Examples Of Hubris In Theban

Sophocles's Theban plays demonstrate mastery of tragic irony, character development, and plot. The story surrounds Oedipus, the king of Thebes, who murders his father and sleeps with his mother, as was prophesied. The main character exhibits several character flaws which impact his actions during the play. Oedipus reflects his hubris through his intelligence and arrogance, as seen in his treatment of Tiresias and his confidence in finding the murderer of Laius. His hubris harmfully affects his ties with his family and his community, as demonstrated by the deaths of his loved ones and the curse on the city, and the loss of his hubris teaches audiences the value of learning through suffering, demonstrated through Oedipus’s burial. On the first page of the play, Oedipus demonstrates his hubris by boasting about his fame and …show more content…
One instance of this is his hubris harmfully affecting Jocasta, resulting in her committing suicide. Throughout the play, it seems that anything his hubris influences results in destruction. Unfortunately, Jocasta interacts with his pride both indirectly and directly. As talked about before, Jocasta tried to convince him to give up on his search for the true killer of Laius, which would mean giving up his hubris. Oedipus decides that he will continue to pursue the truth, further feeding his own pride in his intellect. Here, Jocasta directly interacts with his hubris by trying to persuade him searching for the true murderer. At the end of the play, this action results in her death when Oedipus discovers the truth. Her actions are a direct result of interacting with his hubris. In addition, she interacts with his hubris indirectly. It is his own overconfidence in his cleverness that leads him to leave Corinth and answer the riddle of the Sphinx, giving him Jocasta’s hand in marriage. Her death is both a direct and indirect result of Oedipus’s