Oedipus Flaws
Oedipus Tyrannous
When half human monsters walked the Earth and mythical Gods ruled all of creation, one man was destined to suffer the worst fate ever imaginable. Oedipus Tyrannous is a classic Greek tragedy written by Sophocles around 470 BC. According to Aristotle's Poetics, Greek tragedies should follow certain guidelines in order to be effective tragic drama. Many of Oedipus' character traits ultimately justify his place as a perfect specimen of Aristotle's tragic hero. According to Aristotle's Poetics, Oedipus Tyrannous is tragic hero due to his hamartia and peripeteia.
In Greek tragedy every hero eventually shows signs of weakness and flaw. Though a character like Achilles, in Homer's epic poem, the Iliad, was brought …show more content…
Oedipus' quickness to judge, also contributes to his tragic flaw. A successful leader should always access a situation after hearing all the facts and allowing the parties involved to explain their own version of the story. An example of this impatience is found while he is waiting for the return of Creon from the oracle. When Creon explains that the city has been cursed, due to the unsolved murder of their preceding monarch, Laius, Oedipus right away accuses him of being the killer. Character flaws such as impatience, can be the downfall of any leader. Oedipus' arrogance is a double-edged sword, which propels the story forward and goes in hand in hand with his detrimental hubris. On many occasions he is told to stop wondering. Tiresias, the blind prophet who can see much clearer than our fateful King, tells Oedipus, "Please let me go home. It's for the best." The Corinthian messenger also warns him of such atrocities, which lead him to the next element of Greek …show more content…
First, the audience grows sympathetic to the fallen hero, because they are a more larger than life version of us. Next, we begin to feel apprehensive of the hero's downfall. In other words, we are getting ready for it to happen. Finally, the character goes through a 360 degree spiral. This is when the catharsis comes into effect. It elicits pity for Oedipus, from the audience. This crucial step occurs not only for the tragic hero, but affects the audience as
When half human monsters walked the Earth and mythical Gods ruled all of creation, one man was destined to suffer the worst fate ever imaginable. Oedipus Tyrannous is a classic Greek tragedy written by Sophocles around 470 BC. According to Aristotle's Poetics, Greek tragedies should follow certain guidelines in order to be effective tragic drama. Many of Oedipus' character traits ultimately justify his place as a perfect specimen of Aristotle's tragic hero. According to Aristotle's Poetics, Oedipus Tyrannous is tragic hero due to his hamartia and peripeteia.
In Greek tragedy every hero eventually shows signs of weakness and flaw. Though a character like Achilles, in Homer's epic poem, the Iliad, was brought …show more content…
Oedipus' quickness to judge, also contributes to his tragic flaw. A successful leader should always access a situation after hearing all the facts and allowing the parties involved to explain their own version of the story. An example of this impatience is found while he is waiting for the return of Creon from the oracle. When Creon explains that the city has been cursed, due to the unsolved murder of their preceding monarch, Laius, Oedipus right away accuses him of being the killer. Character flaws such as impatience, can be the downfall of any leader. Oedipus' arrogance is a double-edged sword, which propels the story forward and goes in hand in hand with his detrimental hubris. On many occasions he is told to stop wondering. Tiresias, the blind prophet who can see much clearer than our fateful King, tells Oedipus, "Please let me go home. It's for the best." The Corinthian messenger also warns him of such atrocities, which lead him to the next element of Greek …show more content…
First, the audience grows sympathetic to the fallen hero, because they are a more larger than life version of us. Next, we begin to feel apprehensive of the hero's downfall. In other words, we are getting ready for it to happen. Finally, the character goes through a 360 degree spiral. This is when the catharsis comes into effect. It elicits pity for Oedipus, from the audience. This crucial step occurs not only for the tragic hero, but affects the audience as