned future.

Anyone who believes that they can best fate deserves to be crushed by the overwhelming weight of reality that will come crashing down on them. Ordinarily confidence yields benefit in moderation, however, it proves damaging when used excessively. Oedipus the King was written by Sophocles thousands of years ago as a cautionary tale about hubris. As a king, Oedipus rules over the city of Thebes with an arrogant attitude and believes that he can defy the gods. Through the events of the novella, Oedipus lost everything after uncovering that he killed his father and had children with his mother. Conversely the real downfall of Oedipus came from his pride and failure to handle the situation carefully. Oedipus fills the archetype of tragic hero because suffered from hubris, had some free choice, received pity, and was doomed from the start.

The downfall of mankind is an integral part of comprehending human nature. Every tragedy requires a hero with a tragic flaw that most likely, unconsciously leads themselves to their own downfall. The protagonist being human makes the character relatable and even more pitiable because the audience is aware that the protagonist's inevitable undoing is yet to come. The protagonist's tragic flaw not only harms the protagonist but harms others in the story as well. Drama's such as "Oedipus the King" by Sophocles is a prime example of a character with a tragic flaw that leads one's own self to their undoing. In this story, the character's tragic flaw is pride, which leads him to discover the truth behind his past and thus spurring on hopeless attempts to evade his inevitable fate and bringing harm onto himself and others in the drama, illustrating the dramatic irony in the futility of evading fate to the audience and the danger of excessive pride displayed is palpable when he attempts to find Laius’ murderer in turn discovering the truth behind his parentage.

Greek literature is stocked full of characters that possess excessive pride. This is often referred to as hubris. Having too much pride is rarely seen as a good thing, which is demonstrated in Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex. Oedipus’ land of Thebes falls under a terrible curse, and naturally as a king, he wants to solve it, which is usually the sign of a great ruler, however, Oedipus’ journey to alleviate the plague for his people brings about the realization of his fate. Oedipus is a character deeply flawed because he believes that he is a great ruler for the city of Thebes and that he cannot be the reason why the plague has befallen them, only the one who can solve the problem. Oedipus’ plight in Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex illustrates hubris, specifically the realization that having excessive pride is damaging, which is a moral presented to the reader over the course of the play.