The Downfall of Oedipus Essay

Question 1 Oedipus is a tragic hero because he has a tragic flaw, of arrogance, and he was in a high position in society. Then, due to his own decisions, had a great fall from his place. Oedipus’s downfall was caused by his decisions, his tragic flaw, his unwillingness to accept his fate, and his pride. Oedipus thought he had free will, but all of his actions were predetermined by the gods. Oedipus was extremely smart, but he was too arrogant, which was his downfall. Sometimes our destinies are based upon our personal characteristics and qualities, like how we interact with others and what we choose to do. This play accurately reflects the human condition/experience because during everyone's life they have a rise and a fall. Occasionally, they experience highs and lows multiple times, but not usually quite as tragic as the fall of Oedipus. Everyone also has a flaw, at least one, and it usually hinders them, as did arrogance and pride to Oedipus Question 2…

are no different in the story of Oedipus Rex. After receiving a disturbing prophecy promising the marriage of his mother and the murder of his father, Oedipus runs away from home. He finds success in Thebes, but soon learns that to save the city, he must uncover the murderer of the late King Laius. Thus begins the saga of Oedipus’ quest for truth. But, upon realization that the prophecy has been fulfilled, Oedipus sees his world as it is. Many think of Oedipus’ doom as fate. However, Oedipus’…

Oedipus Rex was a foreigner, son of Merope and Polybus, who solved the Sphinx riddle and is now the prestigious King of Thebes, or is he? Was he flawless and perfect like he thought he was? Or was he actually a delusional and arrogant ruler with a dark and false past. “That which inspires arrogance is ignorance, caused by the heart’s blindness” (Saeed Malik). In the play, Oedipus Rex by Sophocles, Oedipus’s anger, ignorance, and pride led to his eventual downfall. One of Oedipus’s fatal flaw was…

In this interesting play by Sophocles, destiny selected Oedipus to live this unfortunate prophecy. The play describes Oedipus’ journey to discover the truth about himself and his fate. He is the victim of a tragic prophecy that says he must kill his father and marry his mother. In the play, Oedipus expressed many emotions that made him make serious decisions that negatively affected him and the overall plot of the story. Moreover, Oedipus did possess a tragic flaw that with time lead to his…

However, if they did not believed in oracles and prophecies they should have stayed with their son, Oedipus. If we think about it, it was pure coincidence that Oedipus kill his father. In fact, by going away from Corinth he was trying to defeat his fate. Nevertheless, he didn't knew that his real father was Laius and not Polybus. As I said before, even though he is not the only one to blame for his downfall, he is the major person responsible for his ruin. Oedipus is responsible for…

In Sophocles' Oedipus the King, the characters Oedipus and Jocasta play with fate and eventually earn their terrible end through the poor decisions they make throughout the play. Oedipus and Jocasta's rage, hubris, blindness, and distrust in the gods lead to their ultimate downfall and pain they experience. Although Oedipus' and Jocasta's destinies appear to be predetermined by prophecy, their individual actions, in fact, are the true cause of their downfalls. Rage and hubris, two of the…

Oedipus the King set himself up for an outlandish life. Had he not botched a bunch of situations, his future would have been exceptional. I believe that someone's fate is determined by their choices and decisions that they give rise to. Oedipus let his emotions, and his selfish mind endanger and corrupt himself, his family, and his city. First off, Oedipus is more concerned for himself than his people. "For who knows, tomorrow this self same murderer may turn his bloody hands on me.…

Sophocles’ Oedipus the King is a Greek play often called the perfect tragedy. After hearing an oracle that kill his father and marry his mother, Oedipus tries to escape his fate by leaving his family in Corinth. Oedipus believes that he has outwitted fate by running to Thebes; however, the tragic king has unknowingly run into the very fate he was trying to avoid. Oedipus’ hubris leads to his downfall because his arrogance results in an exchange of his happiness for misery in a reversal. This…

he can see the root of his own downfall” (Gutenberg.org). Aristotle believes that only real heroes can identify their weakness and furthermore prevent it. During the time of Ancient Greek theater, this statement gave rise to the idea of more complex characters, such as the Aristotelian Tragic Hero. The tragic hero can be defined as one that starts in a high place of honor and nobility; suffers from a tragic flaw, or hamartia, that causes his downfall; experiences a realization which moves him…

Armitage once said “I have a bit of pride, which is always my downfall.” Throughout history there have been many examples of leaders that had a flaw such as pride which lead to his/her downfall. For example, Napoleon Bonaparte, the emperor of France, was too arrogant as he overestimated his military power. Bonaparte’s dissatisfaction with the size of his empire caused him to fight for more land resulting in the downfall of himself and his nation. The Greek word Hamartia, a fatal flaw leading to…