Heroes are not Perfect

614 Words2 Pages

The greatest heroes and leaders of all time deny their greatness. They remain selfless because true heroes do not title themselves as such. One who does except the title finds that arrogance sets him on a path to lose the respect of the people who gave him the title in the first place. In the tragedy Oedipus Rex, by Sophocles, Oedipus has to learn this the hard way. His central being is built on compassion and an overwhelming desire to help people. However, somewhere along the way Oedipus gets caught up in himself rather than being a selfless man who is invested only in the people of Thebes. Oedipus’ tragic downfall begins when his compassion and heroism allow him to become arrogant to a point of necessary punishment by the Gods themselves.
Before his life goes downward, Oedipus shows his compassionate roots through his heroic and selfless behaviors in the initial stages of his life. His decency and selflessness as a person is introduced when Oedipus is proven a hero by saving the city of Thebes from the Sphinx and is praised by the words of the people. They recognize his heroic co...

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