Oedipus The King As A Tragic Hero Essay - 1491 Words

Considered one of the greatest dramas of all time, Sophocles’ play Oedipus the King follows the tragic life of Oedipus, king of Thebes. Considered a Satyr play, the Oedipus trilogy is perhaps the most famous of Sophocles’ plays. Oedipus the King, is an Athenian tragedy that was first performed somewhere around 429 BC in Athens, Greece. Originally, the Greeks referred to the play as simply â€Å"Oedipus,† as that was what Aristotle referred to it as in the Poetics. Perhaps what makes this play so memorable, is Sophocles’ uses of the tragic hero as the main theme. Sophocles uses characterization and conflict to portray Oedipus as an Aristotelian tragic hero. A tragic hero is defined as, â€Å"a great or virtuous character in a dramatic tragedy who is†¦show more content†¦However, in his attempts to escape the prophecy, Oedipus ran straight to it. At the time, he was unaware that he had been adopted. Instead of escaping his fate, Oedipus met Laius on the road and murdered him and four of his escorts out of anger and self-defense. This was the first event, though not actually shown in the play, that set Oedipus’s destiny into motion. Several years later, after defeating the monstrous Sphinx, Oedipus is the new king, practically worshipped by the people of Thebes, and is married to Laius’s widow Jocasta. Oedipus is completely oblivious to the crimes he had committed at this point. Killing a king was considered a crime against the gods and required admittance of said crime and acceptance of punishment. The play opens in the middle of Thebes. Oedipus exits his castle, to be met by almost the entire kingdom. Oedipus knows immediately that something is wrong and it is this singular event that paves the way for the subsequent events that lead him to his downfall. Everyone-young and old, sick and healthy- had gathered in the middle of town seeking deliverance from an unknown evil. This evil is quickly determined to be a plague that had ravaged the land. The people of Thebes are highly religious as stated in â€Å"So, with the help of God,/ We shall be saved -Or else indeed we are lost â€Å"(148-149) The plague itself was interpreted as a punishment inflicted by the gods, to get the people of Thebes to drive out theShow MoreRelatedOedipus the King, a Tragic Hero Essay1713 Words   |  7 PagesOedipus, a tragic hero Sophocless Oedipus Rex is probably the most famous tragedy ever written. Sophocless tragedy represents a monumental theatrical and interpretative challenge. Oedipus Rex is the story of a King of Thebes upon whom a hereditary curse is placed and who therefore has to suffer the tragic consequences of fate (tragic flaws or hamartia). In the play, Oedipus is the tragic hero. Even though fate victimizes Oedipus, he is a tragic figure since his own heroic qualities, his loyaltyRead MoreEssay on Oedipus the King: A Tragic Hero698 Words   |  3 Pagesemotions. A tragic play that perfectly completes this cycle of emotions is Oedipus the King by Sophocles. This play follows a king of the town of Thebes through his journey of the emotions of pity, fear, and finally a catharsis. It is a tale of a man who unknowingly kills his father and fathers the children of his mother as well. The audience is pulled into the play and experiences the plot along with Oedipus. The emotion of pity enters the play right from the beginning. First, it is Oedipus who feelsRead MoreThe Tragic Hero of Oedipus the King Essay619 Words   |  3 Pagestragedy or comedy. In a tragic play, the tragic hero usually does some fearful deed which ultimately destroys him. The main character of a tragic play does a good deed which in turn makes him a hero. This hero reaches his prime, and in the end a fearful deed which he had committed earlier, ultimately destroys this man once called hero. Oedipus the king of Thebes is an example of this tragic hero. Oedipus who is the main character in Oedipus the King was the hero of Thebes. This king disenthralled usRead MoreEssay on Oedipus the King: A Tragic Hero756 Words   |  4 Pages A tragic hero, as defined by Aristotle, is a man who is great but also terribly flawed, who experiences misfortunes while still remaining admirable to the audience at the end of the play. One of Aristotle’s favorite works, Oedipus the King, a play by Sophocles, is a play that above all others, defines the meaning of what a true tragic hero really is. In the play, Oedipus the King, the story unfolds after Oedipus unintentionally kills his own father and goes on to marry his mother. The events ofRead More Oedipus the King: A Tragic Hero Essay2117 Words   |  9 Pages to experience devastating losses. While tragic instances can be avoided, there are other instances where one’s fate and future is out of the protagonist’s control. In Oedipus the King, written by Sophocles and first performed around 249 BC, Oedipus cannot escape his destiny and even though he tries to overcome and circumvent prophecy, he finds out that supernatural forces will get what they want in the end. Oedipus meets the criteria of a tragic hero set forth by Aristotle and his fate withinRead MoreOedipus the King: A Greek Tragic Hero Essay516 Words   |  3 Pagesanalysis of the â€Å"tragic hero† of Greek drama. In his work, Poetics, he defines a tragic hero as â€Å"...The man who on the one hand is not pre-eminent in virtue and justice, and yet on the other hand does not fall into misfortune through vice or depravity, but falls because of some mistake; one among the number of the highly renowned and prosperous.† Aristotle’s definition of a tragic hero is clearly shown by the main character in the Greek tragedy Oedipus the King by Sophocles. Oedipus, the protagonistRead MoreOedipus the King: A Tragic Hero Essay example694 Words   |  3 Pageslife and remember that life without pain. For Oedipus Rex, looking back is impossible to do without pain, a pain that stems from his prideful life. Oedipus is aware that he alone is responsible for his actions. He freely chooses to pursue and eventually accept his own lifes destruction. Although fate victimizes Oedipus, he is a tragic figure since his own heroic qualities, his loyalty to Thebes, and his undying quest for the truth ruin him. Oedipus’ pride, drawn from his own heroic qualitiesRead MoreEssay about Oedipus the King as a Tragic Hero957 Words   |  4 Pages Oedipus as a Tragic Hero According to Aristotles theory of tragedy and his definition of the central character, Oedipus the hero of Sophocles is considered a classical model of the tragic hero. The tragic hero of a tragedy is essential element to arouse pity and fear of the audience to achieve the emotional purgation or catharathis. Therefore, this character must have some features or characteristics this state of purgation. In fact, Oedipus as a character has all theRead MoreEssay about Oedipus the King: A Greek Tragic Hero1096 Words   |  5 Pagesinclude a central character known as the tragic hero. In the play, Oedipus the King, by Sophocles, the character Oedipus, portrays to the reader the necessary, central, tragic hero. According to Aristotle, a tragic hero has a supreme pride (Jones. Pg. 133). That pride is a reflection of arrogance and conceit that suggests superiority to man and equality with the gods. Students of religion are often taught that pride Goethe before the fall. In Oedipus situation, his pride, coupled with religiousRead MoreEssay on King Oedipus as The Classical Greek Tragic Hero1360 Words   |  6 PagesKing Oedipus as The Classical Greek Tragic Hero In his Poetics, Aristotle defined the term tragedy as a man not preeminently virtuous and just, whose misfortune, however, is brought upon him not by vice or depravity, but by some error in judgement the change in the heros fortune must not be from misery to happiness, but on the contrary, from happiness to misery. From this definition, he further expanded it by defining the profile of the Classical Greek tragic hero, basing it on what he