Oedipus Rex Research Paper

Hero, it’s a word society uses a lot today, but no one ever stops to wonder what it means. The word hero as defined by google is “a person, typically a man, who was admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities.” I define a hero as someone who takes risks, by choice, to help others. In the play Oedipus Rex it talks about a “great” king whose life held many tragedies, but overcoming those tragedies is what I think made him a hero. In the article Honoring the Memories of Unknown Heroes Si Frumkin says “Heroism is a matter of choice, of a decision made and an action taken.” Oedipus throughout this play will go through many challenges but will persevere for his people, to find the truth, and his children.
Oedipus first showed signs of being a hero when he decides that he will do whatever it takes to get rid of the plague in his kingdom. His trusted friend Creon comes to tell Oedipus what he heard in Delphi; the plague would not be lifted until King Laios is avenged. Oedipus decided that he must do whatever he can to help his people and goes on a quest for the killer of Laios even though it could be very dangerous, of course his never ending quest to help his people lead him to a very tragic truth dealing with his prophecy.

Oedipus has already started to slightly understand that he might have been involved in Laios’s murder but he refused to stop there. He realized that the truth has to be found to save his people, even if in the end it will be him who is exiled. This example of how Oedipus is a hero is comparable to the article No Apologies, Brawling Barkley Says because in the article it shows that Barkley is a hero in being able to deal with his choices and accept his punishment, this is showed in the following quote “They started putting him in cuffs. He gave them his