Oedipus Rex : Characters
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, to various questions of Oedipus Rex.
Characters
Majors Characters:
Oedipus: Tragic hero(protagonist), King of Thebes, Determined, Curious, Intelligent, Proud, Caring (towards his people), Confident, Emotional, Suffers from hubris, Blind to his fate, Solves the riddle of the Sphinx, Pursues truth relentlessly, Faces a prophecy of killing his father and marrying his mother, Unknowingly fulfills the prophecy, Tragic flaw leads to downfall, Self-blame, and guilt, Accepts responsibility for his actions, Experiences intense suffering, Ends up blind and exiled.
Jocasta: Queen of Thebes, Wife and mother of Oedipus, Tragic fate, Strong-willed, Protective of Oedipus, believes in prophecies, tries to prevent Oedipus from discovering the truth, Ignorant of Oedipus’ identity, Suicidal after the truth is revealed, Symbolizes irony and tragedy.
Tiresias: Blind prophet, Gender transformation (male to female and back), Knowledge of Oedipus’s fate, Advisor to Oedipus and Teiresias’s warnings, Reluctance to reveal the truth, clash with Oedipus, represent truth and foresight, Symbolize irony and fate.
Creon: King of Thebes, Brother of Jocasta, Uncle of Oedipus, Authoritarian, Stubborn, focused on political stability, Prideful, Strong sense of duty, Antagonistic to Oedipus, Believes in loyalty to the state.
Minor Characters
Merope: Queen of Corinth, Wife of Polybus, Adoptive mother of Oedipus, caring, Concerned for Oedipus’s well-being.
Polybus: King of Corinth, Husband of Merope, Adoptive father of Oedipus, Loving and protective, Raises Oedipus as his own, Fosters a strong bond with Oedipus.
Polynices: Son of Oedipus, brother of Antigone, exiled from Thebes, rebels against Eteocles, seeks revenge and embodies conflict.
Antigone: Daughter of Oedipus, sister of Polynices, defies Creon’s order, buries Polynices, values family over the law, and symbolizes loyalty and morality.
Theseus: Theseus is an Athenian king, wise and just, a friend of Oedipus, offering refuge, showing empathy, and providing moral support. He symbolizes order.
The Chorus: Theban elders, collective voice, offering commentary, reflecting society’s views, providing context, moral guidance, and Expressing emotions and odes between scenes.