King Oedipus: a Tragic Hero

1130 Words5 Pages
1King Oedipus: A Tragic Hero Abstract: Oedipus Rex is one of the most celebrated tragedies of the world which introduces us to a new version of the Greek family dramas that espouses ethics beyond human kind. In the ancient Greek world the tragic heroes were supposed to be of noble background and character. But in the case of Oedipus- the protagonist of Oedipus Rex, there are some obscurities regarding the characterization that leads the readers to a disputable resolution on Oedipus’ heroism as a tragic one. This paper completely focuses on the analysis of the character and on some points which aims at establishing Oedipus as a tragic hero. Key Words: Tragic Hero, Hamartia, Oedipus, Fate. Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex is a tragedy that surrounds the life of a king named Oedipus who tried to run away from his fate but failed to succeed. The whole story can be seen as a tale of sin, punishment, and repentance. It is a narrative of human soul who is subdued by his fate’s irony. To some, Oedipus is more a subject to his fate than his actions which doesn’t let the character to be flourished as a tragic hero. The concept of “tragic hero” was conceived by Aristotle who gave a model of characterization that must be followed for being a tragic hero. According to Aristotle, the tragic hero must fall through his or her own error, or hamartia. Hamartia is a mistake in judgment committed by a tragic hero that stands for “error” in Greek. Oedipus, as a tragic hero, commits some sinful actions although unintentionally which make him fall from the crest of his nobility. Oedipus’s decision to flee away from his destiny can be considered as his first tragic flaw. Oedipus tried to defeat the “God of Fate” Apollo by going against his prophecy that Oedipus will kill his father and marry his mother and he will be the brother of his children. It was not actually a sin as it is quite

More about King Oedipus: a Tragic Hero

Open Document