Oedipus Rex: An Emotional Battlefield

Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex introduced the one of the most important tragic heroes of Greek literature. First performed in the fifth century B.C.E., the play is centered around Oedipus, the king of the Greek city-state Thebes, and his struggle to conquer his emotions as he seeks out the true story of his life. This work, inspired by a well-known Greek myth, scrutinizes both the tragic flaws of Oedipus and his heroism. Examples of Oedipus’ tragic flaws abound in the play. In his condemnation of Tiresias and Creon, Oedipus is controlled by his emotions. However, the heroism of Oedipus is also an essential theme of the drama, though it is often downplayed. Despite this, careful analysis can uncover many instances in which Oedipus exhibits his heroism by attempting to control his emotions and discover the truth of his origins. In his finest moments, Oedipus is in complete command of his emotions as he searches for the truth, while at his nadir, Oedipus is completely controlled by his emotions and is absolutely unpredictable. This contrast is, in large part, what makes Oedipus a tragic hero. Oedipus, King of Thebes, is among the greatest Hellenistic tragic heroes because of his fight to overcome his greatest flaw, his uncontrollable anger, as he heroically searches for the truth.

Although Oedipus claims a place as one of the greatest of the Greek tragic heroes, other tragic heroes abound in Greek mythology and literature. Another exceptional tragic hero is Achilles of Homer’s Iliad; like Oedipus, this greatest Achaean warrior exhibits both tragic flaws and true heroism. Similarities between the two do not end there, however. Both were great leaders, albeit in different contexts, and, more importantly, each clearly exhibited his tragic fla...

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...e truth. This scene is the single greatest and most powerful scene of the play, and possibly all of theatre because it captures the very essence of the entire work. However, it is not the apparent climax. Instead, this scene completes the characterization of Oedipus as he conquers his tragic flaw and fully exhibits his most heroic traits. However, the ultimate irony of the play occurs at this point as well. Oedipus emerges both victorious and beaten. By triumphing over himself and his tragic flaw, Oedipus has begun the rapid descent into the deepest reaches of tragedy ever performed. This scene epitomizes Oedipus as one of the greatest tragic heroes ever created by chronicling the completion of the battle between Oedipus’ searing, sizzling, scalding anger and his attempts to control, expel, or extinguish it as he finds the truth he searches for throughout the play.