Oedipus the King Hamartia Essay

circa 400 BC.; Oedipus the King is one of the three plays about Oedipus, believed to be first produced in 425 B.C., five years after the plague had broken out in Athens (Kennedy 947). Sophocles’ Oedipus exemplifies Aristotle’s definition of a tragic hero and Greek classical order. As Oedipus says in the play “if you think a man can sin against his own kind and not be punished for it I say you are mad” (Kennedy 962 line 39-40). Oedipus is punished for his sins, and it is his hamartia —a fatal flaw

these qualities in his literature. The play Oedipus the King, written by Sophocles, is a tragedy because of the use of a tragic hero as well as tragic irony. The tragedy possesses a tragic hero due to the fact that Oedipus bears a hamartia and experiences a fall from grace. Oedipus carries the tragic flaw of anger, because his rage contributes to his demise. For example, Oedipus lashes out violently after Laius merely jostles him on the road, and Oedipus admits that he, “in fury/[Lands Laius] a blow/…He

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

both the plays “Oedipus Rex” and “Antigone”, Sophocles uses both of the kings, Oedipus and Creon, to convey what happens when men believe they are more powerful than deities or fate itself. Both kings exhibit vile acts of hubris and receive just punishments for their actions. Although the lesson to be learned in both plays are very similar to each other, Sophocles contrast many differences between the kings such as hamartias or the punishments they receive for their actions. In “Oedipus Rex”, the main

of a tragic hero, it can be concluded that Oedipus is a tragic hero. Oedipus The King was written by a well-known tragic dramatist named Sophocles. This story is considered to be one of the greatest tragedies of all time. In fact, the Marjorie Barstow of the Classical Weekly says that it “fulfills the function of a tragedy, and arouses fear and pity in the highest degree” (Barstow). It is also very controversial because of the relationship that Oedipus has with his mother, although it was unknown

major catastrophe, doom themselves with hamartia, have the occurrence of peripeteia, builds up events leading to their downfall, must be enlightened, and the audience needs catharsis . In Antigone, Creon fits the tragic hero mold the best. Creon’s noble blood allows for the the appointment of kingship. Sharing ties with Jocasta, the late Queen of Thebes, Creon rises to power once the two sons’ of Oedipus, an exiled king of Thebes, die. The two sons’ of Oedipus and Jocasta take turns ruling Thebes,

Aristotelian Tragedy: Oedipus the King by Sophocles Works Cited Not Included Oedipus the King is an excellent example of Aristotle's theory of tragedy. The play has the perfect Aristotelian tragic plot consisting of paripeteia, anagnorisis and catastrophe; it has the perfect tragic character that suffers from happiness to misery due to hamartia (tragic flaw) and the play evokes pity and fear that produces the tragic effect, catharsis (a purging of emotion). Oedipus the King has the ingredients

Aristotle argues that in a tragedy the protagonist must possess a tragic flaw that leads to his or her downfall. An example that backs up this argument, is Sophocles’s tragedian play, Oedipus Rex. In this play, the protagonist, Oedipus, possessed two tragic flaws that not only led to his downfall, but also lead to the death of those he cherished. In this case, the tragic flaws that cause his ruin were his anger and pride. Moreover, Oedipus’s fatal flaws contributed to assembling great value to the

inevitable fate, and finally leading to his/her ultimate own demise. Other inherent personal traits include: anagnorisis, catharsis, hamartia, hubris, irony, nemesis, nobility, and peripeteia. In the plays of Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex and Shakespeare’s Hamlet; the two protagonists, Hamlet and Oedipus, experience a series of events which unfold through tragic climaxes. In Oedipus Rex, this occurs when the characters unknowingly destroy their family hierarchy, culminating in the conscious tragic revelation

recovered, including the three Theban plays. Antigone and Oedipus the King are two of the three Theban plays, written in the fifth century. In Oedipus the King, when Oedipus asks Tiresias, the oracle how he can rid the plague in Thebes, the oracle says that once the killer of the previous king, Laius, is exiled the plague will be cured. Oedipus is on a journey to find himself, the killer. In Antigone, despite Tiresias’ warning, Creon, the king of Thebes, denies Antigone’s brother, Polyneices, a burial