Oedipus Rex Classic Tragic Hero - 921 Words

In the play Oedipus Rex by Sophocles, Oedipus is a classic tragic hero. According to Aristotles definition, Oedipus is a tragic hero because he is a king whose life falls apart when he finds out his life story. There are a number of characteristics described by Aristotle that identify a tragic hero. For example, a tragic hero must cause his own downfall; his fate is not deserved, and his punishment exceeds the crime; he also must be of noble stature and have greatness. Oedipus is in love with his idealized self, but neither the grandiose nor the depressive Narcissus can really love himself (Miller 67). All of the above characteristics make Oedipus a tragic hero according to Aristotles ideas about tragedy, and a narcissist according to†¦show more content†¦His nobility deceived him as well as his reflection, since it shows only his perfect, wonderful face and not his inner world, his pain, his history (Miller 66). When he relies on his status, he is blind, not physically, but emotionally. He is blind in his actions; therefore he does not see that the questioning would bring him only misery. Later, after his self-inflicted blinding, Oedipus sees his actions as wrongdoing when he says What use are my eyes to me, who could never - See anything pleasant again? (Sophocles line 1293) and that blindness does not necessarily have to be physical as we can se when he says, If I had sight, I know not with what eyes I would have looked (Sophocles line 1325). In the play Oedipus Rex, Sophocles portrays the main character, Oedipus, as a good-natured person who has bad judgment and is frail. Oedipus makes a few fatal decisions and is condemned to profound suffering because of them. I agree with Aristotle that Oedipus misfortune happens because of his tragic flaw. If he hadnt been so judgmental or narcissistic, as Miller would characterize a personality like Oedipus, he would never have killed King Laius and called Teiresias a liar. In the beginning, Teiresias is simpl y trying to ease him slowly into the truth; but Oedipus is too proud to see any truths, and he refuses to believe that he could have been responsible for such a horrible crime. He learns a lesson about life and how there is more to it than just oneShow MoreRelatedGreek Mythology And Mythology Of The Iliad, Oedipus Rex And Others1294 Words   |  6 Pagesthey used often in their works; examples of this are seen in the Iliad, Oedipus Rex and others. The existence of Greek mythology and narratives plays a significant role in shaping the arts, most notably dance and performance. It also prompted the Aristotle Poetics that discussed the value of six specific traits in every tragedy. 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Within Oedipus Rex, Sophocles laid the foundation for what is now considered the ideal tragic hero. Within A Doll’s House, Ibsen creates a modern hero in Nora Helmer; a woman who was oppressed for going against social rules for saving her husband. Nora follows the AristotelianRead More Tragedy In Drama Essay1713 Words   |  7 Pagesof the tragic form, from the ear liest Greek to the later Shakespearean tragedies. There are two basic concepts of tragedy: the concept introduced by Aristotle in his Poetics, and the concept developed by Frederick Nietzsche in his quot;The Birth of Tragedy.quot; Many dramas can be reviewed to reveal the contrast between these two concepts of tragedy, and demonstrate the development of the tragic form over time. The idea of Greek tragedy stems from Aristotle’s definition of a tragic hero. In Aristotle’sRead MoreOedipus the King: A Tragic Hero Essay example694 Words   |  3 Pageslife and remember that life without pain. 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When this was written in the fifth century, theatre was more than a means of entertainment but almost a religious event. Robert Fagles goes even further by saying that†theatre was not only a religious festival; it was also an aspect of the city’s political life.† (Fagles) . Greek dramas were presented only twice a year during religious festivals that honored Dionysus, the god of winesRead MoreTragic Heroes of The Iliad and Oedipus Rex Analysis749 Words   |  3 Pagesnotion of classic from of heroism called tragic heroism in his work entitled Poetics. In Poetics, Aristotle explains that there are certain qualities that a tragic hero has that can qualify him or her as tragically heroic. Two Grecian literary legends, Achilles from Homer’s Iliad and Sophocles’s Oedipus Rex, fit the description of an Aristotelian tragic hero. Achilles, from Homer’s The Iliad, is a tragic hero. Achilles’s quick rage coincides with a key characteristic of a tragic hero. AgamemnonRead MoreOedipus Reaction Paper639 Words   |  3 PagesReaction Paper on Oedipus The King World Literature Oedipus the King, also known by the  as Oedipus Rex, is an   tragedy  written by  Sophocles.  It was the second of Sophocles s  three Theban plays  to be produced, together with Oedipus at Colonus  and then  Antigone.  Oedipus Rex  chronicles the story of  Oedipus, a man who becomes the king of Thebes who was destined from birth to murder his father  Laius  and marry his mother  Jocasta. The play is an example of a classic tragedy, noticeably containing an