Oedipus The King

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Recommended: Analysis of Oedipus the king by Sophocles

Sophocles use the self-realizations of his characters to underscore the themes of his tragedies. He uses the character transformation of Oedipus and the plot, to highlight the theme in Oedipus the King. Oedipus changes from a heroic king at the beginning of the play, to becoming in denial in the middle, to a fearful man, then to becoming a humble man because of his tragic fate.
Oedipus become a confident and determine hero in the beginning of the play, during the situation when he solve the Sphinx’s riddle. Oedipus wasn’t a Theban but, he still answers the riddle of the Sphinx even though she threats anyone who answers incorrect. Only a man like Oedipus is the only man that had confidence and courage to do so. As he succeeds in helping the Thebans from the Sphinx, he becomes famous and known for his bravery. The priest shows Oedipus, that the Thebans have respect for the king by saying “You freed us from the Sphinx, you came to Thebes and …show more content…

Sophocles shows the change in his main character, when Oedipus penalize himself, "I stand revealed at last-cursed in my birth, cursed in marriage, cursed in the lives I cut down with these hands!". Oedipus character is shown clearly when he chooses to take out his eyes. He makes himself blind like Tiresias after seeing his terrible fate. Oedipus defends his decision to humble himself through blindness: "What good were eyes to me? Nothing I could see could bring me joy". He no longer can be called an oppressor not even a king after being humiliated like that, can’t see or walk without help. Oedipus sees how wrong he was that his attitude changed towards Creon, "Oh no, what can I say to him? How can I ever hope to win his trust? I wronged him so, just now, in every way. You must see that-I was so wrong, so wrong". In this way, Oedipus, humbles himself and change his demeanor towards the Thebes in the

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