Pride In Sophocles 'Oedipus The King'

Oedipus’ pride and a heightened sense of confidence is very conspicuous throughout the play Oedipus Rex. From the beginning of the play, Oedipus accepts the idea that he can avoid the prophecy given to him by the gods. Oedipus is also seen interrogating Creon and attempting to banish him with Tiresias towards the end of the play because they are saying facts corresponding to the prophecy. He tries to become like a god himself by thinking he could control his own fate. Although Oedipus’ pride can be justified by his accomplishments of being king; the tragedy of Oedipus is the pure result of his overwhelming pride because he killed his father, mocked Tiresias, and blinded himself.

Throughout the play Oedipus the King written by Sophocles, there are many themes portrayed, however hubris appears to be a prominent trait. Oedipus, the main character displays such pride that impacts his ability to perceive and understand the past as well as interact with others. When pronounced King of Thebes, he is filled with pride from such honor. The citizens of Thebes glorify him and come to him for help and comfort in their time of need. However, Oedipus doesn't treat them with the same respect, referring to the townspeople as his "poor children" (Sophocles 65) even though they are all adults. Oedipus also believes he is more valuable than everyone else for "his suffering is greater" (Sophocles 67) and he "suffers the most" (Sophocles

The ancient adage “Pride goeth before a fall” symbolizes a common trait seen in tragic heroes meaning that their pride and arrogance are a significant factors in their downfall. This is mainly because their pride in themselves makes them feel like they are untouchable and everything they do is right. But what they don’t realize is that these traits make them ignorant to what others tell them or anything they hear that makes them look bad. In the play Oedipus Rex , The main character Oedipus is clearly the character that best fits this idea. His pride in himself is what makes him ignorant to the truth and what other characters in the play tell him. Also, it prevents him from accepting his true fate which he cannot avoid. But it is also his pride

Oedipus the King is perhaps one of the most famous and influential of Sophocles' plays. It is a tragic play which focuses on the discovery by Oedipus that he has killed his father and married his mother. On the surface of this drama there is, without a doubt, a tone of disillusionment.

At this moment I realized that I should try to be more open minded and less stubborn. In the same way that I should have listened to my parents, Oedipus should have listened to Tiresias instead of being stubborn. At the end of the play, Oedipus learns his lesson similar to how I did except, his consequences were much more unsparing. In society, we see examples of this in a much larger

Sophocles’ epic “Oedipus the King” harnesses hubris throughout as a driving force for the play. Hubris was the fatal flaw that eventually brought down Oedipus because he does not recognize his weakness. Oedipus’s hubris eventually drives him into dire straits, and finally ends his rule. Using dramatic and situational irony as well as light and dark symbolism, Sophocles’ message to humanity is that hubris harms a person’s life by blinding them from seeing the truth, and their blindness eventually leads to a startling realization of the truth.

“Oh my children, the new blood of ancient Thebes, why are you here?” said Oedipus when addressing his people during his first appearance (1-2). Flamboyant, yes, well in Oedipus the King, the main character Oedipus is a boastful and pompous character faced with troublesome pasts and future predicaments. In actuality, he is king of Thebes and the rightful ruler, but when a plague strikes he is quickly led into a misfortune of events that ultimately leads him to dig his eyes out in attempt to relieve him from the truth he discovers. It then becomes a revelation to distinguish the characteristic fault which leads Oedipus through such tragedy. Only to become apparent, Oedipus’s excessive pride is the main culprit behind his tragic ending. In

Those who believe they can triumph over fate deserve to be crushed by the overwhelming weight of reality that will come crashing down on them. Ordinarily confidence yields benefit in moderation, however, it proves damaging when used excessively. Oedipus the King was written by Sophocles thousands of years ago as a cautionary tale about hubris. As a king, Oedipus rules over the city of Thebes with an arrogant attitude and believes that he can defy the gods. Through the events of the novella, Oedipus lost everything after uncovering that he killed his father and had children with his mother. Conversely the real downfall of Oedipus came from his pride and failure to handle the situation carefully. Oedipus fills the archetype of tragic

In Sophocles’, “Oedipus Rex,” Oedipus shows his true colors by exuding hubris a number of times. Hubris means “excessive pride” and is most often used in the history of mythology. Oedipus manages to make the gods angry many times with his expression of hubris. Oedipus believes that he is able to change his fate by running from Corinth. He is basically telling the gods that the life they chose for him is not good enough. Another example of this would be when he kills his biological father. The gods hate when relatives kill each other, that is why Laius had a servant get rid of Oedipus instead of killing him himself. Oedipus also makes false accusations towards some of his friends to cover up his part of the blame. Oedipus shows excessive pride by fleeing Corinth, killing out of rage, and making false accusations towards innocent people.

Throughout the tragedy by Sophocles, the king Oedipus relies on his personal glory to attain long lasting fame and balks when confronted with anything that might shatter this perception that he is the best. While both characters have done marvelous deeds in the past, their inherent arrogance, which is part of the tragic flaw of each of the characters,

The importance and development of pride within Oedipus in Sophocles’ Oedipus the King causes Oedipus to reveal his true identity and learn a lesson of the unchangeable power of destiny. In the beginning of Oedipus’ journey, Oedipus decides to run away from home to escape his destiny in which he will marry his mother and kill his father. From this simple decision to run away from his fate, pride is introduced within Oedipus and it creates a mindset that he is far more superior than the gods as well as having the ability to choose his own path different from the gods’ will. Oedipus’s view of being set apart from the gods and his ambition to overcome his destiny sparks a desire for control, gradually instigating a self-centered attitude. As Oedipus impulse for control increases, it ignites a series of destruction and

In Oedipus the King, by Sophocles, the origin of Oedipus is the result of his tragic flaw. Oedipus’s pride is an essential part throughout the play and also plays a prominent role in his downfall. We learn that Oedipus let his excessive pride and ego dictate his actions and decisions when he tries to avoid the prophecy that was given to him by the oracles. Without knowing he accidentally fulfils this prophecy. Also Oedipus’s wife shows hubris and contributes to her husband’s downfall when she also tries to avoid the same prophecy.

In Grecian culture, patricide and incest were considered two of the worst sins. Oedipus Rex, a play by Sophocles, features its protagonist, Oedipus, committing both. While he is not aware of the crimes he has committed, Oedipus knows of a prophecy that promised he would kill his father and marry his mother. Unknowingly, Oedipus flees who he believes to be his birth parents and travels to Thebes. While in transit to Thebes, Oedipus unbeknownst to him kills his biological father, King Laius.

Like most human beings, Oedipus is not perfect, but his intelligence is considered to bring him closer to the gods. However as wise he is said to be, his pride is an obstacle to understanding the truth of his life and how it effects those around him. Oedipus’s hubris (Pride that causes one to disregard the gods) (Sophocles 1213). has sent him towards this tragic ending.

Sophocles used Oedipus’ pride to characterize Oedipus as a tragic man. It showed that he was destined to make himself miserable because of the hubris he was born with. He also uses it to show that there is fate, but we are a part of it and it is only what might happen based on the person we are. Oedipus came about his tragic discovery not because of an evil act or an evil trait but because of the person he was. When the oracles stated that Oedipus would kill his father and marry his mother, he stated what could happen. Oedipus’ fate might have been avoided if Oedipus was not the type of person he was.