Oedipus’ Fate

Oedipus’ Fate

“Oedipus the King” demonstrates all the characteristics and qualities so it’s best to say that he is the perfect example of a Tragic Hero. The sequence of events in the play all resemble a tragedy and Oedipus is directly in the middle of it, confronting every obstacle and shows all the qualities of a hero as he searches for the truth behind the murder of King Laius. The story and the main protagonist, Oedipus features all the dramatizations and within himself a tragic flaw that ultimately led to his downfall. Oedipus’ actions set up his demise but it was fate that destroyed him.

Oedipus’ hamartia was well documented when he showed how determined he was to catch King Laius’ murderer even when he suspected it to be himself.(Grene, pg. 13) Only a hero would risk prosecuting himself in search for the truth. He was ultimately trying to clear his conscious, or to prove to himself that he in fact wasn’t the murderer even though all the clues said that he was. This reasoning could also be said to be his tragic flaw. His determination to find the murderer and clear his conscious is what led to his demise. After deciphering the Sphinx’s riddle he became arrogant, as if he was untouchable so it’s understandable that he would take such risks unnecessarily.

The catharsis in the play was when Oedipus finally had proof that he was King Laius’ murderer. He had finally come to terms with this, it was suspected throughout the play but there were so many unknown variables that the reader needed for it to be said in black and white. Oedipus murdered King Laius and unknowingly lived up to the prophecy he was born into. Even when the prophecy was told to him there wasn’t much he could do to change it, if anything at all. The Gods of g...

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...ng himself. Maybe death was too easy, to run away from your issues. He faced his exile and inflicted himself with blindness because he is a tragic hero. A weak person would kill themselves. He felt that was too easy and wanted to live with Jocasta and Laius’ deaths on his shoulders.

Oedipus, the Tragic Hero did all he could to save his city and in the end was exiled in a world where religion trumps all. He took his share of losses, his wife/mother, father and his city. In his emotional state he even blinded himself. He is a wounded man who supported his city and begged to be exiled so he would not anger the Gods as their prophecy needed to be fulfilled and that’s the punishment he decided should be placed upon the murderer of a King. Oedipus met his fate because his actions were predetermined and it was not a matter of how, but when the prophecy would be fulfilled.