Oedipus the King Tragic Hero

Oedipus as Tragic Hero

One of the greatest classics of all Western literature is Sophocle'sSophocles' trilogy The Oedipus Plays may be considered one of the greatest literary works of the Western world. In tThe second of these plays, Oedipus the King, the protagonist, Oedipus the King, is described by Sophocles as a tragic hero. According to Aristotle, the characteristics of a tragic hero are - must be an influential person, is far from perfect, makes an error in judgment due to his or her own arrogance, and must suffer the consequences of his or her own actions. Aristotle points out that Oedipus' tragic flaw is excessive pride (hubris) and self-righteousness. - maybe this can be changed a bit to make a better thesis)

THESIS

Aristotle" s argument that Oedipus was the perfecta tragic hero is sound because Oedipus is noble but imperfect, his downfall is the result of a tragic flaw but his punishment is greater than his failure, and his tragic end is elevated by his own learning and the resulting response of the audienceown learning and the resulting response of the audience elevate his tragic end.

I want to use the ideas of this information in my first paragraph. Can you take these ideas and build a paragraph.

Oedipus' tragic flaw is rooted in his stubborn pride and in ignorance. While many events within the play are not motivated by pride and are rather the work of the gods. It can be argued that thoughTrue, Oedipus kills Laius on the road, for refusing to give way on a narrow pass, but the fact that this happens to be his father cannot be attributed to a flaw in his characterhis stubbornness prevented him from allowing Laius to pass and that both men are at fault (Sophocles, 44). Furthermore, when he tries to find out who murdered Laius and restore peace and order to Thebes, his stubbornness does not allow him to see the truth. Even when Tiresias tells him, "I say, the murderer of the man/whose murder you pursue is you," Oedipus refuses to listen to what he Tiresias has said and instead tries to prove that he is wrong (21). As he continues to press for the truth, he does not realize, nor does he accept that King Polybus and Queen Merope were not his biological parents. Even when his wife/mother Jocasta pleads with him to stop pursuing the truth, warning him, "Do not proceed… I'm pleading for what's best for you," Oedipus' stubbornness, and possibly curiosity, prohibits him from doing so (59). It is this stubbornness that leads him to the truth and out of ignorance.

The first two components of Aristotle's Aristotle's definition of the tragic hero fit Oedipus perfectly. First, Aristotle asserts that the tragic hero is a man of great character and nobility.

• Oedipus exhibits this kind of nobility and character throughout his ordeal. For instance, Oedipus seeks the truth even when the truth seems points to his own guilt.

-- ¢However, because Oedipus had been lied to his entire life about whom his biological parents were, he did not know that he inadvertently killed his father; though he is ignorant that he killed his own father and does not recognize that he is at fault, the gods punish him and Thebes for his

• Oedipus knows this but continues to pursue the truth because truth is an important part of nobility.

• Thecrime. The second aspect of Aristotle's Aristotle's definition, that the tragic hero is imperfect, also fitsmay be applied to Oedipus. He is also arrogant and a braggart even after conquering the Sphinx, saving the people, and quickly ascending to the Theban throne.becoming king so quickly. Yet, even at this early point in the story, when his arrogance is at its height because he does not know anything ofdue to his ignorance of his fate, he is already the tragic hero; his tragic fall is magnified because he is noble and overconfident.

. He is tragic even at the beginning precisely because he is noble and overconfident but he will soon meet his tragic end due to the hand of fate.

Body 2 Heros own imperfections