Oedipus

Oedipus, The Tragic Hero The story of Oedipus is a prime example of a classic tragedy. A classic tragedy is described as a story that involves a successful being who, because of a flaw, experiences a downfall. Like a classical tragedy, Oedipus is a tragic hero whom fulfills his prophecy and brings disaster and tragedy to his city and family. The story of Oedipus has the elements for a classic tragedy, such as Oedipus’s tragic tale, the developing of the plot, and the downfall at the end. A tragic hero is a man of noble stature with outstanding qualities whom has discovered fate by his own actions, and not by things happening to him (Lucy). King Oedipus is a prominent character with good intentions. Oedipus attempts to save the city from a horrible plague. What Oedipus is unaware of is that he is the reason for the city’s demise. After Oedipus is told he is the one who killed the previous King, he is in disbelief. It is not until Oedipus puts the pieces together that he realizes the prophecy was in fact true. Oedipus has the characteristics of a desired leader such as his sense of justice and compassion towards his citizens; however is destined for failure, thus making him a tragic hero. He slays his biological father over an argument and marries his biological mother without knowing. Oedipus doomed his city and family lineage without meaning to. King Oedipus is a good example of a classic tragic hero because of the grotesque events that he partakes in. The events are told in a sequence that force the audience to think ahead as they wait for the response of the next event to come. The plot starts off with King Oedipus wanting to find a cure for the plague that has struck his city. After hearing that all is takes to cure to plague is to have the murderer of King Laius banished. Determined to find this murderer, King Oedipus in turn finds his fate. He is told he is the one who killed King Laius. He realizes the prophecy that he had killed his mother and married his father was true. he returns home to find his wife, who is also his mother, has killed herself because she could not take the fact that she had married her son. After literally blinding himself, Oedipus then leaves the city in order to save them from the plague. From the anticipation of the witnesses, the development of the plot unfolds in a suspenseful manner, thus building the audience tension from the unfortunate events of King Oedipus. The downfall of King Oedipus is a huge contribution as to why this is a classic tragedy. When Oedipus realizes the grotesque truth, he is devastated and is convinced that he deserves to be punished. He cries out “he who has seen and done such vile things, shall never see again.” (Sophocles). Begging for death, Oedipus gouges his eyes out and ostracizes himself from society. King Oedipus went from a city’s hero and King to the man who killed his own father and married his own mother. In these chain of events, he is the protagonist who, because of his personal flaws, hits the bottom. The downfall of King Oedipus and his tragic finale set the playwright as a classic tragedy. From the tragic hero, to the downfall due to his own hubris, Oedipus Rex is a great example of a classic tragedy. King Oedipus is a tragic hero whom although has good intentions, ultimately has a hamartia that leads to his downfall. The sequence of events are foretold in a suspenseful manner until the end when King Oedipus tragically realizes the truth and mutilates himself. These are all key elements to a classic tragedy that are present in the tale of Oedipus Rex.

Works Cited

Lucy. "LearnHub." Elements of a Tragic Hero in Literature. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Nov. 2012.

Sophocles. “Oedipus Rex.” Literature: Reading Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. By Robert DiYanni. Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill, 2002. N. Print.

Cited: Lucy. "LearnHub." Elements of a Tragic Hero in Literature. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Nov. 2012. Sophocles. “Oedipus Rex.” Literature: Reading Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. By Robert DiYanni. Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill, 2002. N. Print.