The Ideal Tragic Hero : Oedipus The Tragic Hero

Abraham Lincoln once pronounced, “You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today.” In Oedipus the King by Sophocles, Oedipus tries to escape his fate by fleeing from his adopted parents in Corinth. Instead, he becomes responsible for triggering the destruction that leads to his eventual demise. A tragic hero is of noble birth characterized by a personality flaw and fated by the gods for doom (Santora). Oedipus is classified as a tragic hero by his tragic and heroic qualities, his responsibility for his fate, and his enlightenment.

Captivating heroes like Batman and Robin have become inspirational figures of modern day society that people love, but do they really dive into how tragic their lives really are? What happened to the truly emotional stories of tragedy rather than 15 minutes of non-important backstory? These heroes had done great things in their life, but fell gracefully from power due to selfish inhibitions and get remembered for how their mess up affected everyone else in the vicinity. Why can’t stories be as tragic as Sophocles’ Oedipus the King? He was a true tragic hero that saved his city and fell due to several flawed character traits. His drop from power came about because of his sense of hubris and ignorance to the presence of facts around him. People’s lives in the media should invoke more tragedy and suffering, making the character more relatable due to his flaws. While this doesn’t happen often, there are a few characters, like Duncan Dewey, that possess traits that make them tragic heroes.

"A man doesn't become a hero until he can see the root of his own downfall." -Aristotle No one wants to be a tragic hero. A great or virtuous character, but sadly they are destined for downfall because of their own judgement. Sophocles’ Oedipus exemplifies Aristotle’s definition of a tragic hero.

In the story of Oedipus, Oedipus is considered a “Tragic Hero” because of the tragic fate and effect that he had upon his life. My definition of a tragedy is a great loss that has a unhappy ending to which concluded me to state that Oedipus falls under that category. Throughout the book, Oedipus is leading himself to his own destruction when trying to find the killer of the late King Laios. So when a journal article I found published by The John Hopkins University Press stated that a “tragic hero is a man who fails to attain happiness, and fails in such a way that his career excites, not blame, but fear and pity in the highest degree” ( Barstow, Marjorie.) there was no doubt in my mind that the story Oedipus fell under the category. In my

The purpose of a tragedy is to bring catharsis within the audience and purge the audience with pity and fear for the tragic hero. Key characteristics that comprise a tragic hero in relation to Aristotle’s idea of one include a destiny filled with great potential but ending in inevitable failure, a fatal flaw called hamartia, and an honorable death. These types of heroes are not completely bad nor are completely good; however, they are the ones responsible for their own fate. This is due to their disregard for divine warnings and lack of adherence to the laws of the land. In Oedipus Rex and Oedipus at Colonus, Sophocles displays how Oedipus is an example of a tragic hero, as defined by Aristotle, by exposing his internal attributes that contributed to his inevitable fate, leading to his tragic ending, through the use of various literary devices.

The character Oedipus in oedipus the king is a tragic here by definition, according to Aristotle. There are five specific features a character must possess to be a tragic hero in Greek Theatre. The first is the character must have have a noble birth, ( add info )

In order to be a tragic hero, one must have all the characteristics that a tragic hero possesses. Oedipus, clearly

A tragic hero has many traits and characterized in many lights, but what mainly encompasses a tragic hero six things. The first is called the Hamartia, this is the tragic flaw that causes the downfall of the hero. The second is called the Hubris, this is the excessive pride or,it can also be labeled as over confidence, and their disrespect for natural order. The third thing is called the Peripeteia this is known as the reversal of that the the hero experiences. The fourth thing is called the Anagnorisis, this is the moment in which the hero makes an important discovery. The fifth is known as Nemesis this is the fate of the protagonist. The sixth and final characteristic of a tragic hero is Catharsis and these are the feelings of pity and pity that usually the audience feels for the protagonist after the downfall of the hero. In this book, Oedipus the King, Oedipus posses all of these traits.

The ultimate tragic hero is presented in all its glory in the play “Oedipus the King.” Rather than being a typical tragic hero, “Oedipus,” has gone beyond the traditional into the unbelievable. “Oedipus” when we come to him in this play has already taken three noble positions. He was born the babe, and prince of one Royal Family, then discarded because of an oracle. This cast off prince, was then brought low to die, facing the flaw of naivety, which a babe only knows. A shepherd discovered him and took him to another royal couple, to which he became a prince once more. Later, as he became older another oracle was spoken of him and in his flaw of fear, he fled from the second royal family, becoming of no account once more. The purpose for this qualification. Following this, on the way he killed several men in ignorance, impulsiveness and anger. Later, when he would sit in his own father’s throne, sleeping with his mother, who bore children of this ungodly union, his tragic flaws would strike at his core and be brought lower than a man could ever or should ever know. Thus, the identification of “Oedipus” as a tragic hero is fulfilled and demonstrated three times over in this heartbreaking tale of woe.

Aristotle describes a tragic hero as a man or woman of noble stature who is “good, but not perfect” (pg. 1252) and whose downfall is undeserved but is by his own hand; however, his misfortune is not pure loss because he reaches fuller self-knowledge. In the end, a tragic hero “arouses solemn emotions – pity and fear…but compassion and awe might be better terms” (pg. 1253). This description can be held against any protagonist to determine if they are a tragic hero or just another character. When held against Sophocles’ character Oedipus in the play Oedipus Rex, it becomes clear that he is not just another protagonist. Sophocles’ Oedipus is a textbook tragic hero that falls from greatness due to his prideful mistakes and ignorance of the consequences

In almost every Greek tale, there is at least one tragic character. Each character is most likely to fall due to some kind of fate, weakness they may possess, or any other complications they might have along each journey. Oedipus is a tragic character and is probably considered the most tragic of all. The reason we see his story as being so tragic is that he remains blind to the truth that is given to him. The prophecy of Oedipus states that we will kill his father and marry his mother in an “unnatural marriage” (Letters 1). When he is told of this, Oedipus flees. He believes he is running from his parents, but in fact he runs straight to them. Soon Oedipus opens his eyes, realizes his wrongness, and wants nothing more than to die. What are the key components that led up to Oedipus feeling so ashamed that he banishes himself? Throughout Oedipus the King, Sophocles uses three important points --- fate, guilt, and the irony of blindness --- to emphasize the main events leading up to Oedipus’ tragic descent into exile.

“A tragic hero is a character of noble birth with heroic qualities. This character, as a result of his fatal flaw met his doom after substantial suffering. In the play, Oedipus Rex, written by Sophocles in 429 B.C., Oedipus is the tragic hero who is distinguished by the definition above. Oedipus Rex is a tragedy play and is set in Thebes. It describes a tale of a king with the inability to see the truth and this lack of sight ultimately causes him to suffer. Oedipus is a quintessential example of a tragic hero which can be seen through his characteristics, such as his start at noble height, his inability to acknowledge his own flaw, and through his own actions, brings his own doom.

In the play Oedipus the King, Oedipus struggles to accept the truth and lets his temper over power him. He can be displayed as a tragic hero. His refusal to accept the truth led to Oedipus’ down fall. A tragic hero, as defined by Aristotle, “is a literary character who makes a judgment error that inevitably leads to his/her own destruction.” Sophocles’ Oedipus exemplifies Aristotle’s definition of a tragic hero.

Tragic hero could be said to be someone that has had a tragic flaw that leads to the hero's death and also helps the reader to sympathize with the character. Oedipus is a classic example of a tragic hero who had many flaws on the surface, such as the lack of self-knowledge, curiosity and pride, and the wisdom gained at the end.

Knox, B. M. (1998). Hero. In Oedipus at Thebes: Sophocles' tragic hero and his time (1st ed., p. 4). New Haven, NY: Yale University Press.