...Sophocles’ Oedipus the King tells the tale of a king who is destined to kill his father and bear children with his mother - and who did so despite everything Laius (Oedipus’s father) did to keep it from occurring. To say such an oddly specific tragedy that was also prophesied happened due to random chance is bewildering. It is shown countless times throughout the play that Oedipus is not the greatest of people. He is full of anger and pride and is extremely insecure about himself - proven when he accuses Creon of wishing to steal Oedipus’s throne. “He has been your friend before all men’s eyes; do not cast him away dishonoured on an obscure conjecture” (767-769) the Chorus tells Oedipus after he decided he wants to either banish or kill Creon....
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...Oedipus’ pride and confidence were influenced by the themes in Oedipus the King. Once the themes of blindness and identity came out to show the true horror of the situation Oedipus still represented those traits that the blindness to his identity developed in him. The blindness referring to before he found out the truth of his identity, what he was unable to see and what he just didn’t want to see. The identity theme referring to when he truly figured out who he really was. Blindness and identity influenced Oedipus in different ways as Oedipus the King played out. Blindness influences Oedipus with pride and courage. The blindness referring to before he found out the truth of his identity, what he was unable to see and what he just didn’t want...
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...excessive pride and self-confidence. It indicates that the person who exhibits it has lost contact with reality and always overestimates his accomplishment, which can lead to his/her downfall. The downfall could be anything from mental disturbance to even death. The concept of a tragic hero can definitely be seen in Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex and Shakespeare’s King Lear. Even though there are differences in both the writing, they also have some similarities. In Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex, the title character was the king of Thebes, and his city was infected with a poisonous plague. To discover the source of the plague and to get rid of it, the Oracle of Delphi was called. It turned out to be that the only way to get rid of plague would be to banish the killer of the former ruler of Thebes, Laius, from the city-state. Oedipus was Laius’s and Jocasta’s son, which was given to shepherd and was order to kill Oedipus, because it was found out that he would kill his father and sleep with his mother. He was very shocked after hearing this because he did not believe that he would ever do something like that. Jocasta then mention how Laius was killed on the three-way intersection. Oedipus found this incident very familiar because it was he who killed Laius along with other men at such intersection. Later on in the play it was found that Oedipus was brought to Thebes as an orphan by a shepherd and that his father was Laius. And because Jocasta was wife of Laius, she is also the mother of Oedipus. So...
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...tragedy, in this play two key characters, king Oedipus and his daughter Antigone seem to be followed by tragedy and misfortune. Their seemingly innocent and just actions to them initiate a series of unexpected tragic events such as their deaths and those close to them. The tragic misfortunes that Antigone and her father king Oedipus face can in part be attributed to their shared flaws such as; pride, rash decision making, and rebelious attitudes. Their misfortues can however be partly blamed on their seemingly shared dark fate that manifests itself through their actions. Defiant Antigone and her father Oedipus are defiant for both choose to go against oders given by authority figures. In King Oedipus`s case he failed to heed a warning by a revered prophet named Tiresias, not to look for who killed king Laius resulting into a heated exchange between the two with Tiresius saying “this day will bring your birth and destruction”. Due to his defiance he later finds out that he is the killer and this leads to his downfall and death. Defiance can also be seen as the reason that led to Oedipus killing his father as he refused to let King Laius go first where the three roads crossed each other wanting to go first instead, and when King Laius`s chariot proceded first in an act of defiance Oedipus killed him. Like her father Antigone defies the order by king Creon requiring that nobody performs burial rites for Polynices one of her brothers whom the king considered as a traitor. Despite this...
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...the story of Oedipus, I noticed the theme of fate throughout the events that occurred to Oedipus. In three occasions, Oedipus tried to be protected against the fate he was prophesized to fulfill. Jocasta, his birth mother, attempted to steer her infant son from his fate by giving him away to slaves soon after his birth. After being summoned by a grown Oedipus, the servant from Corinth also tried to protect him against the truth of his fate. Tieresias also attempted to withhold the truth of Oedipus’ fate with no success. In all three instances, I saw how Oedipus’ pride got in the way of the protection everyone was trying to offer him. Oedipus was arrogant and stubborn in his nature and believed his commands had to be obeyed by the people he summoned because he was king. He argued with Jocasta, the servant Corinth, and Teiresias when they tried to cover his fate, but his pride caused all three to tell him the hurtful truth. In the beginning of the story, Laius consults the Oracle of Apollo in order to find out why he and his wife couldn’t conceive. A prophecy came from the Oracle, telling Laius that any son they may conceive would end up killing Laius and marrying his wife. When the time came that Jocasta bore a son, she gave him away to a servant in order to leave him out to die. Her attempts to avoid the prophecy from being fulfilled were unsuccessful when the infant Oedipus was handed over from servant to servant until finally being adopted by Polybus, the king of Corinth. After...
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...Hamartia in Oedipus the King According to the Aristotelian characteristics of good tragedy, the tragic character should not fall due to either excessive virtue or excessive wickedness, but due to what Aristotle called hamartia. Hamartia may be interpreted as either a flaw in character or an error in judgement. Oedipus, the tragic character in Sophocles’ Oedipus the King, certainly makes several such mistakes; however, the pervasive pattern of his judgemental errors seems to indicate a basic character flaw that precipitates them. Oedipus’ character flaw is ego. This is made evident in the opening lines of the prologue when he states "Here I am myself--you all know me, the world knows my fame: I am Oedipus." (ll. 7-9) His conceit is the root cause of a number of related problems. Among these are recklessness, disrespect, and stubbornness. Oedipus displays an attitude of recklessness and disrespect throughout the play. When he makes his proclamation and no one confesses to the murder of Laius, Oedipus loses patience immediately and rushes into his curse. Later, he displays a short temper to Tiresias: "You, you scum of the earth . . . out with it, once and for all!," (ll. 381, 383) and "Enough! Such filth from him? Insufferable--what, still alive? Get out--faster, back where you came from--vanish!" (ll. 490-492) If an unwillingness to listen may be considered stubbornness, certainly Oedipus would take advice from no one who would tell him to drop the matter of his...
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...Arrogance and Pride B. Arrogance and Paranoia C. Pride D. Pig-headedness IV. Downfall V. Conclusion Dramatic Research Paper “Oedipus Rex” by Sophocles “Oedipus Rex” was a Greek Tragedy written by Sophocles in the fifth century BC. It was the first of a trilogy of plays surrounding the life of Oedipus. Sophocles wrote over 120 plays approximately 100 years before Aristotle even defined a tragedy and the tragic hero. Aristotle’s definition of a tragedy is “… an imitation of an action of high importance, complete and of some amplitude; in language enhanced by distinct and varying beauties; acted not narrated; by means of pity and fear effecting its purgation of these emotions” (Kennedy and Gioa 2010). According to Aristotle there were six elements to a tragedy: the plot, the character, the thought, the spectacle, the diction, and the music. He believed that “[t]he plot, then, is the first principle, and, as it were, the soul of a tragedy; character holds the second place” (Aristotle 1999). The character (tragic hero) being the second most important element of the tragedy, he must be of nobility, he is not infallible and his downfall is due to an error in judgment, and is capable of making his own choices and, most important, accepting the consequences for those choices. “Oedipus Rex” is not only a classic example of Aristotle’s definition of a tragic plot; Oedipus (the protagonist) has all the characteristics of a tragic hero. Oedipus is the son...
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...Sophocles, the author of Oedipus the King, used three main types of irony to develop the theme: no matter the difficulty of the feat, fate predetermines the outcome. Verbal irony occurs when a character says the opposite of what they mean. Oedipus uses sarcasm in his discussion with the chorus to attack Apollo. The second type of irony, dramatic irony, happens when the audience knows more than the characters. For example, no one but the audience knows that Oedipus killed King Laius. The last type of irony, situational, happens when the characters does the complete opposite of what the audience expects. For instance, the audience expected...
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...but disastrous failures. In and throughout the play, Oedipus the King, by the Greek play written by Sophocles, then translated for modern times, is and is probably, one of the greatest example of a heroic tragedy. The author, Sophocles, first writes and portrays the main character, Oedipus, as man accredited for his great understandings, great pride, and accomplishments, which is, suggesting that he is a hero. The character Oedipus eventually loses his respect and dignity for something so catastrophic and in consequence destroys Oedipus, who was once called a hero. In the end, though, the greatest tragedy can be said that Oedipus disgraces himself and his family for the killing of his father, marrying and or forcefully raping his mother, and being responsible for the downfall of his reign. One of the first examples of when you see Oedipus’s pride and ego get to him is when he actually has his father killed. Oedipus had sent his men to kill certain people objecting his rule, but unknowingly, has his father killed. Oedipus not really caring about the predetermined fate he is aware of, is...
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...Oedipus the King and Creon in “Antigone” had many characteristics that led to their downfalls. Both men showed similar characteristics throughout the two stories. Oedipus’s characteristics that led to his downfall and ultimately his death was his pride and determination. Creon’s characteristics that led to his downfall and left him all alone at the end of the story was his pride and stubbornness. These characteristics are not a bad characteristic to have but when you can’t let go of them they will only lead you into a negative direction. In Oedipus the King, Oedipus is a very prideful and determined man. His determination to find the killer of King Laius led to a very tragic ending for Oedipus. His pride wouldn’t let him give up on finding the killer and he wouldn’t rest until he did so. Oedipus wife, Jocasta, wants Oedipus to...
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...Oedipus Gateway Style Essay No one can decide where and how one comes from. Being born into an awful place or situation creates a huge impact on one’s actions and choices. Oedipus, born to live a terrible fate, makes arrogant actions and ignorant choices. Although Oedipus brings Apollo’s curse to fulfillment and ultimately his own downfall, Oedipus is not to blame for his miserable life. He is an innocent man unlucky to have been born into a father’s curse. King Laius, Oedipus’s father, brings upon a curse on himself but also on his own son, Oedipus, even though Oedipus was not born yet. The fact that Oedipus had nothing to do with his own fathers curse exculpates Oedipus from creating his own demise. Oedipus could not control the fact that the curse was going to be fulfilled: “If you cannot be free of the gods, then you cannot be made free” (DOC A). The fact that Oedipus is a human and Apollo a god, shows how powerless the king Oedipus is. The power of Apollo’s ability to manipulate peoples’ thoughts leads Oedipus to make rash decisions and to ignorantly curse himself. The curse that King Laius gives to Oedipus shows how guilty Laius is and not his son. Oedipus does not realize that he is the king’s son and the husband of his own mother. After receiving a prophecy to kill his own father and marry his own mother, Oedipus runs away, and blindly kills the king of Thebes without realizing the fact that he has killed his biological father. Not knowing that...
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...hero “may achieve some revelation or recognition (anagnorisis--"knowing again" or "knowing back" or "knowing throughout" ) about human fate, destiny, and the will of the gods” (Reeves 175). Aristotle quite nicely terms this sort of recognition "a change from ignorance to awareness of a bond of love or hate" (Reeves 176). Both Oedipus and Hamlet both have qualities of Aristotle’s tragic hero. Oedipus is the main character in the play Oedipus the King. Oedipus is thought of as a tragic figure because he was doomed from birth. Tiresias, an old blind prophet, told Oedipus' parents about Oedipus' fate. He told them that Oedipus would kill his father and sleep with his mother. So, his parents decided to have him killed; only it did not happen that way. He was passed off by two shepherds and finally to the King and Queen of Corinth, Polybus and Merope to raise him as their own. Oedipus finds his way back to Thebes and on the way kills his father, but Oedipus did not know that one of the men he killed was his real father. This is the beginning of the prophecy coming true. In short Oedipus obtains the throne, marries his mother and has children with her. Oedipus' fate has come together without him even realizing what is going on. Eventually he is told what has happened and asks to be banished...
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...for noble characters who meet their downfall, the term “tragic heroes” can come to light. Within the play King Lear by Shakespeare, King Lear himself is regarded as the one that fits the description of tragic hero. Likewise, Oedipus, from Oedipus the King written by Sophocles, is another character that can be given the title of tragic hero. Through the naïve nature of King Lear, the arrogance and pride of Oedipus, and the ignorance of both these kings, readers are overwhelmed with pity for these two characters as they descend from greatness. Both King Lear and Oedipus display similar and different characteristics, which evokes feelings of pity in the audience, as well as being regarded as tragic heroes. The naïve nature of King Lear has led to his demise and downfall. Unwanted to govern his land anymore, King Lear decides to retire, split up his kingdom into three pieces and distribute them among his three daughters. His flaw is revealed, when King Lear says “which of you shall we say doth love us most?” This naïve, old man decides that appearance is more important than reality, in which the size of the land he gives is proportional to the amount of flattery the daughter shows him. Despite Cordelia being his favourite daughter, and probably knowing just how much she loves him, he still decides to favour Regan and Goneril’s flattery. Due to this naïve quality, King Lear loses sight of what is important to him, and evokes immense feelings of pity from the readers, as it...
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...is the very thing that happens to Oedipus in Sophocles’ tragedy, Oedipus Rex. Unfortunately, Oedipus possesses several character traits that cause him to fulfil the oracle and undergo great suffering. Oedipus’ pride, impetuous behaviour and lack of insight ultimately determine his fate. To begin, one of the main factors that lead to Oedipus’ fate is his excessive pride. After he solves the riddle of the Sphinx, his hubris swells to a new level. This leads him to believe that he is capable of solving any puzzle he might face, including the murder of Laius. After Creon tells Oedipus what the Gods require, Oedipus states to what extent he will go to avenge the previous king, Laius, as he proclaims, “No matter who he may be, he is forbidden shelter or intercourse with any man in all this country over which I rule; … Expelled from every house, unclean, accursed, in accordance with the word of the Pythian oracle” (32). This quote develops Oedipus as massively hubristic. It shows this as Oedipus takes this distinct, simple idea that Laius must be avenged and drags it out. He makes a huge presentation in front of the city and blows himself up as this hero that’s avenging the previous king. This also marks the beginning of Oedipus’ journey to discovering his fate and his downfall. Another example of how Oedipus’ pride led to his downfall can be found in the words of the chorus. After recounting the events that led up to Laius’ murder, and after Oedipus realizes that he may be Laius’ killer...
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...Oedipus was an inferior monarch. He was unjust to many of his people and is not only an arrogant King, but an ignorant one. However, one of Oedipus’ major accomplishments was ridding the country of the sphinx, back when Oedipus first arrived in Thebes. It seems that Oedipus’ life was largely based on pride. Pride was ultimately what led to King Lauis’ murder, the killing of the sphinx and him becoming king. As he became more powerful, his pride eventually began to get the better of him. He refused advice from his wife Jocasta when she warned him not to continue to pursue the mystery of his birth. “No! In God’s name do not go on. Have I not suffered enough?... I am warning you for your own good.” Even with this warning, he refused to listen and ignored the foretold danger. Without his stubborn attitude, he could have very much saved himself from a life filled with regret. When Oedipus meets Jocasta for the first time, it was obvious that they had some sort of a connection, which is understandable as they would have some sort of connection - being mother and son and all. It is because of this connection that Oedipus fell in love with, married and had children with his mother. However this was of no fault of Oedipus’ or Jocasta. As Jocasta believed her son to be dead and so believed that her actions were no different to anybody else. Everybody loves and has a connection with their mother so it is understandable that without knowing, Oedipus he would’ve felt like there was something...
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