Oedipus the Tragic Hero Essay
743 Words
Oct 7th, 2008
3 Pages
In the play Oedipus the King we identify the classic tragic hero. The character Oedipus Rex plays the role of the tragic hero perfectly. He shows the three main characteristics being talented and of noble birth, possessing a tragic flaw that causes the downfall and pain of everyone, and the recognition of responsibility. Oedipus’s first characteristic of being a tragic hero is being talented and of noble birth. Oedipus was talented because during his journey to runaway form his curse, the oracle foresaw for him. He stumbled upon the Riddle of the Sphinx in Thebes; Oedipus solved the riddle and was rewarded to be king and was given the old kings wife. (“You freed us from the Sphinx; you came to Thebes and cut us loose from the bloody
…show more content…
Jocasta realized that he was her son when he pushed the answers out of the
messenger and the messenger said “No sir, another shepherd passed you on to me.” Line 1140-
1141”He called himself the servant of… if I remember rightly-Laius.” Line 1143-1144. Now that
Jocasta figured it out she was so afraid she kept begging Oedipus to not push any father to leave
it along, but he was not satisfied and needed to know where he came from and was he of nobility
or a servant.
Oedipus’s recognition of his responsibility was very easy for him. He kept pushing for answers whether or not he was this curse the prophecies foresaw and he did get what he wanted
and put the pieces together and figured out he was the prophecies curse that he killed his father
and he did marry his mother. Oedipus-“I’d never have come to this, my father’s murderer-never
been branded mother’s husband, all men see me now!” Line1491-1493. Oedipus felt he was blind and couldn’t see his fate with his eyes, and that he should have seen this coming. The next horror to come for Oedipus was for him to walk into the room where Jocasta hung herself. He ran to her and cut her down this was the final act he could witness, and took her brooches and gouged them into his eyes so he could never see the pain he has caused everyone again. Messenger-“You, you’ll see no more the pain I suffered, all the pain I caused! Too long you looked on
messenger and the messenger said “No sir, another shepherd passed you on to me.” Line 1140-
1141”He called himself the servant of… if I remember rightly-Laius.” Line 1143-1144. Now that
Jocasta figured it out she was so afraid she kept begging Oedipus to not push any father to leave
it along, but he was not satisfied and needed to know where he came from and was he of nobility
or a servant.
Oedipus’s recognition of his responsibility was very easy for him. He kept pushing for answers whether or not he was this curse the prophecies foresaw and he did get what he wanted
and put the pieces together and figured out he was the prophecies curse that he killed his father
and he did marry his mother. Oedipus-“I’d never have come to this, my father’s murderer-never
been branded mother’s husband, all men see me now!” Line1491-1493. Oedipus felt he was blind and couldn’t see his fate with his eyes, and that he should have seen this coming. The next horror to come for Oedipus was for him to walk into the room where Jocasta hung herself. He ran to her and cut her down this was the final act he could witness, and took her brooches and gouged them into his eyes so he could never see the pain he has caused everyone again. Messenger-“You, you’ll see no more the pain I suffered, all the pain I caused! Too long you looked on