Hubris In Oedipus

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In the play, Oedipus Rex, by Sophocles, Oedipus is faced with a dilemma. Being the child of an unlucky prophecy, he is destined to fall, yet he tries to avoid his fate by actions such as leaving his city. Although he believes that he is outsmarting the gods by leaving Corinth, he is just being led towards his own demise. Although it seems as if Oedipus’ hubris and metaphorical blindness prevents him from escaping his horrible fate, he is unable to change his destiny, making him a victim of fate, illustrating the fact that fate is the main driving force and catalyst for Oedipus’ downfall.

Hubris and blindness are two main characteristics that are featured in plays, and these two are what seems to be Oedipus’ hamartia. Oedipus’ hubris led him …show more content…

When he was first born, he was just a little baby

When he first heard a rumor that the King and Queen of Corinth was not his real parents, he had a nagging suspicion, yet was assured that this was not true. Therefore, when he went to the Oracle and was foretold that “_____” (Sophocles, _____), he feared that he would kill the King of Corinth and wed the Queen of Corinth. Oedipus had no way of realizing that these were not his biological parents, and the act of leaving the city was an act influenced by the lies that he was told. Oedipus’ intentions were to save his parents, but their lie is what lead Oedipus to kill Laios when he journeyed towards ______.

Even though Oedipus believed that fate was changeable, he wasn’t able to defy his prophecy and live his life. His overconfidence and his blindness prevented him from making the right choices, leading towards his downfall. However, he was unable to change his fate no matter what he did, showing that fate itself is Oedipus’ hamartia. His fate led him to become blind and overconfident, and that was what sealed his

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