The Pride of Oedipus the King

1347 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Social relevance of Oedipus Rex in today's society

The Pride of Oedipus the King

Oedipus the King is perhaps one of the most famous and influential of Sophocles' plays. It is a tragic play which focuses on the discovery by Oedipus that he has killed his father and married his mother. On the surface of this drama there is, without a doubt, a tone of disillusionment.

Throughout the play we find that Oedipus, the protagonist of this Greek tragedy, is tested by life in a number of ways. To those in Athens who watched the performance of Oedipus the King, Oedipus appeared to be the embodiment of a perfect Athenian. He is self-confident, intelligent, and strong-willed. Ironically, these are the very traits which bring about his tragic discovery. He is portrayed as a character of social conscience whose tragedy stresses the vulnerability of human beings whose suffering is brought on by a combination of human and divine actions.

Oedipus was often looked upon as exceptional rather than typical; a prominent man brought from happiness to misery. His character’s stature is important because it makes his fall all the more horrific. In today’s world, newscasts are filled with daily reports of tragedies, such as a child being struck and killed by a car; an airplane crash; or a devastating fire. A literary tragedy presents courageous individuals who confront powerful forces within or outside themselves with a dignity that reveals the depth of the human spirit in the face of failure, defeat, and even death.

It is said that a man should never consider himself fortunate unless he can look back on his life and remember that life without pain. For Oedipus, looking back is impossible to do without pain. This pain stems from his prideful life. Oedipus is aware that he alone is resp...

... middle of paper ...

...!” (ll. 1469 – 1471) was his response.

Sophocles ends this tragic story by warning his audience not to take anything for granted or they will suffer like Oedipus, a lesson many should heed. In my own theory about Oedipus the King, I see a righteous man with a good heart and good intentions. However, by seeking justice in the truth, he faces devastation and is destroyed by his own pride. Therefore, it's pity that is felt as a result, because at some level, his fate could be our own. This tragedy reminds us that even the bravest, those known throughout the world for their knowledge, are doomed if they set themselves up against the mystery of life itself, and if they try to force life to answer them, they may very well self-destruct as Oedipus had.

Work Cited

Sophocles. Oedipus Rex. World Literature. Orlando: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1993. 307-367.

Show More
Related

  • The King's Pride In Sophocles Oedipus The King

    924 Words  | 2 Pages

    Sophocles’s dramatic play Oedipus the King takes place in ancient Greece. It focuses on Oedipus, the king of Thebes. As the plot unfolds, Sophocles reveals that Oedipus, Jacosta his wife/mother, and his father Laius have tried to change the course of events that have been foretold to them. The oracles make it clear to Laius, and later to Oedipus, that he will kill his father and marry his mother. Regardless of their attempts to alter the future, the foretold events develop outside of their control. These events lead to an unhappy ending for each of them. Mythical creatures, oracles, prophets, and gods all have a hand in shaping Oedipus’s life. Although the prophecies of Apollo’s oracles set key events into motion, it is Oedipus’s tragic flaw of excessive pride that leads to the eventual fulfillment of the prophecies.

    Read More

  • Fate against Free will in Oedipus the King by Sophocles

    1229 Words  | 3 Pages

    The purpose of this essay is to demonstrate that the events in Oedipus the King, written by Sophocles, are the result of the hero’s self determination and restless attempt to escape a terrifying destiny predicted for him by the oracle of Apollo at Delphi.
My intention is to prove that although the Fates play a crucial part in the story, it is Oedipus'choices and wrong doing that ultimately lead to his downfall.

    Read More

  • Oedipus the King: The Tragic Flaws Of Oedipus

    1052 Words  | 3 Pages

    The great Sophoclean play, Oedipus Rex is an amazing play, and one of the first of its time to accurately portray the common tragic hero. Written in the time of ancient Greece, Sophocles perfected the use of character flaws in Greek drama with Oedipus Rex. Using Oedipus as his tragic hero, Sophocles’ plays forced the audience to experience a catharsis of emotions. Sophocles showed the play-watchers Oedipus’s life in the beginning as a “privileged, exalted [person] who [earned his] high repute and status by…intelligence.” Then, the great playwright reached in and violently pulled out the audience’s most sorrowful emotions, pity and fear, in showing Oedipus’s “crushing fall” from greatness.

    Read More

  • Oedipus the King by Sophocles

    524 Words  | 2 Pages

    Oedipus the King conveys many lessons that are relevant to people living today despite the fact that it was written by Sophocles twenty four centuries ago. Oedipus is a child destined to kill his father and marry his mother. During his life, he makes many mistakes trying to avoid his fate. These mistakes teach us about the nature of humans under certain circumstances. Oedipus possesses personality traits which causes him to make wrong decisions. Attributes like arrogance and his inability to make calm decisions in certain scenarios due to his anger causes his downfall. Oedipus’ excessive pride, like many people today, was an important factor that brought him grief. Oedipus’ lack of patience caused him to make hasty decisions which lead him to his greatest agony. Oedipus’ massive ego turned into excessive vanity, this was the first step to his downfall. Oedipus talks to Creon about the murderer of Laius. He declares, “Then I’ll go back and drag that shadowed past to light… but by myself and for myself I’ll break this plague” (Sophocles, 11). Oedipus is saying that he will be the on...

    Read More

  • Lack of Pride and Insight Cause Downfall of Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex

    759 Words  | 2 Pages

    Every man has several characteristics which define him, but not all of them are beneficial. If he is not careful, certain traits can lead to his downfall. This is the very thing that happens to Oedipus in Sophocles’ tragedy, Oedipus Rex. Unfortunately, Oedipus possesses several character traits that cause him to fulfil the oracle and undergo great suffering. Oedipus’ pride, impetuous behaviour and lack of insight ultimately determine his fate.

    Read More

  • Sacrifice In Sophocles Oedipus The King

    559 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Sophocles’ Oedipus the King, the reader finds Oedipus as an overzealous king, but one that cares deeply for the people who are under his rule. After solving the mystery of the Sphinx and under the belief that he has escaped the prophecy of killing his father and marrying his mother, Oedipus’ self-confidence goes into over drive. His compassion, for the pain and suffering his people are under, causes him to pronounce a curse on the murderer of Laius. Unknown to the king, he is condemning himself for the crime he committed years ago.

    Read More

  • Theme Of Pride In Oedipus The King

    1369 Words  | 3 Pages

    Greek politician and playwright, Sophocles, in his play, Oedipus the King, depicts a series of chronological events of the consequences of Oedipus’ downfall caused by his excessive pride. Sophocles’ purpose is to instruct readers that too much pride can dismally lead to unfortunate events. Sophocles illustrates an effective tone in order to inform the readers of the negative outcomes of stubbornness and denial.

    Read More

  • Pride In Oedipus The King

    781 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the play Oedipus The King by Sophocles, Oedipus is a man that everybody looks up to. He is a heroic figure, the king of Thebes ,and therefore, a symbol of the city. Consequently, Oedipus knows his own fame and has high self-confidence of himself. However, Oedipus changes dramatically after finding out he has unwilling fulfilled the prophecy of killing his father and marrying his mother. Although Oedipus in the beginning has high self-confidence of himself, he, at the end, becomes a condemned man that emerges to be a symbol of agony, illustrating a change of his characterization in a negative way.

    Read More

  • Pride, the Tragic Flaw of Oedipus the King

    513 Words  | 2 Pages

    In conclusion, I think that if Oedipus had not had this huge sense of pride things would have turn out a lot better for him.

    Read More

  • Oedipus Is Not a Tragic Hero

    2026 Words  | 5 Pages

    With this in mind, many believe that King Oedipus in Sophocles’ play, Oedipus the King, is the perfect example of Aristotle’s tragic hero. Does he, however, truly fulfill all the “requirements” described in Poetics or is there something we miss in the depths of his fascinating and multi-faceted character that does not fit into Aristotle’s template? Without a doubt, Oe...

    Read More

  • Oedipus: Riddle of the Sphinx as a Metaphor of Life

    1059 Words  | 3 Pages

    Oedipus Rex (the King), written by Sophocles, is the tragic play depicting the disastrous existence to which Oedipus, an Athenian, is 'fated' to endure. With a little help from the gods and the 'fated' actions and decisions of Oedipus, an almost unthinkable misfortune unfolds. Athenian perfection can consist of intelligence, self-confidence, and a strong will. Oedipus, the embodiment of such perfection, and his tragedy are common place to Athenians. Ironically, the very same exact characteristics that bring about the ominous discovery of Oedipus' fate: to kill his father and marry his mother. Oedipus' 'fated' decisions entangle everyone whom is of any significance to him within a quagmire of spiraling tragedy. Sophocles uses the riddle of the Sphinx as a metaphor for the three phases of Oedipus' entangled life, the three phases of human life, and to describe how every life-changing action or decision can influence other lives.

    Read More

  • Self-Discovery and the Pursuit of Truth in Sophocles' Oedipus

    1141 Words  | 3 Pages

    Sophocles’ Oedipus is the tragedy of tragedies. An honorable king is deceived and manipulated by the gods to the point of his ruination. In the face of ugly consequences Oedipus pursues the truth for the good of his city, finally exiling himself to restore order. Sophocles establishes emotional attachment between the king and the audience, holding them in captivated sympathy as Oedipus draws near his catastrophic discovery. Oedipus draws the audience into a world between a rock and a hard place, where sacrifice must be made for the greater good.

    Read More

  • Oedipus Rex: The Search for Truth

    2217 Words  | 5 Pages

    Oedipus was willing to die to uncover the truth. Closure was needed for Oedipus the individual and Oedipus the king. Despite this need for closure, Oedipus remained blind to the clues in his path, plainly dismissing the ideas of other characters. Oedipus’ passion for knowledge was at least as strong as his blindness to the clues in his path. This blindness can be attributed to his pride. This pride gradually developed from h...

    Read More

  • Tragedy In Oedipus The King, The Tragic Hero

    997 Words  | 2 Pages

    Oedipus is depicted as a “marionette in the hands of a daemonic power”(pg150), but like all tragic hero’s he fights and struggles against fate even when the odds are against him. His most tragic flaw is his morality, as he struggles between the good and the evil of his life. The good is that he was pitied by the Shepard who saved him from death as a baby. The evil is his fate, where he is to kill his father and marry his mother. His hubris or excessive pride and self-righteousness are the lead causes to his downfall. Oedipus is a tragic hero who suffers the consequences of his immoral actions, and must learn from these mistakes. This Aristotelian theory of tragedy exists today, as an example of what happens when men and women that fall from high positions politically and socially.

    Read More

  • Oedipus the King, a Tragic Hero

    1712 Words  | 4 Pages

    Sophocles's Oedipus Rex is probably the most famous tragedy ever written. Sophocles's tragedy represents a monumental theatrical and interpretative challenge. Oedipus Rex is the story of a King of Thebes upon whom a hereditary curse is placed and who therefore has to suffer the tragic consequences of fate (tragic flaws or hamartia). In the play, Oedipus is the tragic hero. Even though fate victimizes Oedipus, he is a tragic figure since his own heroic qualities, his loyalty to Thebes, and his fidelity to the truth ruin him.

    Read More

More about The Pride of Oedipus the King

Open Document