Oedipus Rex Essay

715 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: What is the importance of hubris in Oedipus rex

Oedipus Rex Essay

The name “Oedipus” means “swollen feet” in Latinized Greek. His parents, Laius and Jocasta, gave him this name while piercing a metal rod through the ankles of his feet, in order to prevent the fulfilment of the oracle’s prophecy. Despite this heinous act, their efforts were in vain as Oedipus’ free will conquered the theme of fate. In the play Oedipus Rex by Sophocles, the tragic hero, Oedipus, demonstrates hamartia, a fatal error in judgement, which brings about his own downfall. It was Oedipus’ hubris that was responsible for the tragic ending of this play. Evidence of this statement occurs when Oedipus’ determination towards solving the mystery behind Laius’ death ironically lead to the truth behind the oracle’s prophecies. Additionally, Oedipus’ overweening pride and ego resulted in the murder of Laius, which was a major stepping-stone in the prophecy. He illustrates his error in judgment through his pride, blindness, and foolishness and therefore is at fault.

In fact, Oedipus’ determination towards solving the mystery behind Laius’ death ironically lead to the truth behind the oracle’s prophecy. His supercilious “energia” is present during his speech to the people of Thebes where he states, “As for the criminal, I pray to God -/ Whether it be lurking thief, or one of a number -/ I pray that that man’s life be consumed in evil and/ wretchedness,” (30). Furthermore, he explains that, “If any man knows by whose hand Laius, son of Labdacus,/ Met his death, I direct that man to tell me everything,/… Moreover: if anyone knows the murderer to be foreign,/ Let him not keep silent: he shall have his reward from me,” (30). When Oedipus seeks advice from Apollo in order to lift the curse casted upon Thebes, he lea...

... middle of paper ...

...f King Laius and a reversal of fortune. Ironically, he had cursed the murderer to a “life consumed in evil and wretchedness.” Thanks to Oedipus’ own pride and conceited ego, malediction had turned upon him. Likewise, Oedipus’ own stubbornness and willpower towards solving the mystery behind Laius’ death, ironically lead to the revelation of who his actual parents were. A feeling of catharsis was expressed as it was made clear that the ultimate tragedy was the result of the tragic hero’s hubris and ironic actions.

Works Cited

MacDonald, J. W., and John Clifford Waring Saxton. "Oedipus Rex." Four Stages. New York: St. Martin's, 1967. N. pag. Print.

Shmoop Editorial Team. "Oedipus the King Quotes." Shmoop.com. Shmoop University, Inc., 11 Nov. 2008. Web. 18 Feb. 2014.

"Glossary of Rhetorical Terms." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 17 Feb. 2014. Web. 18 Feb. 2014.

Show More
Related

  • Comparing and Contrasting Sophocles' Oedipus Tyrannus and Rita Dove's The Darker Face of the Earth

    1365 Words  | 3 Pages

    Oedipus can be argued to be a sympathetic ruler of his people, "my heart must bear the strain of sorrow for all." (4). He shows a strong desire to rid the land of its despair. Yet as the reader captures a more in-depth glimpse into Oedipus' soul, we find him to be a jealous, stubborn, "blind", guilty, and sinful man. Oedipus' character outwardly seems to want nothing more than to find the guilty persons involved in the murder of Laius, yet when given obvious clues he turns a blind eye, not wanting to know the truth behind the prophecy.

    Read More

  • tragoed Essay on the Tragic Flaws of Oedipus the King (Oedipus Rex)

    695 Words  | 2 Pages

    At one time in our lives there is a moment that we may think of ourselves as better than someone or something else. There may also be a point when making a decision leads to a great error in judgment. In the play Oedipus Rex, written by Sophocles, both of these characteristics can be seen in the main character. These characteristics are known as tragic flaws. These flaws are known as hubris meaning excess pride, leading to overconfidence, and hamartia meaning errors and weakness in judgment. Both of these characteristics are the main reason of destruction and downfall in mankind and the tragic hero in this play. The tragic hero is unable to escape his misfortune that is destined to happen. There are many more tragic flaws other than these two that also contribute to the falling of the hero. The destruction and downfall can be seen as fate. Even though the hero chooses his own actions, the resulting consequences that come about are ones that are unable to be changed. As seen, no one is able to outrun his or her own fate.

    Read More

  • Sacrifice In Sophocles Oedipus The King

    559 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Sophocles’ Oedipus the King, the reader finds Oedipus as an overzealous king, but one that cares deeply for the people who are under his rule. After solving the mystery of the Sphinx and under the belief that he has escaped the prophecy of killing his father and marrying his mother, Oedipus’ self-confidence goes into over drive. His compassion, for the pain and suffering his people are under, causes him to pronounce a curse on the murderer of Laius. Unknown to the king, he is condemning himself for the crime he committed years ago.

    Read More

  • Oedipus the King, My Last Duchess, and Death of a Salesman

    1452 Words  | 3 Pages

    Gioia, Dana, and X.J. Kennedy. "Oedipus the King." Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing, Compact Edition, Interactive Edition. 5th ed. New York: Pearson; Longman Publishing, 2007. 887-924. Print.

    Read More

  • Oedipus the King: Does Oedipus Satisfy the Definition of a Good Man?

    1412 Words  | 3 Pages

    Benardete, Seth. "Sophocles' Oedipus Tyrannus." In Sophocles: A Collection of Critical Essays, edited by Thomas Woodard. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1966.

    Read More

  • Fate against Free will in Oedipus the King by Sophocles

    1229 Words  | 3 Pages

    The purpose of this essay is to demonstrate that the events in Oedipus the King, written by Sophocles, are the result of the hero’s self determination and restless attempt to escape a terrifying destiny predicted for him by the oracle of Apollo at Delphi.
My intention is to prove that although the Fates play a crucial part in the story, it is Oedipus'choices and wrong doing that ultimately lead to his downfall.

    Read More

  • Jungian Archetypes and Oedipus the King

    1161 Words  | 3 Pages

    Oedipus finds out that he is the killer of King Laius and will become the archetypal sacrificial scapegoat for the city of Thebes. Throughout this passage from the play, Oedipus is continually gathering incriminating evidence against himself from the source of his own wife and mother, Jocasta. He discovers through her attempted reassurance that his quest from Corinth set his fate to be the killer of his biological father and the sacrificial scapegoat for the welfare of the people and land of Thebes.

    Read More

  • Free Oedipus the King Essays: The Downfall of Oedipus Rex

    427 Words  | 1 Pages

    Oedipus took great pride in saving people and being seen a hero.  He wanted the death of Laius to be avenged and he had to be the one to find the murderer and punish him.  "I'll fight for him, I'll leave no means untried, to cach the one who did it with his hand..."  (Literature, Oedipus the King, Ln. 270-271, page 1081)  He did not want to let the people of Thebes down, and he wanted to show that he would be a true hero once again.

    Read More

  • Violence In Oedipus The King

    1468 Words  | 3 Pages

    Sophocles. Oedipus Rex. Trans. Dudley Fits and Robert Fitzgerald. The Oedipus Cycle. New York: Hancourt Brace Jovanovich, 1976. 3-78.

    Read More

  • The Supernatural In Oedipus The King

    718 Words  | 2 Pages

    For Oedipus, prophecy is not the main source of his fall towards society; rather, his hubris blinds himself from recognizing his personal sin in the world, thus leading to his demise. Sophocles even skillfully uses a metaphor through the words “ as led by a guide” to further explain the “supernatural being” that ultimately decides the tragic fate of the family of Oedipus. In addition, through the death of Jocasta, the reader is immediately attuned of Oedipus’ raging moment of violence and will be petrified by the overwhelming power of the gods, thus realizing the importance of being cautious before making a final choice. Indeed, after an individual settles on a decision, the gods take control of the person’s fate, hurling numerous consequences to him if he makes the wrong decision. Moreover, as Oedipus suddenly becomes the unintended victim of the gods through his sinful decision to execute Laius, he is forced to relinquish his predominate impetus for pridefulness in exchange for a heart of deep realization and forgiveness. At the end of the play, Oedipus sacrifices everything in order to remove his guilt through the consequences of his atrocious actions witnessed by the gods. After Oedipus realizes the astringent fate he was destined to encounter through his sinful murder of Laius, he immediately attempts to take responsibility for his

    Read More

  • Comparing the Fate of Oedipus and Phaedra

    2334 Words  | 5 Pages

    Sophocles.  "Oedipus Rex."  An Introduction to Literature, 11th ed. Eds. Sylvan Barnet, et al.  New York: Longman, 1997. 800-836.

    Read More

  • Oedipus Rex Research Paper

    589 Words  | 2 Pages

    The entirety of the investigation of King Laios’s murder is greatly influenced by destiny, the gods, and prophecy. The examination begins with a prophecy from the oracle of Delphi explaining the misfortunes in the land of Thebes will cease once King Laios’s murderer is found “...and Apollo commands us now/To take revenge upon whomever killed him” (Sophocles 110-111). This illuminates the gods power to interfere with the lives of all people, whether positively or negatively, for their own purposes. Oedipus consults

    Read More

  • tragoed Elements of Tragedy in Oedipus the King (Oedipus Rex)

    463 Words  | 1 Pages

    The tale of King Oedipus is well known. An enraged Oedipus unknowingly slays his father (Laiusq, King of Thebes) and supplants him as monarch and as husband to his own mother (Queen Jocasta). As each successive "layer of the onion" is unpeeled, Oedipus is brought a step closer to realizing the true nature of his actions. Foretold in prophecy and initiated by his anger, the downfall of Oedipus comes to fruition as all facts gradually come to light.

    Read More

  • Role of the Chorus in Oedipus the King

    1308 Words  | 3 Pages

    Works Cited:.. Sophocles. Oedipus Rex. New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1991.

    Read More

  • Destiny of Oedipus the King

    902 Words  | 2 Pages

    Sophocles demonstrates in the play Oedipus the King that a human being, not a God, ultimately determines destiny. That is, people get what they deserve. In this play, one poorly-made judgment results in tragic and inescapable density. Oedipus fights and kills Laius without knowing Laius is his father. Then, Oedipus's pitiless murdering causes several subsequent tragedies such as the incestuous marriage of Oedipus gets into the flight with Laius. However, Oedipus's characteristics after Laius's death imply that Oedipus could avoid the fight as well as the murder of his father, but did not. Ultimately, Oedipus gets what he deserves due to his own characteristics that lead him to murder Laius: impatience, delusion, and arrogance.

    Read More

More about Oedipus Rex Essay

Open Document