Essay on Pride in Oedipus and Othello

Amidst the many frailties humans exhibit, pride is the most prevalent and destructive of them all. This infirmity, so common in everyone, is illustrated by the actions of tragic heroes in Greek drama as well as the lives of individuals which are so publicized. Sophocles’ writing, through characters such as Oedipus, and Creon, depicts hubris in its purest form; a trait that manifests itself through the heavy influence it has on the decisions and affairs of so many leaders and celebrities.

Often the past will present answers to questions about the future as well as questions of the now, and in Oedipus Rex, Oedipus’ past plays an integral role in his pursuit of righting the wrongs that are affecting him in the present. In the play, Oedipus must identify who has killed Laius in order to exile them to solve the qualms of his people, and in a dialogue with Jocasta, who happens to be his wife as well as his mother, she reveals to him details of the death of Laius that seem far too familiar for his comfort (Sophocles 27). This revelation of information acts as a catalyst that forces Oedipus to make the connection between his past and what Jocasta is telling him. This realization that he may have been responsible for Laius’ death exposes him to the weight of the pursuit of justice sometimes hold for humans. Through this dialogue, Oedipus comes to fear that he is the culprit of the scandal that is plaguing the situation, thus putting him in the position of a criminal who will face the due punishment for the crime. This internal conflict that Oedipus experiences creates and

Remaining true to the characteristics of Ancient Literature, Sophocles reveals Oedipus’ identity and something about his character when the Queen reveals a prophecy that was spoken to King Laios about his son, “It said that Laios was destined to die at the hands of a son born to him and me. Yet, as rumor had it, foreign bandits killed Laios at a place where three roads meet”

Oedipus’ foolish decisions ultimately lead to his downfall in the play. Oedipus chooses to kill Laios. He chooses to marry Iocaste. He chooses to forcefully, and publicly, assume the mission of discovering the identity of Laios’ murderer saying ironically, “I say I take the son’s part, just as though I were his son, to press the fight for him and see it won,” (633). He proceeds on this mission and chooses to ignore the warnings of Creon, Iocaste, Teiresias, the messenger, the shepherd, and anyone who attempts to stand between him and the truth; and, he chooses to blind himself. In the end, Oedipus’ most foolish choice prevails throughout the play; the choice of illusion over reality ultimately costs him his life.

In the play Oedipus the King, Sophocles uses dramatic irony to frustrate the audience and create suspense. After the first chorus, Oedipus vows to avenge the death of King Laius and “become [the] son” that Laius could have had if his life did not end (I.i.681). This scene frustrates the audience because they know Oedipus is the murderer, but he is either completely clueless or in denial. Oedipus’ refusal to accept the truth engages spectators by building the urge to witness the realization of his wrong doings. While Oedipus is speaking to Tiresias the prophet, he accuses the prophet of taking the life of the king. In response, the prophet told Oedipus he is “living in [dark] shame with the closest of [his]

When Oedipus hears that he is the killer, his pride is wounded for he cannot accept the truth. His judgment is so blurred that he also begins to view Creon as a traitor for using Tiresias. Creon’s words sum up Oedipus’s rage when he said, “Oedipus, your husband, he’s bent on a choice of punishments for me, banishment from the fatherland or death” (715-717). Jocasta is even surprised with Oedipus’s unusual character, as she said, “For the love of God, Oedipus, tell me too, what is it? Why this rage? You’re so unbending” (767-769). The reason why Oedipus pride is so wounded can be because his negative experiences with the Gods. As a baby, he was condemned to death, yet he survived and learned the horrible truth of his prophecy. In attempt to escape that life, he lost belief in the word of the gods because he refused that the prophecies should come true. This struggle between God and Oedipus only tears his moral beliefs as he has to be stone cold to survive his tribulations. This meant giving no consideration against people who presently posed a great threat to him.

In every person’s life, pride can play a major, beneficial role. When used humbly, it can help one develop a stronger self image and achieve more. In contrast, hubris, exaggerated pride or self-confidence, can lead to danger and havoc. Being a common theme in Greek tragedy, it’s found in Sophocles’ plays: Oedipus the King and Antigone. In these plays, several characters display hubris that ultimately lead to their downfall and destruction, and even deaths of their loved ones.

A hero prizes above all else his honor and the excellence of his life. When his honor is at stake, all other considerations become irrelevant. A hero values strength and skill, courage and determination, for these attributes enable the person who possesses them to achieve glory and honor, both in his lifetime and after he dies. Oedipus was certainly a hero who was exceptionally intelligent though one can argue that killing four men single-handedly, on his way to Delphi, more than qualified him as a physical force of reckoning.

In this play Oedipus king of Thebes by Sophocles, Oedipus was full of pride he faces several number of consequences throughout the play. He challenges people, and the Gods, and told them he did not need them anymore, he is better than everyone, it turns out he was not. He needed help from the Gods, and Laius to help make decisions in life that he would not have regret. Oedipus ended up needing Gods help, he wanted Laius to care of his daughters and be the new king when Oedipus died. If Oedipus was helpful to everyone and not full of pride, he would never faced the challenges he did in life, like losing him mom forever and losing his eyes at the end.

The king of Thebes will decide to see this matter through on his own terms, no matter the cost. For Oedipus finding the truth becomes something of an obsession, and it is far more important than what that truth might actually reveal. It seems as if the more facts that are uncovered about the murder of Laios, the more determined Oedipus becomes, perhaps still unconvinced about his own possible implication in the death of Laios (even though he remembers killing a man at a crossroads). He relentlessly marches on, ignoring the pleas from his wife, Jocasta, to abandon the

Tragedies that befall a true hero in a play sometimes are caused by that person’s pride. Oedipus and Othello show readers the true character of being a tragic hero and show how pride can lead to devastating consequences. Pride’s effect on individuals can be subtle from the start, and more often than not will manifest itself fully when that person realizes, from their actions, the consequences of being prideful. Sophocles and Shakespeare both write about prideful men in their plays Oedipus Rex and The Tragedy of Othello. The prideful actions each man takes, which they believe to be noble, causes their lives and the lives of the people around them to be ruined by tragedy.

After hearing these words from the prophet, Oedipus decides to find the killer of Laius and save his people and community from plague. He was very determined and nothing could keep him away from this goal. Even when he found out that the murder of Laius is himself and Laius was his own father, not only do not deny it and do not hide it, but also persist to punish himself by making his eyes blind (Sophocles, 2004, p. 59). These two examples are a few samples of importance of family, friends and community that can be read in this play.

(61) Oedipus has a history of threatening people that share messages that he does not want to hear. The shepherd’s concern for Oedipus only caused Oedipus to threaten his life the opposite of what should have happened. Oedipus goes on to say, “You will die now unless you speak the truth.” (62) He shows that he will stop at nothing to attain what he wants without concern for who happens to be in his way. Oedipus is even more stubborn in Oedipus at Colonus.

Oedipus is quick to blame others for the murder of Laios, instead of examining himself, as sinners blame others for problems. Once he learns of the murderer, he is persistent to unmask the suspect of the crime, yet overlooks his own decree that he’s “a stranger both to the crime and to accounts of it” (Sophocles, 21). Oedipus appears most concerned about discovering the killer than he’s aware of the acts he committed beforehand. Hence, he fails to recognize his faults, due to his “impurity”; also, as a king of high praise, Oedipus has never been accused of anything, including murder (Rom. 1:24). Sudden offence hits Oedipus; putting blame on Kreon made sense in “his own” sinful “nature”, despite his oblivion (John 8:44). Kreon is also offended, not by what Oedipus has done, but by the accusation Oedipus made against him. Kreon strikes as a man of

Oedipus didn’t realise the significance of laius’s death until later when he remembered the crime he had committed and confessed it all to Jocasta. when confessing he told jocasta “I killed him. I killed them all. Ah! If laius is this unknown man, there’s no one in this world so doomed as I” (Sophocles 45) He realized that he went too far and now the gods were trying to punish him for testing their power, and he made this clear when he stated “And who but I have done it all?