Examples Of Guilt In Oedipus The King

Who Is Guilty?
In Oedipus the King, various disgraceful crimes are committed, and many people suffer and die. Normally it would be necessary to place blame upon those responsible for such crimes , but because Oedipus the King is a rather complicated affair, objective accusations would only be for the weak minded and ignorant. However if one extends beyond the realm of legitimate legality in both the United States legal system and ancient Greek legal system, one will have to understand one major moral infraction had been committed, that being too much pride. In relation to Oedipus the King, the primary character, Oedipus, carried a plethora of pride and confidence. This pride and confidence would lead to major conflict and despair within

the tragedy, and therefore from a personal perspective, Oedipus is was morally and ethically guilty.
In Ancient Greece it was considered a very damning personality trait to posses hubris, or an excessive amount of pride. According to Greek culture, if one had hubris their ability to make rational conscious decisions was limited. To put the hubris idea in a more clear and modern perspective, an exceptional example of detrimental pride is current american politics. When it comes to pride, it is a great sin because it leads to every other vice imaginable. In politics, where the intoxication of power can magnify even the most modest character flaw, pride is often the most harmful sin imaginable. That sense of personal importance that both fuels a politician’s ambitions and prefigures his or her demise. If you spend time within Washington, D.C., you will find any number of people willing to engage in coky activities . Every would-be hubristic politician, member of Congress or prominent official has their own inner-circle of enablers. Fortunately, most politicians also have someone to keep them in straight in line. President John F. Kennedy had in his brother Robert who helps keep the worst excesses of their egos in check. Unfortunately

In the beginning of the play, Oedipus was the ideal leader.

He had strong leadership skills, a passion for justice, was honest with his people, and was interested in doing whatever he could to make Thebes a better place. However, early in the play the Chorus called upon the gods to descend to earth and end the plague that has ravaged Thebes. Oedipus is not a god, but, as a leader he saw it as his duty to answer the Chorus’ prayers. He stated “Is this your prayer? It may be answered. Come, listen to me, act as the crisis demands, And you shall have relief from all these evils” . At first, this seems like Oedipus is doing his duty asking, taking it upon himself to end the plague. But, the chorus had asked the gods to end the plague, not Oedipus. So, by taking it upon himself he is taking on the role of a god, something that the people of Thebes do not approve of. The chorus supported this disapproval when they stated “The tyrant is a child of pride…any mortal who dares hold no immortal power in awe will be caught up in a net of pain”. While Oedipus believed he was doing the right thing, his prideful self skewed his ability to make coordinated and logical

decisions