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Oedipus the King: A Tragic Hero
In the Bedford Introduction to Drama, Lee Jacobus writes, "Greek Tragedy focused on a person of noble birth who in some cases had risen to a great height and then fell precipitately." The modern critic, Kenneth Burke expands on this. He developed a pattern for these tragedies. Burke believes that that the tragic hero goes through three developmental stages, the first is purpose, the second is passion, and the third is perception. Lastly, Aristotle - perhaps the greatest contemporary of the tragedians - indicates that the tragic hero must bring about his own downfall "by some error or frailty" in his being; today many refer to this as the character's tragic flaw. (15)
Oedipus the King is a noble character. He is king of Thebes. The very essence of tragedy revolves around the idea that a character must fall from a great height. Oedipus has achieved the greatest height possible in his life and in his power and arrogance he decides to take on the plague that has cursed the city. He has decided to investigate and curse he who murdered Laius.
With the preceding quote, Burke's first developmental stage is set. Oedipus has purpose. Within this quote an audience also sees a glimmer of the flaw that will eventually be the king's downfall, his pride.
The second element, passion, can be seen throughout Oedipus' life and throughout the play. His violence toward Laius in his youth, his brash statements, and his quickness to proclamations and judgment are expertly weaved…
Biography
Sophocles, The Oedipus Plays of Sophocles, trans. Paul Roche. (New York: Penguin: 1991).
Lee Jacobus, The Bedford Introduction to Drama, 3rd ed. (Boston: Bedford Books, 1997) 33-39.
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A short time later, Oedipus comes across Jocasta who has hung herself. He immediately blinds himself with her brooches in a fit of madness brought on by the recent developments. Oedipus ultimately seeks to banish himself out of the Kingdom to escape his reality and for the good of the people of Thebes. Conclusion Oedipus fits the classic model of an Aristotelian tragic hero very neatly. First, Oedipus exhibits and is
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