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A tragic hero is a literary character that makes a decision that inevitably leads to their destruction. Oedipus is a character from the play Oedipus Rex; he is the king of Thebes, son of King Laius and Queen Jocasta, and ends up killing his father and marrying his mother without knowing he did so. Oedipus is a tragic hero because he shows many tragic flaws, two being his excessive curiosity and his anger. The first reason Oedipus fits the description of a tragic hero is that he has anger that he can not control, so much anger he killed King Laius and the men with him. In the story Oedipus Rex Part 1, in lines 770-772, Oedipus says “Swinging my club in this right hand I knocked him Out of his car, and he rolled on the ground. I killed him. I killed them all.” This quote shows us how Oedipus killed his father and the people around him, not knowing it was his father or the king, but still killing him for no good reason out of anger. Therefore, his tragic flaw, anger, caused his downfall because it leads him to kill a man. …show more content…
In the story Oedipus Rex Part 2, in lines 1009 and 1013, Jocasta says “Listen to me, I beg you: do not do this thing… You are fatally wrong! May you never learn who you are!”. In this quote, Jocasta is telling Oedipus to leave it alone and if he knows it will ruin him, but his curiosity is making him figure out what she is talking about. Therefore, Oedipus’s trait of excessive curiosity influences him to know everything not caring what the effect of knowing this information will do to
The only true statement that Oedipus makes in this quote is pointing out the Queen’s shame. Iocastê has just come to the realization that Oedipus is her son. She must be beyond embarrassment not only because of her failed attempt to abandon her son, but also because she is now married to him. Oedipus believes his birth to be lowly and he takes pride in this. In reality, he is the son of a king.
Oedipus is a tragic hero being that he was a king who had a high position in his community to a person who wished to be released from the city forever. Oedipus says " Cast me out as quickly as you can, away from Thebes, to a place where no one, no living human being, will cross my path" (Sophocles ll. 1697-1699). Oedipus was once a person who citizens looked to for answers to problems, and a person who had control over a whole city. To a person who wished to be banished from a new king of Thebes. The use of tragic hero in the story shows a slow slope of not only his position as king, but a man who loses his family and gains information about his real identity. Sending him to his
What would you do if someone told you you would end up killing your father and marrying your mother when you grow up? You would do anything to keep that from happening, wouldn’t you? Oedipus did in Oedipus the King by Sophocles. Unfortunately, Oedipus fails in avoiding his fate. Faced with a choice between pursuing the truth which everyone tells him would lead to his destruction or accepting a life without knowing any better, Oedipus chooses self-knowledge over self-deception. This makes Oedipus a perfect example of a tragic hero. In Greek drama, a tragic hero is a protagonist of a noble birth who possesses a tragic flaw that leads to his down fall but shows the courage to accept responsibility for his own actions.
It is clear to see that Oedipus is an impulsive and passionate man, which causes Oedipus to fulfill the prophecy that haunts him. He flees the kingdom of Corinthian in order to avoid his fate. Along his journey he comes to a crossroad that is blocked by a chariot, and “in a fit of anger” Oedipus kills the father he never knew (Meyer 1422). Oedipus’ anger causes him to kill the father he never knew and all the men in the entourage. Oedipus’ cannot control his temper and this personality flaw leads him to his fate.
By definition, a tragic hero is a protagonist that due to some tragic flaw loses everything he has. Throughout history, literature has always been filled with main characters possessing some tragic flaw. In Macbeth, Macbeth’s tragic flaw is his enormous ambition to become king. In Hamlet, Hamlet’s tragic flaw is his need for revenge for the death of his father at the hands of his uncle. In the Epic of Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh’s tragic flaw is his need to be remembered. In the Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf, Beowulf also has a tragic flaw, excessive pride and the search for fame, which ultimately leads to his demise.
“Men hold me / formidable for guile in peace and war (Homer 488).” The quote in the beginning of Book 9 perfectly sums up Odysseus because he does indeed fulfill what he states. Odysseus is a hero that would be known for his effectiveness in war and, generally, his great ability to overcome other troubles. He cleverly maneuvers his crew eventually back to their homeland surmounting many perils that any other person could not. He never loses hope and he never lets it get in his way. In the epic poem The Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus is a hero because Odysseus is loyal to his crew, he is a clever and intelligent man, and he is a courageous soldier and leader on the voyage back to Ithaca.
Oedipus was in pursuit of the truth to find out what really happened with his birth and life. Oedipus was searching for the truth and needed to know all the facts in order to convict the murderer. "Ah! All of it was destined to be true!" (Literature, Oedipus the King, Ln.
“No mortal eyes but looked at him with envy, yet in the end ruin swept over him.” (Exodus. 1470-1471). This quote describes the destiny of Oedipus in the play Oedipus Rex. Oedipus, King of Thebes, was prophesied that he would kill his father and marry his mother, so his parents decided to get rid of him, but that doesn’t go as planned. Oedipus feels totally tormented when he realizes that he fulfilled the prophecy and killed his father Laius, but never knew about it until after an oracle was sent demanding death or exile to Laius’s murderer.
To fully answer the question presented in the opening paragraph it first needs to be determined whether Oedipus is a tragic hero. A tragic hero is defined as the protagonist of a tragedy, as someone good who ultimately fails because of a tragic flaw or a mistake. Oedipus personifies the ideal tragic hero. While he is a kind, caring and noble man, because of his impulsiveness and quick temper he makes a series of bad decisions that, if they had been thought out, he could have avoided. =
What is a tragic hero? A Tragic hero is a man or character who has great influence, makes an error in his or her actions, and who must suffer the consequences of those actions. Oedipus’ tragic flaws starts with his excessive pride which leads to overconfidence as the people in the city lift him up and feed his ego: “You are not one of the immortal gods we know; Yet we have come to you to make our prayer. As to the man of all men best in adversity and wisest in the ways of God.” (Prologue, Line 34-37)
(Aristotle, 15). The impetus for the downfall of Oedipus, "known far and wide by name" (Sophocles, 1), is his anger. Enraged he slew King Laius, and in anger he hastily pursued his own ruination. From the aforementioned recriminations of Tiresias to the conflict with his brother-in-law Creon (his ill temper again displayed - "Tempers such as yours most grievous to their own selves to bear,. . Sophocles, 25; through the revealing exchanges with his wife/mother Jocasta and her slave (whose pity saved the infant Oedipus), damming insight grows in a logical sequence, all the while fueled by the Oedipal rage.
When tempers flare, our emotions tend to take over our mind. We react with actions we would not imagine doing when calm. Oedipus did not overcome his emotions here. He was furious about having the road taken over by somebody other than himself. He killed the man and his guards, knowing in the back of his mind that there was a prophecy that he would one day kill his father.
First, what characteristics make a person a tragic hero? There are multiple aspects that a person must have that will declare them a tragic hero. The most notorious tragic hero is Oedipus from the play Oedipus Rex written by Sophocles. In the play, Oedipus is frightened about the prophecy that he will kill his father and marry his mother. (Black 1) Oedipus and Macbeth relate because they are both told prophecies that alter the course of their lives significantly. Oedipus is a prime example of a tragic hero because he displays all of the characteristics in Oedipus Rex. One aspect is that a tragic hero is a character that is of nobility and may display heroic qualities. (English 1) Typically a tragic hero may be born with a father of high power such as a king. In Oedipus Rex, Oedipus is of noble birth which is seen from his parents—being the king and que...
According to Aristotle a tragic hero is a protagonist character who makes an error that inevitably leads to his/her own downfall; in the play The tragedy of Othello by William Shakespeare, the main character Othello a noble moor whose insecurity, poor judgment and jealousy leads to his destruction. Othello is a military general from North Africa. He has left this native land to live in Venice, Italy. He is well respected by the people and his Italian community. Unfortunately when he marries a noble birth white woman by the name of Desdemona, hell breaks loose.
The concept of tragic hero is very important in the construction of tragedy. It is the main cause of pity and fear. The tragic hero is a character between the two extremes; he is neither virtuous nor evil. At the same time, this character is better than the ordinary men or audience, he has some good qualities. Moreover, as a tragic hero, he is moving from happiness to misery by his downfall at the end. In fact, this downfall is caused by an error or a flaw in his character not by a vice or depravity. Another feature in the tragic hero is that he has good reputation and he is a man of prosperity. It can be said that Oedipus is a tragic hero because he has all the previous mentioned characteristics and the whole play is a classical application of this concept.