Comparing Oedipus And Othello

If Oedipus and Othello were to relive their lives, one could only hope they make better decisions. However, what’s done is done; they both lived destructive lives due to their pride. These characters that have been considered by many people tragic heroes. A commonality between all tragic heroes is that they have a moment of transfiguration, also known as a moment of realization. Oedipus and Othello finally understand they have been blinded by their tragic flaws; they are able to see the damage they have created. During Othello 's and Oedipus ' transfigurations, both characters realize their hubris was destructive.

Both Othello and Oedipus were oblivious to the truth before their realizations. Aware of the oracle’s prophecy, Oedipus believed he could outsmart the gods. After reaching the new city of Thebes, solving the riddle of the Sphinx, Oedipus became a

Oedipus’ exaggerated sense of pride made him believe he could defy the prophecy set out for him. He believed he could control his own fate. Despite knowing his prophecy, Oedipus did not even think twice about killing the people on the road to Thebes. When he became king Oedipus referred to himself as, “I, Oedipus, a name that all men know” (Sophocles Prologue. 9). Oedipus knew he had great power and a reputation. Oedipus’ hubris had a domino effect in his life. One critic stated, “Oedipus starts as a supremely confident, masterful king, a beloved, caring savior-figure, a man of energy and proven intelligence, and ends as a shunned, polluted, self-blinded outcast, deprived of the most basic freedoms” (Gillett and Hankey 273). When Tiresias told Oedipus that he was the cause of the plague, Oedipus’ pride kicked in as he reminded Tiresias that he solved the riddle of the Sphinx so, the plague could not have possibly been his fault. This hubris was the cause of Oedipus’ ignorance and denial, ultimately leading to the King of Thebes and Jocasta’s