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Oedipus Tragic Flaw Essay

501 Words3 Pages

In Oedipus the King, an argument stands on whether the main character Oedipus possess’ a tragic flaw or does not. However, it can be proven that Oedipus does possess a tragic flaw, towards the end of the play the audience is able to see what causes and leads Oedipus to his demise. His tragic flaw also speaks for the theme entirely which would be free will. As in most tragic plays the tragedy is usually caused by the protagonist tragic flaw. Oedipus’ downfall would be solely lead by both his pride. As seen in the play, Oedipus is a very prideful ruler and will not have anyone or anything take that from him. The ultimate cause to his downfall would be that he was unwilling to accept his fate. He refuses to to accepts the predictions about his life and he fights against them. He goes as far as going up against his brother-in-law, Creon, who Oedipus calls a traitor. He states that Creon persuaded him to …show more content…

He is so willing to know the truth that he does not realize what will soon happen to him. Oedipus demands a messenger to speak the truth about his real parents, yet the messenger repeats that things are better left untold. Yet Oedipus thinks otherwise, the messenger warned him and this goes into the theme of the play, Oedipus is forcing himself to know the truth out of his own free will. Oedipus called for the shepherd that took him as a child and revealed the truth. Although Jocasta did not want Oedipus to investigate more, he did so anyway. Not only did he affect himself in the end but everyone around him that he knew. All because of his characteristics such as his pride, his arrogance, unwillingness, and ignorance he made Jocasta realize what she had committed and drove her to suicide. When Oedipus found her he soon met his demise which was losing his mother/wife, his father, gouging out his own two eyes, and banishing himself from the City of

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