The Tragic Hero From Thebes : Oedipus The Tragic Hero From Thebes

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.

A tragic hero exhibits both tragic and heroic qualities, and Oedipus was no exception. Oedipus conquered the Sphinx and earned his title as King of Thebes. He humbly placed the people of Thebes first and was considered very selfless. Moreover, Oedipus stood with integrity and justice. Oedipus was courageous in trying to change his fate the gods had cursed him with. And finally, he embraces truth of who he is and

Oedipus is described as a hero with god-like qualities. They worship him. The people of Thebes for instance believe that Oedipus ascended to the throne through God’s guidance. Sophocles play Oedipus definitely exemplifies Aristotle definition of a tragic hero.  Oedipus is not only a king but a person born a noble. Oedipus takes his fate into his own hands and takes his decisions head on. He is his own cause of the things happening around him, to him and in his life. Sadly, his life falls apart, but by his own doing. He has to suffer the consequences of his actions in many ways. First, he forces Teiresias to reveal his destiny as well as his father’s name. Teiresias tries to avoid all these questions but in the end he has to head warning to Oedipus against forcing him to reveal those details. Oedipus is relentless and is determined to find the truth. He continues questioning Teiresias further. Teiresias finally

Oedipus the King is a tale that starts out with the city of Thebes suffering from a drastic plague and their king, Oedipus wants to find out why. Creon is sent to find the reason why the plague is occurring, and sends Tiresias to tell Oedipus the oracle. The oracle says that the murderer of Laius must be found and punished. This caused Oedipus to proclaim that he would do everything so that he could to find the murderer. Tiresias says that the murderer is Oedipus, but Oedipus is quick to disagree. Oedipus came to the towns of Thebes because of a prophecy that was given to him. He was told that he was to kill his father and even sleep with his own mother. Once the story comes to an end, the

Tragedy deals with unexpected or unfortunate events that usually results in negative outcomes that affects the downfall of the main character in a play. Tragedy within Greek drama incorporates the time within the their lifestyle of religious and superstitions. Greek writers use tragedy as a theme in literature because it represents their civilization. Sophocles uses this theme in his dramatic plays because the audience is able to correspond to the story line. It allows the audience to relate and be able to feel vulnerable and let go of all the feelings such as sadness, anger, fear or pity. A Greek tragedy symbolizes the ability of a man or hero that has no control over the destiny God intended him to have. In Sophocles’ Oedipus the King, he illustrates Oedipus as a hero who encounters a tragic end. When Oedipus was born, the prophecy predicted that he would murder his father and marry his mother. His parents wanted to avoid his destiny by leaving him to die on a mountain. A shepherd found Oedipus who then gave him to the King and Queen of Corinth. They took him in and raised him as their own. Apollo told Oedipus what the out come of his destiny would be and did not want to face his fate so he left the city of Corinth, not knowing the king and queen of Corinth were his foster parents. He was seen as a hero because he saved the city of Thebes from the curse that was created by the Sphinx by solving its riddle. It was not until the city of Thebes broke out in a

The city has dwelled in peace and prosperity under Oedipus’ reign. However, this has been a “sham prosperity cloaking corruption” (Sophocles 3). The gods are “disgusted” by the corruption in Thebes; Oedipus has married his mother and fathered four children with her: Antigone, Ismene, Polyneices, and Eteocles. Oedipus has also killed his biological father, the King of Thebes, without knowing it was his father. The city is consequently, “struck by plague” (Sophocles 3). During the “prime of [his] life and power” the citizens of Thebes flock to the palace with the hopes that Oedipus will save them again (Sophocles 3). Oedipus seems to be the ideal king that is genuinely concerned with the wellbeing of his citizens, telling them: “I know too well, you all are sick, yet sick, not one so sick as I. Your pain is single, each to each, it does not breed. Mine is treble anguish crying out for the city, for myself, for you” (Sophocles 7). Oedipus, to rid the city of the plague, hastily sends Creon, his uncle and brother in law, “to the place Apollo haunts at Pythia to learn what act or covenant of mine could still redeem the state” without consulting the gods (Sophocles 7). Oedipus vows “whatsoever he shall tell me from the god, that to the hilt I’ll do- or I am damned” without knowing that his fate has already been determined (Sophocles 7). When Creon returns to Thebes from the oracle, he asks Oedipus if he would like to hear the news, “publicly, on the spot” or in private (Sophocles 8). Oedipus boldly states, “speak out to all. It’s more for them than me, more my own than my own soul” hinting to a sense of arrogance about his abilities (Sophocles 8). Creon tells Oedipus that they, “must stop feeding what festers…the city frets with [Laius’] blood… And now clearly is required the just blood of his assassins…Only that escapes which never was pursued’” (Sophocles 8-9). Upon hearing this

In the story Oedipus The King (Dramatic Tragedy), Oedipus The King plays a role that will ultimately determine his own fate in the end of the book. In the story we see many factors that play a role in Oedipus’s fate, and we see there are many factors that lead to Oedipus’s tragic downfall. In a book a character can be influenced by others and what others have done in the past, but ultimately the decisions is in the characters hands and is based off their personality which results in their fate. In the beginning of the story we can see that Oedipus’s character is displayed and it is first seen as heroic when he saves Thebes.

     The heart of the story unravels when Oedipus apparently begins to suffer a reversal of fortunes. At the beginning of the play, Oedipus is referred to by the priest as the “king of the land, [the city of Thebes’] greatest power” (16). Through all of Thebes he is thought of as a hero, a man who saved the city from the Sphinx and in his bravery has promised to find the killer of King Laius in order to save the city from doom and death. However, at the climax of the story Oedipus learns that he has been “cursed in [his] birth, cursed in marriage / and cursed in

Oedipus is a play written by Greek playwright, Sophocles. The play revolves around the protagonist and eventual king of Thebes, Oedipus. Oedipus is rid of by his legitimate parents, Jocasta and king of Thebes, Laius, shortly after his birth after a prophecy declares that Oedipus will murder his father and wed his mother. He ends up in the hands of Polybus and Merope of Corinth. Oedipus learns from the Oracle that he will murder his father and marry his mother. As a result, Oedipus ends up leaving Corinth in order to defy his destined future. His abandonment led him to Thebes where he kills he true father, Laius, at an intersection. Soon after Oedipus solves the riddle of the Sphinx and as a result, is crowned king of Thebes and Jocasta’s hand. A plague inflicts Thebes and will only be lifted if the person who killed Laius is

In Oedipus The King by Sophocles, Oedipus, the great king of Thebes, suffers a reversal of fortune when he attempts to change his fate. Oedipus is prophesied to kill his father and to marry his mother so he leaves Corinth to come to Thebes so this prophecy does not come true. As Thebes is being countered by a plague, Oedipus is trying everything he can to help the citizens. Throughout the play, Oedipus seeks knowledge about the plague later leading to his downfall. Oedipus is seen as a hero to his city due to his contributions, but he soon has a tragic ending when he seeks for knowledge.

I think we should view Oedipus as tragic and we can find somethings heroic in his actions and end. Oedipus is the son of Thebe’s king and queen so he is already a royal hero. He discovered himself by solving a riddle of the sphinx by recognizing his own human species that some animals have two, three, and four. He could recognize that our ability to walk slow as we age and we depend more on the

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 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.

Answer: As Oedipus walks through his palace doors he is welcomed by his people begging for guidance and assistance. The kneeling Priest catches the attention of Oedipus, and in response he asks the Priest to speak up for his people. The Priest exemplifies to his king the people’s desperate situation as he notes, “‘Thebes is dying...cattle sicken and die,/ and the women die in labor, children stillborn,/ and the plague”’(OT 31-34). The Priest illustrates to Oedipus his kingdoms frantic position. He shows his leader the horrible plague that has affected their whole society. Oedipus must take action to save his people from the looming death that has been afflicted upon them.

Knox, B. M. (1998). Hero. In Oedipus at Thebes: Sophocles' tragic hero and his time (1st ed., p. 4). New Haven, NY: Yale University Press.