Oedipus Tragic Flaw

Sophocles’ plays, Oedipus Rex and Antigone, and Euripides’ play, Medea, share the same three motifs: tragic flaw, betrayal, and self-righteousness; which create the conflicts in each of the three timeless Greek plays, and these motifs are rooted in way people behave. Oedipus’ tragic flaw is how he avidly seeks the truth, even to the extent that his wife would commit suicide and he blind himself. Compassion, which is usually predominant in women, causes Antigone’s downfall because she felt obligated to bury her fallen and disgraced brother. Creon is too trusting and gullible to Medea, which is his tragic flaw, as it results in a fateful outcome for him later. Unknowingly, Oedipus betrayed his own father, the king, many years ago, killing him …show more content…
Jason betrayed Medea by abandoning her and taking a royal wife to bed in order to become a king, which also sparked the main conflict in Medea. Failing to accept any other way, Oedipus exhibits self-righteousness in the fact that he believes knowing the truth of his origins is the only way to finally be at peace. Antigone was self-righteous in her unyielding will to bury her brother, despite her father’s law against it, yet persisted without finding a compromise. Jason’s actions were an act of self-righteousness, which he rationalized. These three motifs manifest themselves and are the root cause of the conflicts present in each of the ancient Greek …show more content…
The tragic flaw exhibited by Oedipus is his strong desire to discover the truths of his past, despite being warned against this by others. Antigone’s tragic flaw is her compassion she has for her brother who died in war, but remained unburied because of a law against it. Trustfulness and gullibility, which are Creon’s tragic flaw, lead to his demise after being exploited by Medea. Betrayal lies in the past for Oedipus, as he killed his father on the road when he was younger, which now haunts him because of the chain of events succeeding that event. The two brothers who alternated rule over a kingdom every other year betrayed each other, resulting in both of them dying and an unforeseen conflict later. Medea suffers the betrayal of her dearly loved Jason, who has taken a different woman of royal blood to bed, hoping to gain more power and land to rule. Oedipus’ unwillingness to abandon his search for the truth represents his self-righteousness. This motif was also shown through Antigone’s desire to bury her brother, even against her sister’s council and her father’s law. Self-righteousness presents itself through Jason’s selfish action to acquire more power through a different woman, who holds more power through royal blood. All three of these ancient Greek plays use these three