A Character Analysis Of Sophocles Oedipus The King

My analysis for this essay is of Sophocles’ Oedipus the King and how Oedipus’ main character flaw is responsible for the tragedy of the story. While there are many elements that had to come together for the tragedy to unfold, it was ultimately Oedipus’ tendency to react quickly without putting much thought into his actions and his temper that ultimately result in his tragic fate. From the start, Oedipus shows his tendency to react quickly, even if he had good intentions. He begs Creon to tell him “Who is this man whose fate the God pronounces” (693) without trying to find out why. Oedipus is quick to act and only wants to do what the Gods command in order to help save his people. However, this is the first step that leads Oedipus down the trail to his fate. As the story goes on, Oedipus begins to act more and more impulsively. Even when others try to convince him to act rationally, Oedipus won’t take a step back and try to think through what he’s doing. When Jocasta enters and tries to convince Oedipus that Creon shouldn’t be punished, Oedipus remains convinced of his guilt. Even though he agrees not to kill or banish Creon, Oedipus holds strong in his conviction that he will be the one punished …show more content…
Nassaar, said the root of Oedipus’ tragedy was both his fault and the inevitable fate the Gods had put on him. He said, “Others have argued that Oedipus is responsible for his own downfall, that Apollo tried to save him and would have if he only had understood the god’s warning” (147). He goes on to say, “Apollo tells him his fate, which is unquestionably a dark and cruel one, but Oedipus panics and rushes into catastrophe” (148). Some people argue that it was fate that led Oedipus to his tragedy, however, I agree with Nassaar’s assessment that Oedipus rushed to judgment and didn’t take the time to think about what the prophecy could really mean, or to seek out additional information to help him decide the best course of