Who Is Oedipus A Tragic Hero
Aristotle, an ancient Greek philosopher noted for his enduring influence on modern literature, built the basic foundation for the construction of a tragic hero in his most recognized work, Poetics. In Poetics, he often mentions Oedipus, the protagonist in Sophocles’ Oedipus the King, as the most fitting example of a tragic hero. The plot of Oedipus the King begins with a terrible plague in the city of Thebes, where Oedipus rules as king. Oedipus sends his brother-in-law, Creon, to the Oracle of Apollo to find out how to help the suffering citizens of Thebes during the plague. It is revealed that the plague will disappear only if the murderer of the former Theban king, Laius, who was killed many years ago, is discovered and banished. Oedipus
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He is someone who is not completely good or evil, and resembles one who is relatable and recognizable to the audience. The tragic hero ‘‘does not fall into misfortune through vice or depravity, but falls because of some mistake’’ (Aristotle 673). Similar to how a normal human being makes mistakes, the character must have flaws and errors in his judgment, also called hamartia, that eventually lead to his misfortunes. Oedipus’ major flaw is anger, which is essentially related to his downfall. This is shown when he unknowingly kills his biological father, Laius, at the crossroads, ‘‘with one blow of the staff/ in this right head and knocking him out of his high seat/ rolling him out of the wagon, sprawling headlong’’ (Sophocles lines 895-8). Another detrimental flaw is his determination, which causes him to eventually find out the truth of his life. Desperate for the knowledge of his birth, Oedipus claims that he will ‘‘never fail to search and learn [his] birth’’ (Sophocles 1194) even though Jocasta warns him that searching for it would drive him insane. Possessive of his throne of Thebes, he is also very paranoid of others, shown when he accuses his own brother, Creon, of being a‘‘marauding thief himself/ scheming to steal [his] crown and power’’ (Sophocles
He is someone who is not completely good or evil, and resembles one who is relatable and recognizable to the audience. The tragic hero ‘‘does not fall into misfortune through vice or depravity, but falls because of some mistake’’ (Aristotle 673). Similar to how a normal human being makes mistakes, the character must have flaws and errors in his judgment, also called hamartia, that eventually lead to his misfortunes. Oedipus’ major flaw is anger, which is essentially related to his downfall. This is shown when he unknowingly kills his biological father, Laius, at the crossroads, ‘‘with one blow of the staff/ in this right head and knocking him out of his high seat/ rolling him out of the wagon, sprawling headlong’’ (Sophocles lines 895-8). Another detrimental flaw is his determination, which causes him to eventually find out the truth of his life. Desperate for the knowledge of his birth, Oedipus claims that he will ‘‘never fail to search and learn [his] birth’’ (Sophocles 1194) even though Jocasta warns him that searching for it would drive him insane. Possessive of his throne of Thebes, he is also very paranoid of others, shown when he accuses his own brother, Creon, of being a‘‘marauding thief himself/ scheming to steal [his] crown and power’’ (Sophocles