In the tragedy, Oedipus Rex, Sophocles presented Oedipus as a tragic hero. A tragic hero is a kind of sacrificial victim. He experiences a fall because he has a certain character flaw, or tragic flaw, and he suffers so that the audience may learn from that suffering without having to experience the pain themselves. Oedipus’ tragic flaw led to his downfall and suffering. This flaw had an important and intriguing effect on the story.
As the play progressed, a zealous desire to know the truth in its entirety proved to be Oedipus’ tragic flaw. In the beginning of the play, Oedipus illustrated this flaw when he sent Creon to fetch the prophet, Tiresias. Oedipus then inquired of him as to who the murderer of Laius had been. When Tiresias refused to provide him with a straight answer, he became angered and demanded to know the truth. Tiresias finally answered him, but Oedipus could not fathom that what had been said was, in fact, the truth. This pattern continued as Oedipus began suspecting what Tir
If only Oedipus could have disregarded his desire for knowledge and truth, this great suffering could have been avoided. Oedipus’ flaw had a tremendous effect on the entire story in many ways. After Jocasta learned of Oedipus’ identity she rushed off and hung herself. Oedipus discovered her and resorted to gouging his eyes out with a set of broaches he removed for Jocasta’s clothes. He justified this by saying that he could not look into the eyes of his offspring or of the people of Thebes. He also did not believe that he deserved to see the beautiful, joyous things that would be before him. Antigone and his other daughter were also greatly affected by his actions. They would no longer be viewed to be suitable for marriage by any man that knew of the fate of their father. This was not the only result of his downfall. Due to him being exiled, Thebes would be under the rule of Creon and the citizens would have to adapt. Overall, Oedipus’ flaw affected a great deal of people.
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