The Tragic Hero In Oedipus The King By Sophocles

As Oscar Wilde once said “The truth is rarely pure and never simple.” This quote correctly portrays the tragedy that is reveled in Oedipus the king, written Sophocles. Oedipus who is the protagonist in the play is characterized as a tragic hero. As he is a man of high estate and suffers from a tragic flaw, combined with his own fate he is a man who is destined for his downfall. Despite all this, prior to his death, Oedipus shows redeeming qualities and order is finally restored. Oedipus is known as a tragic hero for his unfortunate series of events. Oedipus truly believes he can run from the oracle that has been given to him. The one thing he struggles so hard to uncover is the same thing that leads him to his own self-destruction. Oedipus’ pride is a distinctive characteristic that controls him and eventually is what destroys him. Oedipus is considered a man of high estate because he believed he had it all.
Believing that he was born in to the royal family of Corinth and was next for the future heir to the throne, made Oedipus feel superior and above the rest. Oedipus then solved the riddle of the sphinx and saved Thebes from a catastrophe and was …show more content…
Through the tragic flaws, the downfall, suffering, and redeeming qualities, Oedipus falls from great heights to restore the order back to Thebes. Oedipus reveals the true characteristics of a tragic hero. Sophocles makes it clear that sometimes it is better to be blinded by the truth because the truth can be a lot more devastating. Oedipus went from a righteous king to a man that has nothing left but an ego and darkness. Oedipus’ downfall was not in the hands of god but it was in the hands of his own. The tragic hero must learn a lesson from the mistakes he has made. However Oedipus was not only a man of mistakes but also a man that went to great lengths to do good for his people and city. Oedipus is a true tragic