Oedipus The King: Determination, Anger, And Pride

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Determination, Anger and Pride
The story of Oedipus is best translated by Sophocles in the play “Oedipus Tyrannus.” The Athenians admired Sophocles and thrived for his interpretive plays in times of crisis. The myth of Oedipus has varies versions, a family curse which was inherited from his father. Sophocles play paints the picture of a troubled king desperately trying to find resolution to a tragedy. Oedipus relentlessly pursued the truth to identify who assassinated the king. His was blind to the truth and his actions were a direct reflection of his fate as the ultimate tragic hero.
Determination, anger, and pride are all factors in Oedipus’s tragic defeat. Oedipus is the tragic hero for his noble and courageous qualities, blinded by anger when he unknowingly murdered his father after he was attacked by a group of men. His actions were all in self-defense and he would have never intentionally taken his father’s life. Oedipus’s pride played a large part in his defeat; he attempted to avoid …show more content…

Creon states, “a pack of thieves killed him in ambush; not one man alone, but many” (Sophocles 2.3). Oedipus loves his people and is dedicated to fighting evil and will accept the burden of identifying the killer. With his determination and in the best interest of the people, he charges forward with his relentless pursuit. He states to the citizens “I damn the killer, whoever he may be” (Sophocles 2.5), “may he suffer and die, pain beyond pain” (Sophocles 2.5). Oedipus forces Tiresias to tell him the truth, even though Tiresias warns him “You poor fool, the same abuse you hurl at me, They’ll soon enough be hurling back at you” (Sophocles 2.5). Oedipus did not consider Tiresias’s words and eager to take action. Oedipus knows he has murdered a man, but yet doesn’t consider himself a suspect. He was blinded by his need to save the citizens and did not consider that these words were a warning and should not have been

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