Oedipus: Tragic Downfall In the story Oedipus The King by Sophocles, the main character, Oedipus, had many flaws that lead him to a tragic and hard hitting downfall. A tragic hero always has a hubris that takes him down in the end, but Oedipus had more than just one. Out of his many flaws, a few of them stuck out more than others. His problems made him push himself to the end of his reputation as a hero. Oedipus was Impatient, would not take advice, and made very quick decisions. Oedipus had many problems, but one of the more evident problem was his completely impatient and often violent actions. An example would be when Oedipus threatened the shepherd and exclaimed, “If you don't speak willingly, we shall see if pain can make you speak.” (66) this quote illustrates how violent oedipus was when he wanted to get his way. His actions were irrational and too quick, they caused him more trouble. He could have been patient and had a conversation but because he was too busy forcing the shepherd to give him the answers that he was so determined to get. If he was patient he may have saved himself from the pain that he ended up in after he realized his true family and his real past. Oedipus was very impatient, his choices were unthoughtful. Tying in to the last paragraph, Oedipus’ quick and thoughtful choices made his downfall very hard hitting and fast, like a slap in the face. An example would be when Oedipus stabbed himself in the eyes with pins and cried out, “The horrors I
The tragic fall of Oedipus in Sophocles play “Oedipus Rex” is both self-inflicted and result of events drawn from his own destiny. First off early on in Oedipus’ life his first deadly mistake towards succeeding his self-inflicted downfall was the murder of his father the former king. In a blind rage without any motive, he kills Liaus and his men at a rode crossing. Fate may have had led him to that point but it was his own rage that resulted in his biggest mistake. Further evidence of his self-inflicted downfall Oedipus’ was at the hands of his own ignorance. This ignorance combined with his stubborn, determined attitude does not allow him foresight. This foresight would have led
Oedipus was a powerful man that had his life ruined by his excessive pride and selfishness. The same qualities that helped him to rise and become the king of Thebes also caused him to feel a lot of pain. He lost everything that he had gained in a short period of time. Oedipus learned that having power was not all that he thought it was. His life had been a lie and he actually didn’t know anything about the place he was born until he was instructed to save it. Oedipus himself caused his downfall with his selfishness and pride.
Another example of Oedipus trying to escape his fate occurs when he talks with Teiresias. Oedipus' pride is so great, he cannot stand being accused of killing Laius. Instead, Oedipus "think[s] [Teiresias] [was] complotter of the deed and doer of the deed in save for the actual killing" (441). Oedipus knows he has killed an innocent man at a crossroads before, yet he cannot admit to the murder to aid in the investigation. Instead, his hubris restricts him from doing so, he cannot be seen negatively. Oedipus' could have avoided the death of his mother, Jacosta, had he told Teiresias about his murder. Instead, due to this prolongation, Oedipus loses his vision and his wife/mother. Oedipus also shows hubris in his swift decision to kill Creon, accusing him to be the "murderer of that man [Laius]" (444). Again, Oedipus only finds blame in others, not in himself. Disaster can be averted if the severity of his tragic flaw is mitigated. Even though the claim against Creon is baseless, Oedipus' excessive pride and his trait to make swift decisions almost lead to the death of his brother-in-law. Oedipus' hubris controls the events of the play, and eventually leads to his
Oedipus, the main character of Sophocles’ play, Oedipus Rex, has a tragic flaw that leads to his downfall. A tragic flaw is defined as “an otherwise good trait that turns destructive when taken to an extreme” (Stary). In a tragedy one can see the suffering of the main character, which is evident in Oedipus’ case. Oedipus’ tragic flaw is his determination, when he intensely seeks to find Laios’ murderer, forces the unwilling blind prophet Teiresias to reveal the truth, and when he stopped at nothing to prevent the prophecy from becoming true.
Oedipus flaw is he does not know who he is this ignorance leads to him bringing about his own downfall.
Oedipus’ stubbornness led to his downfall because he thought he was always correct and didn’t like listening to others. He was a static character because he was overconfident and refused to believe anyone’s opinion above his own . By not listening to anyone when the truth came out, he was hurt emotionally and physically. Oedipus was a man of power and wealth who suddenly falls.
One of the defining qualities of Greek tragedies is hamartia, or the protagonist’s tragic flaw. This flaw or weakness drives the plot forward, and can led to the demise of even the noblest of heroes. In “Oedipus the King” written by Sophocles, the protagonist, Oedipus was plagued with excessive pride and a short temper. Oedipus’ arrogance prevented him from seeing the truth, and ultimately led to the fulfillment of the prophecy he sought to prevent.
Oedipus the King by Sophocles is about Oedipus, a man doomed by his fate. Like most tragedies, “Oedipus the King” contains a tragic hero, a heroic figure unable to escape his/her own doom. This tragic hero usually has a hamartia or a tragic flaw which causes his/hers’ downfall. The tragic flaw that Sophocles gives Oedipus is hubris (exaggerated pride or self-confidence), which is what caused Oedipus to walk right into the fate he sought to escape.
Sophocles's Oedipus Rex is probably the most famous tragedy ever written. Sophocles's tragedy represents a monumental theatrical and interpretative challenge. Oedipus Rex is the story of a King of Thebes upon whom a hereditary curse is placed and who therefore has to suffer the tragic consequences of fate (tragic flaws or hamartia). In the play, Oedipus is the tragic hero. Even though fate victimizes Oedipus, he is a tragic figure since his own heroic qualities, his loyalty to Thebes, and his fidelity to the truth ruin him.
Following the victories of the Greeks invading the Persians at Marathon in 490 B.C. and Salamis in 480 B.C., Athens experienced a period of social optimism and period expansion during the first half of the fifth century B.C. The second half of the fifth century B.C. was also very successful in that Athenians tremendously developed culturally and intellectually. This was the era of Sophocles and a period where everything and anything seemed possible through man effort and reason. Sophocles wrote a trilogy of tragedies, which contained of 3 Theban plays. Oedipus Rex, the first play in the trilogy, was written during a period of political instability and plague. In Oedipus Rex by Sophocles, many themes such as the quest for identity, the nature of innocence and guilt, and the abuse of power are portrayed and are pivotal for the play to build up to the tragic ending.
Oedipus displayed his faulty character throughout the play by showing how he is filled with ill-temper and pride, especially during his confrontation with Apollo’s blind prophet, Tiresias. He allowed his own hubris to take over him, eventually leading to his disaster at the end of the story. Now, some critics may argue that Oedipus did not actually go through a downfall in the play, but when looking back at the definition of a tragic hero, it can be seen that there are evidence to prove that Oedipus is a tragic hero.
The tragic hero suffers from a character flaw, a moral weakness in character. The flaw is what sets his actions and what inevitably leads to his downfall. The hero's downfall is partially his own fault, the result of free choice, not of accident or villainy or some overriding, malignant fate. Oedipus seems to make important mistakes or some "errors in judgment" that set the events of the story into action. Oedipus flaw is his pride and stubbornness. When a drunken man tells him that he is a bastard, his pride is so wounded that he will not let the subject rest, eventually going to the oracle of Apollo to ask it the
In Oedipus the king, he was a very intelligent man, who choose his fate and that led him to a tragedy later on throughout his years a king. A few factors that find their way into the
Oedipus inner blindness led him to his downfall by his bad temper, being naive and his pride. Having a serious temper causes a lot of problems and conflicts with others. A temper can a negative effect on your life. This is how oedipus killed his own father [King Laius]by road raging. There are many negatives outcomes from having a temper tantrum. Being angry without control can cause you to harm others. Oedipus should've tried to control his anger.
Introduction: In many tragedies, either Greek or Shakespearean, a hero possesses a tragic flaw that is often responsible for his downfall. Oedipus the King by Sophocles portrays the story of the titular where a hero rises to fame after solving the city of Thebes’ great riddle. The solution to the riddle freed Thebes of its curse from the Sphinx and relieved it of its misery. Although Oedipus is praised and crowned king for freeing the city, he is not entirely a good man. Oedipus is very arrogant, which causes him to make several bad decisions. Through the story of Oedipus the King, Sophocles warns readers not to let arrogance blind them from reality, for it will eventually result in tremendous suffering.