Discuss King Oedipus as a Tragic Hero
Oedipus Rex is a notable literary work by Sophocles. A complete discussion of this literary work is given, which will help you enhance your literary skills and prepare for the exam. Read the Main texts, Key info, Summary, Themes, Characters, Literary devices, Quotations, Notes, and various study materials of Oedipus Rex.
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 investigation to save the city gradually unravels his fate. Oedipus learns that he is the abandoned baby by Laius and Jocasta. The reversal of fate is complete when Oedipus realizes that he has fulfilled the prophecy—to kill his father and marry his mother. The truth destroys his life as a king, a husband, and a father.
Recognition of Mistakes (Anagnorisis): One important quality of a tragic hero is that they recognize their mistakes too late. Oedipus realizes that his pride and determination to fight his fate have led to his downfall. He understands how his actions have caused pain to himself and others. He says this before blinding himself:
O light, let me look at you one final time, a man who stands revealed as cursed by birth.
Catharsis: Catharsis is the massive suffering of the tragic hero that arouses pity and fear among the audience. Oedipus’s suffering is heartbreaking. His suffering arouses pity and fear among the audience. Being crushed by guilt and horror, Oedipus blinds himself. He says:
Why should I have eyes when there was nothing sweet for me to see?
We feel pity for Oedipus because he genuinely wants to do good for his people. At the same time, we feel fear because his story shows how fate can destroy even the strongest person.
In conclusion, noble birth, a tragic flaw (hamartia), a reversal of fate (peripeteia), recognition of mistakes (anagnorisis), and evoking pity and fear (catharsis) are present in Oedipus. He starts as a noble and respected king, but his pride and the power of fate lead to his downfall. Thus, King Oedipus is a perfect tragic hero.