Oedipus the King is one of the most famous examples of a classic tragedy. At the center of this play, like other Greek tragedies, is the idea that all humans are subject to fate and that no one has the power to change his or her fate. This is the case with the protagonist of this play, Oedipus. Although he has learned from the oracle what his fate is, his victory over the Sphinx and his rise to power in Thebes has led him to believe that he can overcome his supposed fate. Also, his experiences have led him to distrust those capable of telling him the truth about his fate, specifically the oracles and prophets. This paper presents Oedipus as a tragic hero whose flaw is an excessive pride that leads him to overestimate his power. It will show how his …show more content…
He was a blind, blunt, and indecisive prophet. He came to acknowledge the recent death of the King, yet he wanted to stay out of all the commotion even though he knows the truth. Oedipus is persistent and knows he's a prophet and knows he's the only one who can find the killer. Tiresias refuses the first time and the he tells Oedipus is that he is the killer he is looking for and the murder of Laius will turn out to be both father and brother to his own children and son of his own wife. Even though he is blind, he can see better then anyone else around him. Oedipus does not believe him and neither does his new wife Jocasta, yet Teiresias is confident that fate will play its self out. Teiresias starts by saying “Well, it will come what will, though I be mute.” Then Oedipus responds with “Since come it must, thy duty is to tell me.” Teiresias said “I have no more to say; storm as thou willst, and give the rein to all thy pent-up rage.” They choose what to believe, but this does not worry Tiresias because he knows that fate will always win. Oedipus happens to be hypocritical in more ways then one which eventually leads to his downfall as a tragic
The tragedy of Sophocles’ Oedipus the King is not only that of a man exposing the horrific truth behind his past. The greatest tragedy is the ever-changing perception of Oedipus, by both the citizens of Thebes, and the play’s audience. Oedipus exudes a gross amount of self-confidence and ego, leading to narrow vision with no room for the perspectives of Tiresias, Jocasta or Creon, thus insuring his own demise. By the end of the play, the audience, along with the other characters, can track the personality flaws that led Oedipus to his personal, living-hell. But the context of the play’s and Oedipus’ history, along with his unfortunate traits, actually highlight another aspect to his character. That aspect is the fact that Oedipus’ incredible ego was completely deserved. His overwhelming self-confidence that some would perceive as destructive and unnecessary, is a product of being the true manifestation of his own self-image. It was the qualities that led him to be the savior and ruler of Thebes that led him to his terrible confrontation with fate, not qualities that were a result of being a ruler.
Many times in life, people think they can determine their own destiny, but, as the Greeks believe, people cannot change fate the gods set. Though people cannot change their fate, they can take responsibility for what fate has brought them. In the story Oedipus, by Sophocles, a young king named Oedipus discovers his dreadful fate. With this fate, he must take responsibility and accept the harsh realities of what’s to come. Oedipus is a very hubris character with good intentions, but because he is too confident, he suffers. In the story, the city of Thebes is in great turmoil due to the death of the previous king, Laius. With the thought of helping his people, Oedipus opens an investigation of King Laius’s murder, and to solve the mystery, he seeks advice from Tiresias, a blind prophet. When Laius comes, Oedipus insists on having the oracle told to all of Thebes showing no sign of hesitation or caution. This oracle states that he will kill his father and marry his mother. Oedipus must learn to deal with his terrible and appalling fate the way a true and honorable king would. Because...
Oedipus can be argued to be a sympathetic ruler of his people, "my heart must bear the strain of sorrow for all." (4). He shows a strong desire to rid the land of its despair. Yet as the reader captures a more in-depth glimpse into Oedipus' soul, we find him to be a jealous, stubborn, "blind", guilty, and sinful man. Oedipus' character outwardly seems to want nothing more than to find the guilty persons involved in the murder of Laius, yet when given obvious clues he turns a blind eye, not wanting to know the truth behind the prophecy.
Aristoteles’s “Theory of Tragedy” suggests that the tragic flaw in Sophocles’ play Oedipus is the King’s “self-destructive actions taken in blindness,” but a worse flaw if his arrogance. There are a few opposing views that stray from Oedipus being fully arrogant. First is that he took actions to save himself further pain. Second by putting himself in charge was the right thing to do as the leader of his people. Third Oedipus never tried to outwit the gods but used the prophecy as a warning to leave Corinth. All three opposing arguments shows a different side of Oedipus other than that of arrogance.
In the play, Oedipus the King written by Sophocles, the protagonist Oedipus finds himself in many conflicts, most of which seem to be a result of a combination of the actions he took. The play addresses that Oedipus is his own worst enemy, who is too determined to find out who he is and too proud to listen to the Gods. He thinks he can get out of following through on his own fate. So, because of that he doomed himself.
Oedipus Rex”, by Socrates, is a play that shows the fault of men and the ultimate power of the gods. Throughout the play, the main character, Oedipus, continually failed to recognize the fault in human condition, and these failures led to his ultimate demise. Oedipus failed to realize that he, himself, was the true answer to the riddle of the Sphinx. Oedipus ignored the truth told to him by the oracles and the drunk at the party, also. These attempts to get around his fate, which was determined by the gods, was his biggest mistake.
As tragic hero Oedipus displays all of the usual canon; power, arrogance, and pride. Oedipus manifests himself in a position of confidence, which he derives from his success at solving the riddle of the Sphinx and marrying a queen.“It was you who came / and released Cadmus’ Town from the tribute / we paid to the cruel songstress…” (Sophocles, 33-35) , “CREON: Then tell me this - / are you not married to my sister?” (Sophocles, 696-697). In turn, it also enabled him to make rash decisions, such as slaying his father, without personal recompense. “I was to slay my father. And he dies, / And the grave hide...
Oedipus took great pride in saving people and being seen a hero. He wanted the death of Laius to be avenged and he had to be the one to find the murderer and punish him. "I'll fight for him, I'll leave no means untried, to cach the one who did it with his hand..." (Literature, Oedipus the King, Ln. 270-271, page 1081) He did not want to let the people of Thebes down, and he wanted to show that he would be a true hero once again.
He avoids taking responsibility for the murder of Laius because he fears that he has lost to fate and so he diverts the blame of the murder on others. Oedipus protests his fate since he originally learned of it. Because Oedipus experiences a terrible change in fortune, he undergoes a transfiguration and evokes a sense of pity and fear from the audience and his countryman. Oedipus is cursed by a terrible change in fortune when he goes from believing that his “father’s death has lightened up the scene” (52) to realizing that Polybus is not his father and, in reality, he has killed his father and then that he has had children with his mother.
(49-52). From this line, the reader is able to acknowledge the pressure put on Oedipus to find the murderer of Laius and free his people from the plague. However, he gets so caught up in finding who the culprit is, he doesn’t realize that it is in fact, himself. This is also due to his ignorance. In the book, Oedipus is told by the prophet, Tiresias that he is the murderer of Laius.
Therefore, his anger is what is causing him to be ignorant. As a result, he is unable to see farther than his own perspective and affects his own city by still letting the plague continue. This reveals his negative aspects as a leader which provides that Oedipus is not a purely good leader. Not only does Tiresias try and present the truth to Oedipus but he also tries to prevent the truth from being told to him for his own good.
Oedipus Rex is a tale that provokes contemplation of fate and freewill. The characters in this story do what they think will protect them from their unfortunate fate; Laius and Jocasta send their son to die, Oedipus leaves his ‘parents’ Polybus and Merope to prevent himself from murdering who he thinks his father could be. However, no matter what the characters have done in the past to hopefully
While his intentions were well meaning in the beginning, Oedipus finds himself weighed down by his own flaws. Tragically his flaws cause him to lose focus of his true objectives and damn himself to a life of misery. The tale of Oedipus depicts his rapid descent from Oedipus, savior and king of Thebes to Oedipus Tyrannus the man who slew his father and married his mother. Since Oedipus has so many tragic flaws there is a plethora to choose from. However, if Oedipus’s tragic traits could be described with two words it would be arrogant and imperceptive. First, Oedipus is arrogant. Additionally, Oedipus is imperceptive.
Oedipus The King, by Sophocles, is a play about how Oedipus lives up his fate that he will kill his father and marry his mother, both of which are extremely bad in the Greek society, even though he thinks he is getting away from it. Despite the Greek notions of supreme power of the gods and fate, Oedipus' downfall is primarily the result of King Laius' and his own actions and attempts to defy the gods, consequently Sophocles says that prophecies from the gods of someone's fate should not be ignored. Prophecies from the Oracle of Delphi are told to King Laius and Queen Jocasta, and to Oedipus.
When it comes to the history of drama, Sophocles’ Oedipus is the king of all tragic heroes. From killing his own father and marrying his own mother, Oedipus’s tragic downfall leaves the reader emotionally scarred for life. Yet he still holds on to his morality and prevails over it all. Famous Greek philosopher Aristotle defines what a tragic hero is, and Oedipus fits it perfectly. Oedipus is a true embodiment of Aristotle’s definition of a tragic hero through his ability to preserve his virtue and wisdom, despite his flaws and predicament.