Oedipus Tragic Hero Essay
Oedipus exemplifies Aristotle’s definition of a tragic hero. According to Aristotle there are three key traits that denote a tragic hero. Given data from the play by Sophocles Oedipus the King, as well as other literature, we will reveal that as a result of his position, wealth and astuteness, he was not only great but destined for tragedy. In Aristotle’s Poetics, he defines a tragic hero as one who must evoke in the audience a sense of pity or fear, saying, “the change of fortune presented must not be the spectacle of a virtuous man brought from prosperity to adversity. (S.H. Butcher) Aristotle continues to state a tragic hero is thought to be a man whose misfortune comes to him, "not through vice or depravity but by some error of judgment."(Tragic
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hero.) Basically they are individuals who commit great wrongs or injuries that lead to their misfortune, and after wondering how they got to this place in life they sadly realize that their own innate behavior brought them to this present destiny. Aristotle acknowledges six traits to determine a tragic hero of which three are the major focus. Hamartia, the tragic flaw; hubris, disrespect of natural order; peripeteia, the reversal of fate; anagnorisis, an important discovery in the story made by the hero; nemesis, a fortune the hero can’t avoid and finally the catharsis, the feeling of pity and fear the audience feels for the hero after his downfall. (literary devices2016) In this paper we will concentrate on the peripeteia, hamartia, and spoudaios.
Oedipus, is a noble and respected king, in the drama by Sophocles. He is initially known to most audiences as the man of unfortunate events. He blinds himself, loses his family and his kingdom, goes into exile, unknowingly kills his own father and marries his own mother. Yet, through all of these events he is revered. Oedipus is not a common ruler – he is a great king. He is a responsible king. Oedipus is compassionate and loves his subjects. He aches for the pain of his blighted city, even to the point of losing sleep (prologue 67). He recognizes the need to commit to those under his rule. Oedipus meets the requirement of tragic hero according to Aristotle as, He must be "better than we are," a man who is superior to the average man in some way. (2) Oedipus, the spoudaios hero, fate is undeserved but dominantly self-caused. King Oedipus’ is just and a man of great morals. He is overtaken in his quest by his desire for truth and never ending plight to please his subjects. Creon states, “His relentless pursuit of the truth is admirable, even though it is this very thing that causes his downfall, how … you served your own destruction.” (Oedipus 290 -291)
Oedipus is astute.
He begins his story by solving the riddle of the Sphinx. “You that live in my ancestral Thebes, behold this Oedipus, - him who knew the famous riddles and was a man most masterful….” (Oedipus, 1525) In all of his fame and greatness Oedipus was human and therefore had many things that were not perfect. Aristotle refers to this as hamartia, which are tragic flaws. A major factor of tragic flaws is fate. Although he was presented with many obstacles it seems they were consistently redirected through fate. For example, from his birth, Oedipus seemed to be plagued with misfortune. Oracles brought a prophecy to Jocasta and King Laius. To stop an unwanted prophecy, Oeidpus’ parents had his feet riveted together and left him to die in the mountains. However fate steps in and Oeidpus is found by a shepherd and taken to the King and Queen of Corinth. Other flaws are said to be his prideful attitude, quick temper and hastiness to judge and draw conclusions concerning people along his journey. Hamartia can be moral or intellectual. According to Leon Golden’s essay, “A tragedy must portray a hero who, in a moral sense, is worthy of respect and who makes a significant intellectual (not moral) error which leads to his downfall from happiness to misery.” (Golden, L. (1984, summer) With this understanding it is clear that Oedipus actions are intellectual errors based on great concern for his
kingdom.
Oedipus is a man of great wealth and fortune. He is a prince by birth to Jocasta and Laios and thereby heir to the throne of Thebes, the adopted prince to Polybus and Merope, making him heir to the throne of Corinth, and he becomes the king of Thebes by election. It appears to be unfortunate that there are so many odds against him. The gods seem to be against him by orchestrating events that leave him perplexed to how things have transpired. It is the beginning of the peripeteia. The path of his life turns drastically. After learning that he has caused the people of his kingdom to suffer, as well as Oedipus cries out that the gods hate him (Exodos, 123). King Oedipus made a horrible mistake by killing his father, and then marrying his mother. Oedipus finds himself in much turmoil because of hasty anger. He takes away his eyesight to not have to see the wrong he has caused his family and kingdoms. Not only was he blinded for what he had done, it is ironic that he was blind to the information about himself from the beginning. Teresias speaks in Scene one, “But I say that you, with both your eyes, are blind (Scene 1, 196).” This act was nobler and just then committing suicide or being killed. His actions are still noble and selfless. This continues to portray Oedipus as the beloved hero. Aristotle describes this as the tragic hero’s catharsis or the feeling of pity toward the protagonist. Clearly Oedipus represents the three main traits of a tragic hero. The love of his kingdom and his love for them demonstrates his spoudaios; his attack of his father and marriage to his mother demonstrates his hamartia; finally his peripeteia demonstrated in the lost of his kingdoms and fortune and self worth. Truly Oedipus is the epitome of Aristotle’s definition of a tragic hero.
hero.) Basically they are individuals who commit great wrongs or injuries that lead to their misfortune, and after wondering how they got to this place in life they sadly realize that their own innate behavior brought them to this present destiny. Aristotle acknowledges six traits to determine a tragic hero of which three are the major focus. Hamartia, the tragic flaw; hubris, disrespect of natural order; peripeteia, the reversal of fate; anagnorisis, an important discovery in the story made by the hero; nemesis, a fortune the hero can’t avoid and finally the catharsis, the feeling of pity and fear the audience feels for the hero after his downfall. (literary devices2016) In this paper we will concentrate on the peripeteia, hamartia, and spoudaios.
Oedipus, is a noble and respected king, in the drama by Sophocles. He is initially known to most audiences as the man of unfortunate events. He blinds himself, loses his family and his kingdom, goes into exile, unknowingly kills his own father and marries his own mother. Yet, through all of these events he is revered. Oedipus is not a common ruler – he is a great king. He is a responsible king. Oedipus is compassionate and loves his subjects. He aches for the pain of his blighted city, even to the point of losing sleep (prologue 67). He recognizes the need to commit to those under his rule. Oedipus meets the requirement of tragic hero according to Aristotle as, He must be "better than we are," a man who is superior to the average man in some way. (2) Oedipus, the spoudaios hero, fate is undeserved but dominantly self-caused. King Oedipus’ is just and a man of great morals. He is overtaken in his quest by his desire for truth and never ending plight to please his subjects. Creon states, “His relentless pursuit of the truth is admirable, even though it is this very thing that causes his downfall, how … you served your own destruction.” (Oedipus 290 -291)
Oedipus is astute.
He begins his story by solving the riddle of the Sphinx. “You that live in my ancestral Thebes, behold this Oedipus, - him who knew the famous riddles and was a man most masterful….” (Oedipus, 1525) In all of his fame and greatness Oedipus was human and therefore had many things that were not perfect. Aristotle refers to this as hamartia, which are tragic flaws. A major factor of tragic flaws is fate. Although he was presented with many obstacles it seems they were consistently redirected through fate. For example, from his birth, Oedipus seemed to be plagued with misfortune. Oracles brought a prophecy to Jocasta and King Laius. To stop an unwanted prophecy, Oeidpus’ parents had his feet riveted together and left him to die in the mountains. However fate steps in and Oeidpus is found by a shepherd and taken to the King and Queen of Corinth. Other flaws are said to be his prideful attitude, quick temper and hastiness to judge and draw conclusions concerning people along his journey. Hamartia can be moral or intellectual. According to Leon Golden’s essay, “A tragedy must portray a hero who, in a moral sense, is worthy of respect and who makes a significant intellectual (not moral) error which leads to his downfall from happiness to misery.” (Golden, L. (1984, summer) With this understanding it is clear that Oedipus actions are intellectual errors based on great concern for his
kingdom.
Oedipus is a man of great wealth and fortune. He is a prince by birth to Jocasta and Laios and thereby heir to the throne of Thebes, the adopted prince to Polybus and Merope, making him heir to the throne of Corinth, and he becomes the king of Thebes by election. It appears to be unfortunate that there are so many odds against him. The gods seem to be against him by orchestrating events that leave him perplexed to how things have transpired. It is the beginning of the peripeteia. The path of his life turns drastically. After learning that he has caused the people of his kingdom to suffer, as well as Oedipus cries out that the gods hate him (Exodos, 123). King Oedipus made a horrible mistake by killing his father, and then marrying his mother. Oedipus finds himself in much turmoil because of hasty anger. He takes away his eyesight to not have to see the wrong he has caused his family and kingdoms. Not only was he blinded for what he had done, it is ironic that he was blind to the information about himself from the beginning. Teresias speaks in Scene one, “But I say that you, with both your eyes, are blind (Scene 1, 196).” This act was nobler and just then committing suicide or being killed. His actions are still noble and selfless. This continues to portray Oedipus as the beloved hero. Aristotle describes this as the tragic hero’s catharsis or the feeling of pity toward the protagonist. Clearly Oedipus represents the three main traits of a tragic hero. The love of his kingdom and his love for them demonstrates his spoudaios; his attack of his father and marriage to his mother demonstrates his hamartia; finally his peripeteia demonstrated in the lost of his kingdoms and fortune and self worth. Truly Oedipus is the epitome of Aristotle’s definition of a tragic hero.