Characteristics Of Oedipus The King

Through their fatal mis-steps, their pride and ego, predominately affect their familial lives, which in turn causes them to realize the truth that they are tragic heroes. The noble characters, Oedipus and Willy rely on things of substantial value in their lives, but then unfortunately fail, further deepening their harmatia. In Arthur Millers’ essay “Tragedy and the Common Man,” he does not believe that just nobility and power over others is inadequate to just judge a select few: Insistence upon the rank of the tragic hero, or the so-called nobility of his character, is re... ... middle of paper ... ...before something happens?” (Miller 133). Biff is getting frustrated with Willy because he is trying to turn his son into somebody that he does not want to be. Willy’s tragedy is due to the fact that the truth for him is far fetched, since he is always seeing life in a flashback, which leads to his demise.

He is a man who is superior then the average person, a character of noble stature and greatness. Though the tragic hero is pre-eminently great, he is not perfect. Otherwise, the audience would be unable to identify with him and his tragedy. His imperfection is what invokes pity and fear in the audience. Another characteristic of a tragic hero is the fact that he is trigger by some error of judgment or character flaw.

A tragic hero brings his own demise upon himself due to a crippling character flaw. Willy Loman from “Death of a Salesman” by Arthur Miller satisfies the criteria for a tragic hero because his pride leads to his downfall. Despite not being a man of high estate, Willy’s readiness to “lay down his life” (miller criticism) makes him a prime example of a modern tragic hero. Willy’s pride inhibits the success of his family by feeding his egotistical nature, idealism, and false value system. Willy eventually addresses these negative traits he possesses and sacrifices himself for his family, thus satisfying Death of a Salesman as a tragic play.

Oedipus personifies the ideal tragic hero. While he is a kind, caring and noble man, because of his impulsiveness and quick temper he makes a series of bad decisions that, if they had been thought out, he could have avoided. =Oedipus exemplifies what a tragic hero is, a person who tries to be the best person he can be but has one flaw that eventually will bring him down. Now that Oedipus has been established as a tragic hero does his journey follow a pattern that is similar towards what Joseph Campbell describes in the hero’s journey? In the previous paragraph Oedipus was defined as a tragic hero.

Arthur Dimmesdale, a character of high reputation, overwhelmed by guilt, torn apart by his own wrongdoing, makes his entrance into history as the tragic hero whose life becomes a montage of pain and agony because of his mistakes. The themes leading to Dimmesdale’s becoming a tragic hero are his guilt from his sin, and his reluctance to tarnish his reputation in the town. Guilt plays a huge role in defining Dimmesdale as a tragic hero. Dimmesdale has understood that by not revealing his sin, he has doomed himself. This also connects with the constant struggle with Chillingworth.

Brutus is a tragic hero because he is of high political standing, a poor judge of character and is enlightened of his mistakes. Throughout the tale of Julius Caesar's assassination we are able to view into a window of Brutus's life and watch as the Republic unravels. Flaws are what transform characters into tragic heroes. All tragic heroes possess a unique and individual flaw that brings their downfall. Shakespeare illuminates the flaw of Brutus as his uncanny ability in poor judgment and faulty reasoning that leads him to make the decisions he does.

Kailey Knowles Period 2 December 10, 2013 Oedipus Cycle Analysis Creon as a Tragic Hero As once said by Aristotle, "A man doesn't become a hero until he can see the root of his own downfall". A tragic hero is often seen as someone with great stature who is noble yet imperfect, and experiences suffering due a moral flaw. In Sophocles’ Ancient Greek play The Oedipus Cycle, Creon represents the true tragic hero when his flawed actions and excessive pride create the path towards his demise. Creon’s declination begins in Oedipus at Colonus when his infatuation with power and control begins to arise, in turn bringing forth a rigid side to his character. The battle over the kingship of Thebes is a pivotal point in Creon’s development.

The concept of tragic hero is very important in the construction of tragedy. It is the main cause of pity and fear. The tragic hero is a character between the two extremes; he is neither virtuous nor evil. At the same time, this character is better than the ordinary men or audience, he has some good qualities. Moreover, as a tragic hero, he is moving from happiness to misery by his downfall at the end.

In the play Oedipus Rex by Sophocles, Oedipus is a classic tragic hero. According to Aristotle's definition, Oedipus is a tragic hero because he is a king whose life falls apart when he finds out his life story. There are a number of characteristics described by Aristotle that identify a tragic hero. For example, a tragic hero must cause his own downfall; his fate is not deserved, and his punishment exceeds the crime; he also must be of noble stature and have greatness. Oedipus is in love with his idealized self, but neither the grandiose nor the depressive "Narcissus" can really love himself (Miller 67).

Oedipus is so blinded by his pride that he can not accept the fact that he can not avoid his fate placed upon him by the gods. It is because he is not perfect and has these tragic flaws that in the end makes him a tragic hero. The greatest of his flaws happens to be his excessive pride and self-righteousness. Had Oedipus not listened to his pride, ... ... middle of paper ... ...has lost everything of importance: his kingdom, his family, and his happiness. In the beginning of Oedipus the King, Oedipus is portrayed as an admired and respected ruler.