Oedipus Rex Tragic Hero Essay

1. Aristotle once stated, “a man doesn’t become a hero until he can see the root of his own downfall (bisd303.org).” Oedipus epitomizes a true tragic hero in both his past and his actions, although he did not have any control regarding his fate. He had excessive pride and self-righteousness; he dares to compare himself to the gods in saying “you pray to the gods? Let me grant your prayers (33).”

Oedipus is a better ruler than Creon because he is fair and well respected , and Oedipus’ search for the truth and the cause of his downfall is all in the best interest of the city. The people of Thebes exhibit more respect and faith in Oedipus than they do in Creon. The first time in Oedipus the King, that Oedipus is addressed it’s by the priest. The priest says to Oedipus, “Oh Oedipus, king of the land, our greatest power!”, illustrating how the people of Thebes see Oedipus (160). This is the first time anyone speaks about Oedipus, and it is all praise.

Oedipus Rex represents the tragic hero archetype throughout the play; shown as he destroys his status and in turn himself as a result of his unyielding arrogance towards the gods; his hubris causes him to be blind to his foolishness and results in his destruction as he tries, again and again, to avoid his fate believing he can best Apollo and the destiny he had set out for him; his eventual demise causes him to recognize the errors of his ways, however like in any tragic play it is too late and he is plunged into a catharsis - blind, poor, and exiled from his kingdom.

Oedipus the King, by Sophocles, is really a story about the necessity of placing more faith in others and their counsel than in oneself and one’s own beliefs. Repeatedly the titular character is pleaded with to listen to and accept the advice of those around him and each time he refuses to obey. Ultimately, Oedipus’ tendency to do perform the actions he would prefer to do rather than to allow his family to help guide him leads to his downfall and loss of the throne. A common characteristic of Greek tragedy is the “fatal flaw” of the main character and how this flaw leads to the character’s misfortune.

Oedipus the King Literary Analysis Jennifer Tincher When something horrible happens your first reaction is to blame yourself. What if the blame actually lies with the almighty beings? Tragedy is a central idea in Ancient Greek work. Usually it is brought on through a flaw in a character being exploited.

“We haven’t come to beg at your hearth because we think you’re the gods’ equal. We’ve come because you are the best man at handling trouble or confronting gods” (38-41). The people of Thebes are showing their respect in devotion to King Oedipus because the trust him as their well respected leader. They speak and think highly of king Oedipus based on this verse from the story. “We’ve lost almost everything, because we don’t have Odysseus to protect our house.

From the beginning Oedipus was destined to fulfill a terrible prophecy, but through particular events that follow the steps of the Hero’s Journey, Oedipus becomes a powerful king of Thebes, only to be destroyed by the prophecy that should have ended his life as a child. The Hero’s Journey typically leads to self-confidence and power, however; the Hero’s Journey of Oedipus leads to his tragic demise. The Hero’s Journey lays out the steps of Oedipus’s future actions, which create suspense, fear, pity, and other emotions that captivates the audience. Similar to many famous stories, Oedipus the King, written by Sophocles in 430 B.C., follows the Hero’s Journey path, which is evident in Oedipus’s departure, initiation, and return.

Critical Lens As said by Benjamin Disraeli in Contarini Fleming, “Circumstances are beyond the control of man; but his conduct is in his own power.” Although this quote originates from 1832, centuries before Oedipus the King was published, its logic can still be applied to Sophocles’ play. Disraeli is saying that no one can help the circumstances they are born in, but everyone has the capability to live how they want. At face-value, this may seem true; in the end everyone has the ability to make a decision. Yet, it is their circumstances that drive the choices people make.

Thesis:In Sophocles play ‘Oedipus the king’,Oedipus is an example of a tragic hero because he changed from a hero at the beginning of the play into a tragic hero by the end by experiencing power,tragic flow,downfall and death. Oedipus changes into a person no can believe of,because in the beginning he was a hero for the city of thebes by solving a riddle to defeat the monster that was killing and taking over thebes. Claim:Before the play Oedipus defeats sphinx and becomes a powerful king,At the beginning of the play people rely on Oedipus’s power and help. Data:For example the priest says “Oedipus greatest in all men’s eyes We pray,find some strength again and rescue or city”. Warrant:From this quote readers can see that how empowered oedipus feels like and how people in thebes rely on him,Clearly this scene represents the power stage of the tragic hero.

P.13 Oedipus questions Teiresias, curious to know what he knows. “Oh gruesomely clear it has all unraveled… I was bonded with the people I should have never killed.” P.40 Oedipus sees what he has done wrong and feels vulnerable and horror. The audience clearly sees that heroes are very human and how real their limitations. Most people would have felt that same vulnerability if the gods had made us their plaything and tormented us, writing a prophecy of our doom.

The tale begins with the introduction of a plague that is ravishing the city, of which Oedipus is helpless against it; he is forced to rely on the gods. The plague is severe, causing high mortality, miscarriages, and stillbirths. According to the Emerging Infectious Diseases Journal, “[The evidence from the book] strongly support[s] the notion that the disease was incurable at the time” (Kousoulis,

Brilliantly conceived and written, Oedipus Rex is a drama of self-discovery. Achieved by amazing compression and force by limiting the dramatic action to the day on which Oedipus learns the truth of his birth and his destiny is quite the thriller. The fact that the audience knows the dark secret that Oedipus unwittingly slew his true father and married his mother does nothing to destroy the suspense. Oedipus’s search for the truth has all the tautness of a detective tale, and yet because audiences already know the truth they are aware of all the ironies in which Oedipus is enmeshed. That knowledge enables them to fear the final revelation at the same time that they pity the man whose past is gradually and relentlessly uncovered to him.

Oedipus was a tragic hero he was seen as a great man and was king,but he fell to misfortune because of his disability to see past his pride and anger which led to his demise. By not being able to see past his pride and anger Oedipus was not able to to avoid his prophetic destiny. He was blinded by his pride and anger so much that it became his tragic flaw ultimately leading him to his

Oedipus shortly after is escorted away by Creon after realizing that he had slept and procreated with his mother and killed his father. There are many characteristics of Greek tragedy; it always depicts the downfall of a good person who is called the protagonist. In the play ‘Oedipus the King’, Oedipus was the protagonist and soon met his demise at the end of the play by no one

Through such characterization, Sophocles heightens the emotions in the play by demonstrating how these traits contribute to the catastrophic conclusion. Sophocles deliberately depicts Oedipus as a seemingly infallible yet prideful ruler in order to augment the subsequent devastation Oedipus causes, thus realizing the vision of an Aristotelian tragedy. Aristotle identifies nobleness in character as a characteristic of a tragic hero. Oedipus personifies this criterion; he is revered as one of the most adept rulers in all of Greece. Indeed, he constantly reminds himself that “I am a king . . .