Flaws In Oedipus The King

If one fact were to be stated as an absolute truth, it would be that man is mortal. Man is born, man lives and man dies. Man also makes mistakes, man is not perfect, and man is flawed. In Sophocles’ play, King Oedipus, the titular character of the same name is a man who possesses many flaws and unfortunately suffers from these flaws. It is Oedipus’ pride, impetuous behaviour and lack of insight that ultimately determine his inevitable fate. Oedipus lacks insight, which leads to his being harmed by the prophet Teiresius. Oedipus is also excessively proud, which leads to an equal fate of excessive shame. Finally, Oedipus demonstrates impetuous behaviour, which results in him triggering and eventually fulfilling the prophecy. Throughout this …show more content…
After Jocasta realizes that she has married her son, she leaves Oedipus, angry that he will not cease to investigate Laius’ killer. Oedipus believes that she is ashamed of his potential low origin, and equates himself with the gods, claiming that he is “a child of Fortune”, that saving Thebes and ruling in peace has made him the “giver of good”, and that he “shall not be shamed” (55). Oedipus’s pride counteracts what he perceives to be Jocasta’s shame for him, and he considers himself to be equal with the gods. Oedipus believes that he is above all men in Thebes and that he is not susceptible to the hardships that come with being mortal, such as feeling shame. Oedipus reiterates that he knows who he is, he knows that Queen Meropé is his mother, and he knows that he is not slave-born. He calls himself the “giver of good” to remind the Chorus, whom he is speaking to, that he was the only one able to save Thebes from the Sphinx, and was able to peacefully rule his country for 15 years. Because of these achievements, Oedipus has developed hubris, and he honestly believes that he is above all. It has become clear at this point in the play that Oedipus possesses excessive