ipl-logo

Oedipus The King: A Tragic Hero

352 Words2 Pages

The term hero is derived from a Greek word that means a person who faces adversity, or demonstrates courage in the face of danger. However, sometimes he faces downfall as well. When a hero confronts downfall, he is recognized as a tragic hero or protagonist. Aristotle, the Greek philosopher, characterizes these plays or stories as tragedies in which the main character is a tragic hero, who confronts his downfall due to fate, his mistake or any other social reason. In the play, Oedipus the King, by Sophocles, Oedipus is the tragic hero who is characterized by the definition above. This play is a Greek Tragedy which is about human suffering and pain, but is optimistic at the same time because a person can learn something from it. Oedipus is an example of a tragic hero which can be seen in his characteristics, such as the lack of self-knowledge, the desire to be a truth seeker, and the wisdom gained in the end. …show more content…

When he hears the story of how the king, Laius, was terribly murdered, Oedipus wants to get to the bottom of the story and find the person who is guilty. He never considers himself a suspect, even though he knows he murdered a man not very long ago. When Oedipus is confronted by Tiresias about the murder of Laius, he is shocked and appalled that someone would say such a thing about him. This shows that Oedipus cannot look inside himself to find the truth, and he does not want to know the truth about himself. After people accuse about Oedipus committing the murders, he is determined to find out the truth no matter what it takes. This is the second quality, becoming a truth seeker, which makes Oedipus as a tragic hero. Even if finding out the truth about himself will cause him suffering and pain, Oedipus will do anything to uncover the truth about the murder. That 's why I believe Oedipus is fits the perfect definition of a tragic

Show More
Related

  • Creon Tragic Hero Essay

    627 Words  | 3 Pages

    Tragic Hero Essay Tragic heroes are a character that makes a judgment error that inevitably leads to his/her own destruction. In the play Antigone, the main character Antigone marries her own brother Haimen, Oedipus kills his father and marries his mother, Creon stones his niece because she broke his law for burying Polyneices. Creon, in the play Antigone, is a tragic hero because he is was born into nobility, Doomed to make a serious error in judgement, and Realize they have made an irreversible mistake.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Odysseus As An Epic Hero

    646 Words  | 3 Pages

    Odysseus receives supernatural help and he shows his tragic flaws of pride and recklessness which is a trait of an epic hero(to have tragic flaws and receive supernatural

    Read More

  • Antigone Tragic Hero Quotes

    959 Words  | 4 Pages

    A tragic hero is a character in the story who attempts to be heroic but makes a judgment error that inevitably leads to his or her own death as defined by Aristotle. There are three main Characteristics of a tragic hero. These characteristics reveal themselves through the character Antigone, who in the story is faced with a conflict caused by the king Creon who is also her uncle; and has declared that the body of Antigone’s brother Polynices may not be given a proper burial because he led the rebel army that invaded Thebes, but Antigone wishes to give her brother a proper burial knowing the consequences of doing so. In this classic tragedy written by Sophocles the character Antigone resembles the characteristics of a tragic hero.

    Read More

  • Creon Tragic Hero Essay

    701 Words  | 3 Pages

    As defined by Aristotle, a tragic hero is one who is not entirely good or evil. They are an individual who experiences a “reversal of fortune through a fault of character or an uncontrollable accident” (Boucquey). He or she undergoes a dramatic change from happiness to misery (Boucqyey). In Sophocles’ Antigone, Creon is the tragic hero. According to Aristotle, a tragic hero should contain four traits: goodness, appropriateness, lifelike, and consistency, which Creon most prominently displays.

    Read More

  • Archetypes In Epic Of Gilgamesh

    1362 Words  | 6 Pages

    In The Identity of Oedipus the King, Alister Cameron proved Oedipus as a tragic hero. He specifically wrote, “[f]or whatever his faults, Oedipus is noble. And after all, the acts he performs he is condemned to perform in ignorance. Therefore, whenever he acts, necessarily he acts blindly. Blindness is given him in his situation” (Cameron 140).

    Read More

  • Oedipus Hero's Journey Analysis

    614 Words  | 3 Pages

    With the realization of his demise, Oedipus tries to protect himself from punishment and shame by gouging out his own eyes and exiling himself out to die in the place destiny prevented him from dying originally. After many years of luxurious living, Oedipus’s predestined fate tears his life apart and returns him to the place he should have died as an infant, the mountain. Through the use of, departure, initiation, and return, Sophocles displays the journey of Oedipus. Not only is Oedipus the King evidence of the use of the hero’s journey throughout many famous plays, movies, and books across all cultures and time periods, but it also seen as a perfect tragedy, in which the audience experiences both pity and fear for the main

    Read More

  • Oedipus Tragic Hero Quotes

    411 Words  | 2 Pages

    Thesis:In Sophocles play ‘Oedipus the king’,Oedipus is an example of a tragic hero because he changed from a hero at the beginning of the play into a tragic hero by the end by experiencing power,tragic flow,downfall and death. Oedipus changes into a person no can believe of,because in the beginning he was a hero for the city of thebes by solving a riddle to defeat the monster that was killing and taking over thebes. Claim:Before the play Oedipus defeats sphinx and becomes a powerful king,At the beginning of the play people rely on Oedipus’s power and help. Data:For example the priest says “Oedipus greatest in all men’s eyes We pray,find some strength again and rescue or city”. Warrant:From this quote readers can see that how empowered oedipus feels like and how people in thebes rely on him,Clearly this scene represents the power stage of the tragic hero.

    Read More

  • Tragic Flaws In Oedipus The King

    1159 Words  | 5 Pages

    Introduction The story of Oedipus the king is gloomy, yet captivating. Going from a child bond around the feet and abandon by the mountainside, to marrying his mother, his story is intriguing. In search of the truth about the prophecy and putting an end to a plague Oedipus, search for king Laius’s killer, did somethings inadvertently, making him a tragic hero. His search for truth in the death of Laius the king, as well as his birth led to the ultimate destruction and downfall of his life.

    Read More

  • Nobility In Oedipus The King

    444 Words  | 2 Pages

    Throughout the tragedy of Oedipus the King, Oedipus displays his imperfectly noble being for all to see. While Oedipus had saved the Thebans from the Sphinx’s riddle, Oedipus’s nobel pride and anger lead to his destruction as he attempted to find Laios’s murderer. In his mistreatment of Teiresias, and his false allegations towards Creon being a usurper, Oedipus shows his imperfectly noble character as he foolishly attempts to fight fate and the gods will. Oedipus and his imperfectly noble nature appear again and again as he attempts to solve the murder of the previous King.

    Read More

  • Oedipus Strengths And Weaknesses

    1085 Words  | 5 Pages

    In the play Oedipus is the only one that is able to solve the sphinx’s riddle which leads the city to making him their next king. Oedipus was there for the city in a time of need and shows his intelligence by solving the riddle. This act is what categorizes Oedipus as a hero, after saving the city from a crisis it shows he is willing to do anything in order to keep the city going and look after his people. He also does not like to keep secrets from his people, for example when Creon wants to tell Oedipus the oracle in private, Oedipus insists on making the news public to the people. Doing so shows that he wants the people to trust him and wants make it known to everyone that he can be in fact trusted.

    Read More

  • Oedipus The King

    674 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Fall of the Prime Minister Hævethfod. Oedipus The King in a modern setting. Hævethfod is the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Denmark.

    Read More

  • Oedipus Tragic Flaw Essay

    577 Words  | 3 Pages

    Oedipus was a tragic hero he was seen as a great man and was king,but he fell to misfortune because of his disability to see past his pride and anger which led to his demise. By not being able to see past his pride and anger Oedipus was not able to to avoid his prophetic destiny. He was blinded by his pride and anger so much that it became his tragic flaw ultimately leading him to his

    Read More

  • Oedipus The King

    381 Words  | 2 Pages

    The vibe in Oedipus rex is quite confusing. There are many mysteries in this story. To the prophecies of Oedipus to the mystery of the king”s death , and the solving of the confusion that goes on in this story . But, all in all it”s quite interesting and the dramatic irony keeps the story interesting and grabs the attention of the reader.

    Read More

  • Oedipus The King Research Paper

    1224 Words  | 5 Pages

    The characters in Oedipus the King develop the plot and make it a complete tragedy. Oedipus, had some undesirable flaws as well as some good characteristics. Oedipus had a flaring temper that ruined his life. We all learned that having a bad attitude doesn’t get you anywhere in life. Oedipus was also arrogant, especially after defeating the Sphinx.

    Read More

  • Oedipus The King Essay

    1056 Words  | 5 Pages

    In ancient Greek society, the tragedy was a deeply spiritual and emotional art form integral to daily life. Perhaps one of the best examples of Greek tragedy is Sophocles’ Oedipus the King. The work is distinguished by the deep emotion and thought it elicits from the reader. This is in part due to Sophocles’ expert portrayal of Oedipus, who bears all the attributes of an Aristotelian tragic hero. A once powerful king turned blinded pariah, Oedipus is characterized by both his pride and his honorable character.

    Read More

More about Oedipus The King: A Tragic Hero

Open Document