The Similarities Between Kurtz And Oedipus The King

There are always characters that are their to serve as lessons for the readers. The manipulative Kurtz who is only concerned about his wealth and the self-centered ruler Oedipus are two of these characters. Both of these characters have similarities and differences. Let's take the time to look at their striking similarities first. Both are rulers in their own domain; Oedipus is the King of Thebes whereas Kurtz is the leader of the inner station in the Congo. Both men are very self-centered and their mindset is all about wealth and greed. Oedipus is the type of King who is more concerned about himself, rather than his subjects. He was so preoccupied with is own wealth and luxury, that his subjects suffered because of it. Now look at Kurtz. …show more content…
He is the most successful out of the company, and does whatever he can to get what he wants. He uses the natives to his advantage. He manipulates them into working for him and for the sole purpose of furthering his wealth. Both men are not worried about others, they are only worried about their own well being. One last major similarity between Kurtz and Oedipus is that they are the ones responsible for their destruction. Oedipus and his stubbornness is what leads him to the tragedy of the play. He knew what he had to do, but remained stubborn and this led to his destruction. Kurtz let the darkness of the Congo get to him. He let it penetrate his mind and he grew to be greedy and manipulative, which resulted in his death in the Congo. In his fight with the heart of darkness, he lost because he let himself step over the