Oedipus as Aristotle's Archetypal Tragic Hero

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Recommended: The characterisation of Sophocles's king Oedipus

Aristotle, the great philosopher who lived from 384 B.C. - 322 B.C. in ancient Greece, defined a tragedy as “a drama treating a serious subject and involving persons of significance.” (1062) According to Aristotle, the protagonist of a tragedy (the “tragic hero”) required three basic characteristics. Firstly he or she must be deemed worthy via an exalted status and/or noble qualities. Secondly he or she must have a tragic flaw (hamartia) that leads to his or her downfall and finally a tragic hero must experience a downfall and recognize the reasons for that downfall. The play “Oedipus the King”, written by the great ancient Greek tragic dramatist Sophocles in 430 B.C. was chosen by Aristotle as an ideal model to illustrate his definition of tragedy. The character Oedipus has all three of the necessary characteristics of a tragic hero and reveals that self-examination is the key to our ability to accept responsibility for our actions. When Oedipus finally sees the truth, he blinds and exiles himself as punishment which illustrates his understanding of why and acceptance of what he has done. From Oedipus the relationship between greatness and hubris, (exaggerated pride or self-confidence), is revealed; the same traits that make up heroic greatness, when taken to the extreme, lead to the tragic downfall of our hero.

Oedipus has been labeled as the ideal tragic hero for how completely he meets Aristotle’s three characteristics. Oedipus is a man of noble stature. First adopted by Polybus, the King of Corinth, and his wife, Merope who pretend he is their son and raise him as the Prince of Corinth. Then Oedipus meets with the Sphinx and after answering the riddle he kills her, lifting the curse he becomes the King of Thebes....

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...importantly not in denial of what he has done.
Oedipus meets all of Aristotle's requirements. He is an exalted and noble character who shows compassion, morals and good intention in his choices. Above all he is dedicated and loyal to his people, this makes him a hero. Oedipus struggles against his fate convinced he is doing the right thing but in the end his tragic flaw is his ignorance of his life events. There are certain characteristics that justify someone as a tragic hero. Three of these qualities are the lack of self-knowledge, becoming a truth seeker, and gaining wisdom and pride in the end. Oedipus is the archetype of a tragic hero in the play, Oedipus the King, by Sophocles.

Works Cited

Sophocles. "Oedipus the King." Literature: Reading, Reacting, Writing. Compact 8th ed. Ed. Laurie Kirszner and Stephen Mandell. Boston: Thompson Wadsworth, 2013. 1062

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