Discuss King Oedipus as a Tragic Hero

Answer

Discuss King Oedipus as a tragic hero.

A tragic hero is someone of high position and great qualities. He faces downfall due to a combination of a tragic flaw, fate, or a mistake. Oedipus is the protagonist of Sophocles’ (c. 496 BCE – 406 BCE) play “Oedipus Rex” (c. 429 BC). He is regarded as one of the greatest classical tragic heroes in literature. Oedipus’ downfall originates from pride, determination, and fate’s power. We will evaluate him as a tragic hero below.

Noble Birth and Great Position: Oedipus is of noble birth. He is the son of King Laius and Queen Jocasta of Thebes. Oedipus is abandoned as a baby. The king and queen of Corinth raise him. Eventually, he saves Thebes by solving the riddle of the Sphinx and becomes Thebes’s king. This achievement earns him great respect and admiration. He holds a great position in the city. The people see him as a wise and perfect king.

Tragic Flaw (Hamartia): A tragic flaw is a character trait that leads to the tragic hero’s downfall. Oedipus’s tragic flaw is Hubris or excessive pride. Oedipus is too confident in his intelligence and ability to solve problems. Oedipus wants to find and punish the murderer of the former king Laius to save the city from the deadly plague. He says:

I will bring it all to light.

He does not know that he himself is the murderer. The blind prophet, Teiresias, warns him to stop searching. He hints that Oedipus himself is the murderer. Instead of listening, Oedipus becomes furious. His arrogance leads him to blame Teiresias for lying and even plotting with Creon to overthrow him. He says:

You dare say that! Can you possibly think you have 

Some way of going free, after such insolence? 

In these lines, the king threatens Teiresias. This scene shows how his excessive pride pushes him further down the path of his downfall.

Reversal of Fate (Peripeteia): Oedipus starts the play as a great king to his people. However, his