Tragic Hero In Oedipus The King

The tragic play Oedipus the King by Sophocles tells the tale of a famous king, Oedipus. Oedipus is the perfect example of a Greek tragic hero. A Greek tragic hero is a person whose fate is predetermined by the gods which will cause the person great suffering and lead to their ultimate destruction (). The hero tries to fight against his fate and win the god’s admiration. Oedipus is the king of Thebes but he was raised in Corinth by Merope and Polybus. Oedipus once solved the riddle of the sphinx, saves Thebes, and becomes king. Oedipus is of noble name and shows goodness. Oedipus flaw is that he is full of himself and receives an oracle from the prophecy. As the play ends Oedipus Has a huge downfall at the end of the book. Oedipus is the perfect Greek tragic hero because he begins his journey with high status his flaw emerges and experiences a crushing downfall. As the play opens Oedipus is of noble birth and shows goodness. Oedipus is of the noble name the king. When the play states “I Oedipus, your world-renowned king”(Sophocles 1). Also when the play states, “O child of Laius ' ill-starred race” (43). This shows that he is of the noble name because he is king Laius son, also he announces that he is the king. Not only is he noble blood, Oedipus also shows goodness. When the play states, “My zeal in your behalf ye cannot doubt”(1). Also when the play states, “O Oedipus, our peerless king, All we thy votaries beseech thee, find Some succor, whether by a voice from