King Oedipus Selfish Quotes

Improved Essays
Even though he seems caring at some parts, his dominant characteristic is being self-centered and arrogant because he cares more about himself, but also wants to help the people of Thebes who are cursed by the plague. In the play, a messenger informs Oedipus that Polybus is dead and his reaction to this isn’t normal. Jocasta said, “Yet this news of your father is wonderful”(Sophocles 51). This quote shows that Oedipus doesn’t care much about his “father’s” death. It was great news to Oedipus because Oedipus didn’t kill his “father”, so Oedipus believes and tells people that there was no way he could have killed Laius. These actions show that Oedipus is very selfish and only cares about himself. Also, Oedipus said, “You dare say that! Can you possibly think you have Some way of going free,after such insolence?”(Sophocles 19). …show more content…
He has so much control that he can anything to Teiresias. Oedipus shows that he is offended and shocked that someone would accuse him of killing Laius since he is the king. He gets very defensive and offends Teiresias back. Oedipus also demonstrates another characteristic. Oedipus, in the beginning, was not all bad because he wanted to help his people and cares about them. Oedipus said, “I would not speak through messengers, and therefore I have come myself to hear you-I, Oedipus, who bear the famous name”(Sophocles 4). This quote shows that Oedipus does care about his people. He would rather spend his time instead of sending his messenger to talk to his people. It shows he has integrity and wants to lift the curse of the plague off his people by solving the mystery of the death of Laius. Oedipus could be doing other things, but he wants to see and hear his

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    In many novels and plays the protagonist faces the greatest injustices cases they have dealt with. Oedipus Rex is a play where the protagonist, Oedipus, is clearly affected by the injustice he plays himself. Oedipus’ justice beliefs are what sets him off to create a bunch of injustice around the actions he takes. Oedipus searches for justice all along the play but does not realize all the injustice he had created and had been affected. Oedipus believes that people should feel justice and that it should be enforced.…

    • 489 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Oedipus does genuinely try to be a good King, as shown in the Prologue, and has succeeded so far. He easily feels threatened and becomes paranoid, shown by how his second concern about the killer is his own protection, and how he quickly accuses Creon and Teiresias of plotting against him in Scene 1. He tries to help the people and is willing to do take responsibility, “Then once more I must bring what is dark to light,” (Prologue), but in the end it seems that he is more concerned about his own outcome, stated when he talks about his parents (Scene 2) and when he argues with Creon (Scene 1). 7.Oedipus is a tragic hero because he’s trying to fix the evil he unknowingly caused. The tragedy of his past has come full circle to leave him broken with remorse.…

    • 553 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Oedipus sought out the truth in every situation, creating his fatal flaw. He ran from the oracle he received in his former city, only because he didn’t want a certain event to take place. In the action of taking over Thebes, his new found land, he becomes hubris, excessively prideful, causing him to believe he is better than everyone, especially the judgement of certain decisions. Oedipus failed to realize the connections between the people in the prophet, but the recognition of the truth brought him to his spiral down. From that, he was determined to avoid his fate, but in the end, all the faults added up and Oedipus walked straight into it.…

    • 250 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Oedipus Pride Quotes

    • 883 Words
    • 4 Pages

    His action of handling the problem shows he is not so fool and bad because if he is actually evil, he may leave the city without doing anything but he tries his best for his citizens to stop the plague. However, when the chorus calls the gods to get help to stop the plague, he stops the chorus to rescue Thebes and he tries to rescue his city by himself because of his ego. At same time, He says “Whoever killed the king may decide to kill me too, with the same violent hand-by avenging Laius. I defend myself” (line 158-159) because he does not want the power to leave him. Therefore, Oedipus has many characteristics together that people can be interested to a…

    • 883 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    Theme Of Arrogance In Oedipus

    • 1630 Words
    • 7 Pages
    • 6 Works Cited

    Once Oedipus realizes the extent that his hubris has ruined his life, he is so overcome with sorrow that he forces himself to never see again by gouging out his eyes. Oedipus’ “self-blinding is followed by a demand that he be cast from the city, self-cursed and loathsome to himself, his countrymen and his family. ”(Hogan P. 21) After Oedipus’ is fully aware of his actions, he realizes he must follow the punishment that he created for the perpetrator. The regret and sorry Oedipus experiences during this revelation are hidden iniquity is massive. Oedipus is immediately humbled, and is so heart-broken that he accused Creon of treason that Oedipus displays honor by begging for banishment from Thebes.…

    • 1630 Words
    • 7 Pages
    • 6 Works Cited
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The citizens saw his actions as heroic and made him King. The city is in ruins and it is Oedipus’ duty to save the city once again. He must find and execute the murderer of Laius who was once the king of Thebes and secretly the father of Oedipus. But to Oedipus’s…

    • 1114 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Oedipus sincerely cared about his people. When Oedipus found out that the murderer of King Laius had to be punished he was merciful in saying, “his fate will not be cruel he will depart unstumbling into exile” (233-34). Once again displaying his good heart…

    • 820 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    He can listen carefully, but when anger comes in play, he starts to stop listening to anyone’s opinion except his own point of view. He believes that he is rational or logical, which is also his second virtue, in finding the murderer. Just like his cleverness, his anger leads him to his fate. He is angry at Teresias and refuses to listen to her warnings because she puts him down by saying, “You blame my temper but you do not see your own that lives within you” (Sophocles 24). For the rest of the conversation, Oedipus is angry because he wants to save the city and she makes him doubts in himself.…

    • 1490 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Oedipus had confidence in himself and was proud of being the new king of Thebes. “Oedipus is characterized not only having a logical mind, but as taking great pride in it,” (Hornby 128). In reality, Oedipus is blind to his true identity. He believed that he was a great and powerful man, but truly he was a murderer and had married his own mother, something a fortune teller had told him a few years prior coming to Thebes. At first, Oedipus refused to believe what Tiresias told him, claiming that he was the man who murdered the previous king.…

    • 835 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Oedipus Hubris Analysis

    • 1052 Words
    • 5 Pages

    In his understanding that he murdered King Laius, Oedipus’ hubris and downfall are evident. In addition, his downfall caused by his…

    • 1052 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Oedipus finds out from Creon who is his brother in law that he sent to Delphi for information, that Apollo was the God who put the plague the Thebes until they “Drives the corruption frame the land, don’t harbor it any longer, past all cure, don’t nurse it in your soil-root it out!”-( Oedipus The King pg:576, line: 107-111)Oedipus says this as an oath before the chorus and the priest that the murder would be found and banished from the land. During this is one of the time you can really feel Oedipus anger rising. Oedipus decline from his status is not really an accident but a fate he could not really prevent. This is why I believe Oedipus deserved sympathy.…

    • 1337 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Even though Oedipus still has no idea who he killed and what the end cause for his actions will be, doesn’t make it right. He also uses his temper when he says this, “And on the murderer this curse I lay (On him and all the partners in his guilt):-- Wretch, may he pine in utter wretchedness! And for myself, if with my privity He gain admittance to my hearth, I pray The curse I laid on others fall on me. See that ye give effect to all my hest, For my sake and the god’s and for our land, A desert blasted by the wrath of heaven” (Sophocles 244-253). Oedipus doesn’t think about who the man could be or if it could even be him, and instead of thinking about what this information means and what he should actually do with this information, he just acts because his temper took over.…

    • 904 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The people of the city were dying and Oedipus, being the king, had to find the solution to this problem. Apollo revealed that in order to end the suffering of his city; he must find justice for Laius’ death. That's when Oedipus journey to seek justice began. He gathered his people to ask for their help; in order to find the person responsible for Laius death. Oedipus was determined to seek justice for that death; to restore the peace of his city.…

    • 617 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Tragic Destiny In Oedipus

    • 1201 Words
    • 5 Pages

    It is very ironic that Oedipus wanted to know the truth but did not see the truth in any advice he was offered for his own good; for example when Teiresias told him indirectly who the murderer was and that it would be best for Oedipus to stop questioning and leave this topic alone, but Oedipus did not listen. When Jocasta realized that the prophecy of her son had indeed been carried out, she tries to save him but Oedipus insensibly called her prideful and dismissed her warnings. Also another example is when Oedipus completely disregards Teiresias advice that “[his] enemy is [him]-self” (Sophocles 36), and takes pride in the fact that he “stopped the riddler 's mouth, guessing the truth...” (Sophocles 37).…

    • 1201 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    He worried about whether he was going to die according to the prophecy. Oedipus’ confidence that he was above his own fate made him search for someone else to take the blame. He showed his distinguishing intelligence…

    • 433 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays