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The Perfect Tragic Hero - Oedipus

            The story of Oedipus Rex has been around for thousands of years even before Sophocles turned it into a greek tragedy. The greek myth is about this king named Oedipus who is born with this fate that he will kill his father and marry and have kids with his mother. To save them from this they tied Oedipus by his feet and sent with a shepherd him be killed. The shepherd saved Oedipus and took him to another royal family to be taken care of. When he finds out about his fate he leaves unintentionally knowing that he will eventually end up following his fate through the efforts of trying to find out his identity. His search to help his people eventually turns into a search to find himself. Through this search the readers may not look at him as a hero any more because of some of the things he does, but in reality Oedipus is a true tragic hero from his rise to his fall through his actions.
             Oedipus has many great characteristics. He is compassionate, confident, trustworthy, highly praised, and a man of action. In the beginning of the play Oedipus acts out of selflessness to extend himself to find out why the city of Thebes is going through so much destruction. In lines 13 - 15 he says "Whether you come in dread, or crave some blessings: Tell me, and never doubt that i will help you in every way I can; I should be heartless were I not moved. "(1218) Oedipus' character is very confident although he is very proud he shows his compassion towards his people and listening to their concerns first hand rather than second hand. He cares about his people and because of his compassion and confidence mixed together he sends Kreon to Delphi to speak to the oracle of Apollo. He tries everything to get the answer because for him visible proof is the only type of proof there is. He is highly appreciated and praised by the people of Thebes. In lines 37-39, 42 the priest says "As to the man surest in mortal ways and wisest in the ways of God .


Essays Related to The Perfect Tragic Hero - Oedipus

1. Othello as Tragic Hero

In the play Oedipus Rex, by Sophocles, Oedipus was a very great example of a tragic hero. He understood that a tragic hero should be lifelike and all should be able to relate to him in some way. " A perfect tragedy should imitate actions which excite pity and fear, this being the distinctive mark of tragic imitation" (qtd. in Sophocles, "Critical Excerpts" 109). Sophocles definitely provided a perfect tragedy by imitating these actions. From the very beginning when ... you realize that the Oracle ... ...

  • Word Count: 1455
  • Approx Pages: 6
  • Grade Level: High School

2. Oedipus Rex

... king" (p.16). They were not forced to love him, the voluntarily loved him. The Priest himself tells Oedipus: "We see you as first of men and consummate atoner to the powers above" (p.6). This shows the power and popularity that Oedipus possesses which gives him the proper status to be a tragic hero. Secondly, Oedipus" tragic flaw causes him to be the perfect candidate for a tragic hero. Every tragic hero must have a certain flaw, which causes his or her ... downfall. Oedipus" flaw is his ignorance. Because of the fact that he does not know the truth about his past, his downfall ... ...

  • Word Count: 942
  • Approx Pages: 4
  • Grade Level: High School

3. Tragic Heroes in Oedipus the K

... death, his suffering does not end, drawing greater pity from the audience. By fulfilling all the essential characteristics of the tragic hero, Oedipus attains a greater connection to the audience, further exemplifying the play's underlying tragic effect. Antigone, the first installment of the Oedipus Trilogy, though set chronologically last, also depicts the essence of the tragic hero. Through the character of Creon, Sophocles effectively conveys the essential elements of a tragic hero. Creon is, first, king of Thebes, thus illustrating his high ... nobility, fallibility, downfall throu...

  • Word Count: 1545
  • Approx Pages: 6

4. Oedipus: A True Tragic Hero

... this definition, he further expanded it by defining the profile of the Classical Greek tragic hero, basing it on what he considered the best tragedy ever written, Sophocle's Oedipus Rex. According to Aristotle, a tragedy should comprise of the hero's goodness and superiority, a tragic flaw in which the hero makes fatal errors in judgment which eventually lead to his downfall, a tragic realization in which the main character understands how he has unwittingly helped to ... is it that goes on four feet in the morning, two feet at midday, and three feet in the evening?" Oedipus was the onl...

  • Word Count: 1426
  • Approx Pages: 6
  • Grade Level: High School

5. Summary of Oedipus Rex

... of pity and fear from the audience, for the main character or tragic hero as he or she moves toward a destructive end, eventually leading the audience to "explode" at the ultimate downfall of the hero. Based on Aristotle's interpretation of tragedy, one may conclude that the theme of tragic heroism is a recurring and essential theme in the development not only of Oedipus's character but also of the play for it is ... is that a tragic hero is labeled as someone who ultimately fails to be happy and has a trajectory that in the end makes readers feel a sense of sympathy towards the charact...

  • Word Count: 1098
  • Approx Pages: 4
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

6. Oedipus as a tragic hero

... , he will most effectively evoke both our pity and terror if he is neither thoroughly good nor thoroughly evil but a mixture of both. Throughout the play, Oedipus is proved to be perfect match to Aristotle's tragic hero as he is the king of Thebes, he is good and looked up by his people, but falls because of an act of injustice. His downfall is caused by ... his own fault, but his misfortune is not wholly deserved. As mentioned, a tragic hero must be highly renowned and prosperous. Oedipus, the King of Thebes is highly renowned and prosperous. Oedipus had saved the ... long ago" show th...

  • Word Count: 569
  • Approx Pages: 2
  • Grade Level: High School

7. Tragic Heroes in Oedipus Rex and Cinderella

... irony, Aristotle's definition of a tragic hero and the audience's previous knowledge of the myth, which in return allows the audience to identify and feel sympathy for the hero. Dramatic irony is a literary technique where the characters have an inaccurate understanding of the facts. The audience is familiar with the myth of Oedipus Rex, therefore they know more than the characters, causing the audience to become emotionally invested ... we do and that's the hook of the drama, to keep the audience feeling terror and pity for the hero. The irony is what makes this play powerful because o...

  • Word Count: 1070
  • Approx Pages: 4
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8. Oedipus

... be reported or foretold. Lastly, Aristotle explains the importance of the chorus in a tragedy. According to him, it should be regarded as one of the actors. Therefore, the chorus should be integrated into performance and be considered as part of the whole. In the play Oedipus Rex by Sophocles, Oedipus is a classic tragic hero.According to Aristotle's definition, Oedipus is a tragic hero because he is a king whose life falls ... apart when he finds out his life story. There are a numberof characteristics described by Aristotle that identify a tragic hero. For example, a tragic hero must ...

  • Word Count: 1309
  • Approx Pages: 5
  • Grade Level: High School

9. Aristotle and Oedipus

... be reported or foretold. Lastly, Aristotle explains the importance of the chorus in a tragedy. According to him, it should be regarded as one of the actors. Therefore, the chorus should be integrated into performance and be considered as part of the whole. In the play Oedipus Rex by Sophocles, Oedipus is a classic tragic hero.According to Aristotle's definition, Oedipus is a tragic hero because he is a king whose life falls ... apart when he finds out his life story. There are a numberof characteristics described by Aristotle that identify a tragic hero. For example, a tragic hero must ...

  • Word Count: 1311
  • Approx Pages: 5
  • Grade Level: High School

10. Oedipus The King - A Tragic Hero

... . Being considered a tragic hero is not something that most people would want to be called. Oedipus could have avoided the tragic hero fate by simply listening to his intuition and paying closer attention to the details of his own life. Situations may be avoided easily if the time is taken to evaluate the situation as a whole and not just evaluating its pieces. Oedipus the King is a perfect example of how living ... life for the greed of ones self can lead ... to the demise and destruction of loved ... ...

  • Word Count: 783
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