Compare and Contrast the Tragic Flaw(s) of Macbeth and Oedipus Macbeth visualized himself as a forceful, powerful ruler who begins the trilogy in absolute control of the situation. As the story progresses, however , Macbeths’ power and pride are broken down because he made it his destiny. As for Oedipus, he was a pitiful man who has been crushed by the avenging gods and fate. He seems to be a wiser, soberer man, rising majestically above his misfortunes. When Oedipus the king begins, Oedipus exhibits wisdom, love for his children and his subjects, and a reputation for high moral standards.
Oedipus is abandoned his father, King Laius, because his father hears a prophecy that Oedipus is to kill his father and marry his mother, Jocasta. Oedipus is adopted and later hears that same prophecy, and goes in search for the truth. Along the way he gets in a fight with a man and kills him. The man he killed was his father but Oedipus did not know that. He then solves a riddle from the Sphinx which has been terrorizing a kingdom.
Oedipus: The Painful Path to Wisdom Through the character of Oedipus, Sophocles shows the futility and consequences of defying the divine order. Oedipus served Thebes as a great ruler, loved by his subjects; but it is his one tragic flaw, hubris, which dooms his existence, regardless of the character attributes that make him such a beloved king. From the opening dialogue we sense the character of Oedipus. When confronted by his subjects praying for relief of the plague he reacts kingly and graciously, saying, “I am king, I had to come....How can I help?...Ask me anything. Anything at all.” He obviously cares for the people in his kingdom, but he goes on to say how he pities “these poor shattered people of [his].” The pity he feels is rooted not only in his love and sympathy, but his arrogance as well.
Oedipus at the time does not realize that he has just condemned himself. By a strange twist of fate, Oedipus who was discarded by his great father at birth and was raised in a foreign land, comes back to his home land and kills his father, Laius, and marries his own mother, Jocasta. All of this is unknown by Oedipus making him "the tragic hero conscious or unconscious of his intentional tragic act? "² Poor Oedipus discovers that he had killed his father and married his mother at the climax of the play when the Shepard is questioned. He states "I stand revealed at last - cursed in my birth, cursed in marriage, cursed in the lives I cut down with these hands!
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.
Jocasta feels the guilt that she wished she can fixed things, but Oedipus had already killed her first husband to be able to get with her. In other words, everything seemed to destroy the whole family. The main cause of everything was Jocasta for abandoning her own son. I can imagine how the siblings of Oedipus might of felt that Oedipus is their father but as well their
The Tragic Figure of Oedipus Rex Sophocles is perhaps one of the greatest tragedians ever. Sophocles 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 Rex, looking back is impossible to do without pain. This pain stems from his prideful life. Oedipus is aware that he alone is responsible for his actions.
Without his history of glorious deeds, he would see himself bereft of the very power which qualifies him to be a good King. Beowulf’s bravery never comes in to question, he does meet every challenge head-on, with deadly attention. The society which labels Beowulf as a legendary hero, recognizes his actions and his bravery as a integral part of his definition as a hero. Without the society to support th... ... middle of paper ... ...or a chivalric Knight embodies the battle of the righteous self against corruption. Gawain’s strength comes from his discovery of his own flaws.
Creon denied Polyneices proper burial because he was an enemy and that where this play begins.Fate is what had gotten the family of Oedipus where we begin this play. Fate is why Oedipus had killed his father, marry his mother, and then find out all about it. Fate then tortured Oedipus and he cut out his eyes. Fate had made Creon new king of Thebes and then have Oedipus' sons kill each other. Antigone's fate was to die trying to honor her dead brother and be loyal her family.
From the time Oedipus was born it was predicted that he would kill his father and marry his mother. He tells Jocasta, "Apollo said through his prophet that I was the man who should marry his own mother, shed his father's blood with his own hands" (Sophocles 945). It was for this reason that his parents bound his ankles and gave him to a shepherd to take away. Even though Oedipus tries to escape his fate, his fate always catches up with him. He runs away from home after hearing the prophesy with the purpose of avoiding his fate.