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The definition of a tragic hero is defined as someone, such as a character who makes bad judgments that eventually lead to the characters own downfall. Oedipus in my opinion is considered a tragic hero because he is a man of high standing who portrays a “hero”. Oedipus attempts to do the right things for his people but instead his good doings have a huge impact on himself in a negative way. He leaves his home to avoid the prophecy only to fulfill it by killing his father and marrying his mother, wants to find the murderer but is blind to the fact that he in fact is the murderer, and he is much to arrogant and ignorant to admit his own faults and errors. These all make Oedipus a tragic hero because he himself leads his own downfall within the play. Oedipus falls under the category of tragic hero because he is very loved, admired, and trusted among his people, but at the same time he has a horrible temper that he is not able to control throughout the entirety of the play. His temper eventually drives him to his downfall within the play.

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Oedipus Rex is a Tragic Hero.                           By; Caleb Hartley

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Oedipus Rex is a Tragic Hero.                           By; Caleb Hartley

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Oedipus is a tragic hero as he stood out of the crowd enough to be noticed and to catch the readers attention of his flaws  and lead to his downfall through the decisions that he has made. The character Oedipus has some of the traits on a tragic hero as he is peripeteia as he doesn't accept that he did the murder. Oedipus was a good king before the plague had gotten his city. the plague was brought about as Oedipus didn't condemn that he had murdered the king as banish himself from the city to stop the plague.
As Aristotle says, "A man doesn't become a hero until he can see the root of his own downfall.". Oedipus becomes apparent of the crimes that he had made which have lead to his downfall defining himself as a tragic hero.

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In many Shakespearean novels there is always a character that carry the role of a tragic hero. In my own personal opinion, i believe Oedipus carries the role of the tragic hero because of many things that occur in the play. Oedipus is the tragic hero because of his excessive pride because of at the start of the play he had the enormous amount of pride to go and kill his father when he was younger. Also without Oedipus there wouldn't be much attention drawn to the readers for them to want to continue to read. he carries the tragedy throughout the play and with his pity and in the end his failure. Oedipus was a man who liked to help people, for example, there was a point in the play when he tried to help his people around him, "Hence, you do not wake me from sleep, but know I have been weeping much and wandering many roads of the mind. And that which my inquiry found only cure I have done, for I have sent Creon... to Apollo's home in Python, so that he learn what I should do or say to save this city" (70-77), in that quote it proves that Oedipus was trying to help his other people out to protect them. I personally believe that he does fit the characteristics of a tragic hero because he has excessive pride, and he also had made some poor decisions leading him too his problems. He also suffered more than other characters in the play because of what he did when he will younger, killing his father for revenge. Another factor why Oedipus leads the role of a tragic hero is for the reason of him leaving his home to try and miss the prophecy and he does not want to admit that he was the killer of his father and tries to blame it on other people. That is why i personally believe Oedipus fits the roll of a tragic hero and also the characteristics that go along with a tragic hero.

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In my opinion, I strongly believe that Oedipus is a tragic hero. There are countless times in the play where we observe these strong characteristics that make up the criteria that fits the true definition of what a tragic hero really is. A common trait that tragic hero's often carry is their excessive hubris (pride) but generally, alongside this pride, they are often noble men. For example, in the beginning of the play we see how much Oedipus cares about the city of Thebes and considers the people of Thebes his “children” as he saved them by solving the riddle of the Sphinx. Even at one point in the play, the priest mentions how the King is “Surest in mortal ways and wisest in the ways of god". This nobleness is further presented at the end of the play where Oedipus leaves Thebes to save his people from suffering from the plague. This demonstrates how he is a caring, loving and trusting man but these qualities are often hindered through the primary characteristic that Oedipus possesses- his excessive hubris. This pride and/or self-righteousness, is the main factor that causes the play to unfold just as how we, as audience members, expect it to. His excessive pride interrelates with his flaw of constantly running away from his predestined fate resulting in the perpetual exhaustion of drawing the audience’s emotional support through every step of his journey as he is trying to overcome the inevitable. At this time, fighting against fate was morally wrong and his short temper lead to an “error of judgement”, portraying how tragic hero’s often fall from great heights having to suffer consequences.

Besides the evident hubris and his flaw, Oedipus is truly blinded to how his fate is already being formed through the present moment of his reality and the raw tragedy behind this, is how he only begins to realize this until it is too late as his fate is displayed right in front of his very eyes. This was such a harsh reality to Oedipus that he gouged himself in both eyes on account of his “blindness”. In most plays, the protagonist generally dies at the end through committing suicide but the final tragedy with Oedipus is that he blinds himself because he truly believes that he deserves it as he didn’t use his advantage of having sight in a proper manner. This situation connects to a common trait of the hero receiving a fate that is greater than deserved which they generally bring upon themselves as they recognize their faults and tend to be melodramatic in regards to how they discipline themselves. This tragedy results in catharsis which is defined by www.dictionary.com as, “the purging of the emotions or relieving of emotional tensions,especially through certain kinds of art, as tragedy or music.” Frequently the two emotions of both pity or fear are what the audience experiences when supporting the protagonist keeping them constantly enticed.

Overall, I believe that Oedipus is the definition of a tragic hero as Sophocles put an tremendous twist on how man cannot overcome his inevitable fate, producing valuable lessons for both the protagonist as well as the audience.

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See all the wonderful things Mary Ruth Kennedy has made

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god supports child killings, you heard it here first.

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Oedipus Rex is certainly a Tragic Hero. He fits every point which Aristotle defined a Tragic Hero must meet in order to be categorized as one. Oedipus Rex's actions in order to escape the fate that he was proclaimed to have, kept taking actions and making decisions that led to the very fate he tried to avoid. It was due to these errors in judgement that Oedipus Rex solidifies his title as a Tragic Hero. These errors in judgement are usually made due to his quick temper and inability to calm himself in crucial moments. When angered he quickly acts upon instinct rather than thinking the situation through thoroughly and seeking an alternate solution. He also carries an extreme amount of pride. Proven when Oedipus finds out he is the murderer of his own father. Along with marrying his biological mother but due to his own pride refuses to admit it to himself. Another example is when he swears to find the person who murdered his non biological father, without realizing he was the killer. All his actions lead to his own demise.

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It has been rumoured that Oedipus Rex was Aristotle’s favourite play, and often enjoyed and analyzed the play countless times. Aristotle was a known fan of plays and the theatre, and as a result of his admiration for the work, he wrote an analysis on ‘Tragic Heroes’ and stories. What makes a play in tragic nature good, and easy to read. He believed that there was a process, almost a formula, in order to create a perfect tragedy, that of which Oedipus Rex followed perfectly. Aristotle stated in his ‘Poetics’ that, “A tragedy must be an imitation of life in the form of a serious story that is complete in itself; in other words, the story must be realistic and narrow in focus.” Ultimately, the literature or characters must invoke deep feelings of pity of fear within the audience, and create emotion which encourages them to continue to pursue the play. Not only that, but the characters must be relatable to a degree, which is what made the audience view and connect to the play so much.

If we take a look at the history of Greek theatre, there was a very specific audience the plays were written for, that of which never included women and slaves. Both had to stay home, all while the rich and wealthy men traveled to a mandatory play, albeit one that was written for them. In order for a tragic hero in Greek Tragedy to truly be considered a tragic hero by Aristotle’s definition, the hero must be of highborn status, or have gained it. Oedipus has done both, and is not only noble, but kind and valiant. He is meant to represent the audience in nature, to see injustice and want to fix it, making him all the more relatable and admirable. He is admirable as a man, and indeed wants to change the injustice he sees, but he also has a considerable amount of pride, foreshadowing his downfall early in the play. Not only does Aristotle theorize that a tragic hero must have an important downfall to be considered, but the trait in which is their downfall must be relatable, one that any man could have.

Another example of Oedipus’ heroism is his choice to attempt to save the people of Thebes, as he constantly attempts to gain knowledge not only for himself, but for others. In truth, Oedipus only has the intentions of others and truly does wish to only better himself. This is noble, and a very human trait for Oedipus to possess. He is kind, unselfish, but determined and strong. He is a man that a male audience can look up to and idealize themselves as, which in turn makes the play all the more enjoyable and sought after amongst male audiences. He is what they could have perhaps considered an ‘average joe’ at the time.

Not only does Oedipus suffer a tragedy in itself of the discovery of his parentage, leading to his ultimate downfall, but he is so grief stricken that he gouges his eyes out instead of committing suicide. This proves to tell so much about Oedipus, and of who he is as a character. To die, and to have his shame die with him, would be so much kinder of a punishment for his sins, yet, he chooses to live the entirety of his life surrounded by darkness and despair because he sees that as a worthy punishment for what he’s done. That in itself is what makes him so remarkable as a tragic hero. Not only does he come to full awareness and terms with what he did, he repents and faces punishment for it. Oedipus also represents a uniqueness rarely seen in a tragic hero of mostly any play. He chose to live rather than die, which is unique, because almost always, the tragic hero ultimately meets death as a punishment as they come to a realization of their actions.

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Oedipus is a tragic hero because he displays the main characteristic of a tragic hero which is a flaw or mistake that leads to his downfall. Because Oedipus' judgement was wrong , he causes a 'Suicide and his own banishment, and met his downfall in the end

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Oedipus as a Tragic Hero; By Glenn Stapleton

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Oedipus as a Tragic Hero; By Glenn Stapleton

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I believe that Oedipus is a Tragic hero because he fits in almost all of the Aristotelian definitions of one. 1) Hamartia, the flaw , Oedipus has a major problem with his pride. Believing that he cannot be a bad person and that others must be responsible for the troubles in Thebes as described by his argument with Tiresias about the fate of Thebes. 2) Peripeteia, the reversal of fortune, when Creon reveals that the problems in Thebes are caused by Oedipus, in the prologue. 3) Anagnorisis, the discovery of the flaw, as Creon tells Oedipus that all of it is his fault he seems to realize that as the truth. 4) Hubris, pride, even after the revelation as to who's fault it is that Thebes is so distraught, Oedipus still tries to find other people to blame for everything. 5) I personally don't believe that Oedipus' end was worse than what he did, death for the torture of a city seems like a weak end for the king. This is why I believe that Oedipus is a "Tragic Hero".

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Oedipus as a Tragic Hero; By Ellie Abernethy

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Oedipus as a Tragic Hero; By Ellie Abernethy

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In my opinion, I do believe that Oedipus is a tragic hero. Defined by Aristotle, a tragic hero is a character who makes a mistake which leads them to their own destruction. There are many times in the play where Oedipus displays the characteristics of a tragic hero outlined by Aristotle. Oedipus cares for his people and is concerned about the plague. His people love and trust him but he has a reckless, uncontrollable temper and acts before thinking, especially in critical situations. This is his tragic flaw. Another characteristic of a tragic hero is excessive pride. Oedipus displays this trait when he realizes that he killed his biological father, Laius, and married his biological mother, Jocasta. He knows what he did but he is so arrogant and full of himself that he can't admit to his own mistakes and blames other people for what he did. Another trait is that the character is doomed from the beginning. Oedipus is doomed from the start because first of all, he killed his father, Laius, but fails to realize that. Then he curses the murderer of Laius, which is actually him. This makes Oedipus a tragic character because he leads himself to his downfall due to his own actions and flaws.

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Oedipus Rex as a Tragic Hero; by Abbey Puffer

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Oedipus Rex as a Tragic Hero; by Abbey Puffer

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A tragic hero is defined as "a literary character who makes a judgement error that inevitably leads to his/her own destruction." In my opinion Oedipus meets many of the criteria it takes to be classified as a tragic hero. At the beginning of the play, Oedipus is a highly respected, noble King.He is very highly looked upon by the people of Thebes, as said by the Priest "Therefore, O mighty King, we turn to you: find us our safety. find us a remedy, Whether by the counsels of the gods or men. A king of wisdom tested in the past can act in a time of troubles, and act well. Noblest of men, restore life to your city!" (Scene 1, 43-49). As you read on, you begin to see the anger Oedipus holds for the curse and slowly not only the people pf Thebes, but Oedipus himself begins losing sight of the noble Oedipus he once was. Once Oedipus discovers his true fate, it leads him down a path of destruction. Oedipus let his excessive pride get the better of him as well as he was so in denial about the prophecy it began to drive him mad, leading to destruction and his tragic fate, in which Oedipus' own actions brought upon himself. Overall I believe that Oedipus is a tragic hero, and that his fate was in fact inevitable and caused by his own wrongful actions and pride.

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Oedipus Rex as a Tragic Hero, By Hannah Godfrey

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Oedipus Rex as a Tragic Hero, By Hannah Godfrey

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In my opinion I do classify Oedipus as a Tragic Hero. Oedipus displayed many of the traits and characterizations of a tragic hero. His fatal flaw that led to his destruction. The first trait he displays is anagnorisis or The discovery or recognition that the reversal was brought about by the hero's own actions. This is shown when Oedipus leaves his "parents" who he thinks are his biological parents to avoid the fate of murdering his father and marrying his mother. We are told Aristotle says "A man doesn't become a hero until he can see the root of his own downfall." Oedipus had very good intentions at the start. He left his adopted parents to prevent the prophecies from coming true but his morals changed when he met King Lauis and murdered him. This couldn't have been prevented though it was fate. Oedipus was meant to think his adopted parents were his biological parents so he would leave and this tragic story would unfold.

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The definition of a tragic hero is defined as someone, such as a character who makes bad judgments that eventually lead to the characters own downfall. Oedipus in my opinion is considered a tragic hero because he is a man of high standing who portrays a “hero”. Oedipus attempts to do the right things for his people but instead his good doings have a huge impact on himself in a negative way. He leaves his home to avoid the prophecy only to fulfill it by killing his father and marrying his mother, wants to find the murderer but is blind to the fact that he in fact is the murderer, and he is much to arrogant and ignorant to admit his own faults and errors. These all make Oedipus a tragic hero because he himself leads his own downfall within the play. Oedipus falls under the category of tragic hero because he is very loved, admired, and trusted among his people, but at the same time he has a horrible temper that he is not able to control throughout the entirety of the play. His temper eventually drives him to his downfall within the play.

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Oedipus Rex as A Tragic Hero, by: Jensyn Clark

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Oedipus Rex as A Tragic Hero, by: Jensyn Clark

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Throughout the beginning of the play "Oedipus the King" by Sophocles, it is evident that Oedipus as though he should be put on a pedestal, because he feels as though he deserves to prove himself as worthy and above others. He wants to feel like a superior and he has no problem in doing so. He is too proud and arrogant, and presumes too much about his own understanding and his powers to control his life. But he can't control reality, chances, fate and time. He has a bad temper and wrong judgment: the error of a tragic character is basically the "error of judgment" according to Aristotle. as a tragic character is heroic because of his struggle, pitiable because of his weakness before the forces of his destiny, and his tragedy arouses fear in us, because he is in the same predicament like us, though he was a great man otherwise. The irony of his fate is that fate has done what it wanted to before he started actually believing in it. The tragedy of Oedipus is that of the realization of his failure. And the tragedy of Oedipus is a tragedy of the human situation. His story tells us that man must do his best, but even then he cannot overcome the inevitable.

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Aristotle defined a tragic hero as someone who is held in high regards however the character is not perfect and suffers a flaw that roots to their downfall. Oedipus is a tragic hero because he is a very trusted and loved person but at the same time he has a horrible temper which he cannot control. This temper or 'character flaw' ends up effecting himself and a lot of people around him in a negative way. Oedipus temper drives him to become to fervent to know the truth from Tiresias. Oedipus crime was due to his ignorance about his self identity however he discovered the truth about his real identity in the process.

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Oedipus is a tragic hero because he has the characteristic of one that are defined by Aristotle. He displays an error of judgement, Oedipus does care about his people and he promises to stop the plague. So his sense of justice to find the former king’s murderer which leads him to talk to the blind prophet and that ended that Oedipus knowing one of the first hints to the tragic truth about himself.  So His fate that he got of having to see his wife killed and knowing the full truth was far greater than what he deserved because Oedipus also doomed from the start, he cannot undo his past acts (killing Laius and marrying Jocasta). This way the audience doesn’t feel that he got what he deserved we even in our lives there are things that we cannot control and we can't run from fate.

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Oedipus as a Tragic Hero, By Hannah Godfrey

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Oedipus as a Tragic Hero, By Hannah Godfrey

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In my opinion I do classify Oedipus as a Tragic Hero. Oedipus displayed many of the traits and characterizations of a tragic hero. His fatal flaw that led to his destruction.
The first trait he displays is anagnorisis or The discovery or recognition that the reversal was brought about by the hero's own actions. This is shown when Oedipus leaves his "parents" who he thinks are his biological parents to avoid the fate of murdering his father and marrying his mother.

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In many Shakespearean novels there is always a character that carry the role of a tragic hero. In my own personal opinion, i believe Oedipus carries the role of the tragic hero because of many things that occur in the play. Oedipus is the tragic hero because of his excessive pride because of at the start of the play he had the enormous amount of pride to go and kill his father when he was younger. Also without Oedipus there wouldn't be much attention drawn to the readers for them to want to continue to read. he carries the tragedy throughout the play and with his pity and in the end his failure. Oedipus was a man who liked to help people, for example, there was a point in the play when he tried to help his people around him, "Hence, you do not wake me from sleep, but know I have been weeping much and wandering many roads of the mind. And that which my inquiry found only cure I have done, for I have sent Creon... to Apollo's home in Python, so that he learn what I should do or say to save this city" (70-77), in that quote it proves that Oedipus was trying to help his other people out to protect them. I personally believe that he does fit the characteristics of a tragic hero because he has excessive pride, and he also had made some poor decisions leading him too his problems. He also suffered more than other characters in the play because of what he did when he will younger, killing his father for revenge. Another factor why Oedipus leads the role of a tragic hero is for the reason of him leaving his home to try and miss the prophecy and he does not want to admit that he was the killer of his father and tries to blame it on other people. That is why i personally believe Oedipus fits the roll of a tragic hero and also the characteristics that go along with a tragic hero.

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Oedipus Rex is a Tragic Hero.                           By; Caleb Hartley

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Oedipus Rex is a Tragic Hero.                           By; Caleb Hartley

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Oedipus is a tragic hero as he stood out of the crowd enough to be noticed and to catch the readers attention of his flaws  and lead to his downfall through the decisions that he has made. The character Oedipus has some of the traits on a tragic hero as he is peripeteia as he doesn't accept that he did the murder. Oedipus was a good king before the plague had gotten his city. the plague was brought about as Oedipus didn't condemn that he had murdered the king as banish himself from the city to stop the plague.
As Aristotle says, "A man doesn't become a hero until he can see the root of his own downfall.". Oedipus becomes apparent of the crimes that he had made which have lead to his downfall defining himself as a tragic hero.

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Oedipus Rex is a Tragic Hero By Breanna DeLaire

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Oedipus Rex is a Tragic Hero By Breanna DeLaire

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Oedipus is classified as a tragic hero because he draws emotional support, respect and pity from readers throughout his psychical and emotional exhibitions. He also displays the main characteristic of a tragic hero which is a flaw or error in judgement. Many consider Oedipus a likeable character, but also one haunted by bad luck and misfortune. Because of Oedipus' poor judgement, he causes a 'reversal of fortune' in the end with his wife/mothers suicide and his own banishment. Although he had good intentions, he still met his downfall in the end

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Activity 5- "Oedipus as a tragic hero" By: Emma

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Activity 5- "Oedipus as a tragic hero" By: Emma

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In my assessment of Oedipus,  I personally consider his character to be portrayed as a tragic hero. At the beginning of the play “Oedipus Rex” by Sophocles, the power and influence aspect is demonstrated by Oedipus the prestigious king. The people in Thebes expose their immense respect for Oedipus. The priest demonstrates the affirmation of respect the city has for their King by concurring, “Great Oedipus, O powerful King of Thebes! You see how all the ages of our people cling to your altar steps: here are boys who can barely stand alone, and here are priests by weight of age, as I am a priest of God, and young men chosen from those yet unmarried as for the others, all that multitude.” (Sophocles 16-23, 309).

In addition to the powerful characteristic that Oedipus posses, he also exhibits signs of potential tragic flaws and character downfall.Throughout the play Oedipus reveals his tragic flaws regarding his pride and arrogance and his anger towards the curse.  Oedipus beings to lose confidence from the people in Thebes and in himself. Oedipus soon is enlightened by his flaws and becomes aware of his fate.  Oedipus establishes his knowledge of his fate by saying, “I stand revealed at last, cursed in my birth, cursed in my marriage, cursed in the lives I cut down with these hands.”  He is now aware of his mortal curse, the marriage to his mother and the murder of his father.

These tragic flaws and downfalls foreshadows Oedipus’s potential pursuing for banishment from the city and his current life. Oedipus Rex reveals many characteristics similar in which a tragic hero obtain. His powerful, prestigious character who is well respected by many city members is then transformed into an arrogant character who is fixated on his curse and moves away from helping his people. Many of these traits relate to  a tragic hero and that is why I believe his character will end in self destruction or banishment from Thebes.

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In my personal opinion I do classify Oedipus as a tragic hero in the play “Oedipus The King” written by Sophocles. Oedipus displays many of the traits that are characteristic of a tragic hero.  First there is the discovery or recognition that the reversal of being a hero to the hero experiencing a downfall, was brought about by his own actions (anagnorisis). “Apollo said through his prophet that I was the man who should marry his own mother, shed his father's blood” (Line 945, page 7 or 345). Oedipus leaves the parents he believes are his biological parents to avoid his fate of murdering his father and marrying his mother. However, these actions ended up creating his downfall because he did not know that King Laius, the man he murdered, was his biological father, and Oedipus in turn, unknowingly married his biological mother, Jocasta. This series of events begins to lead to his downfall. Oedipus discovers his fate by his own actions, not by things happening to him. By the end of the play, he understands his doom, as well as the fact that his fate was discovered by his own actions “Do not counsel me anymore. This punishment that I have laid upon myself is just” (line 1315, page 22 or 361).

Another trait of a tragic hero is that the character must be doomed from the start, but bears no responsibility for possessing his flaw. When Oedipus is confronted by Tiresias about the murder of King Laius, he is shocked that someone would say such a thing about him. He becomes very angry and upset and tells Tiresias, “Say what you will. Whatever you say will be worthless” (line 350 page 16 or 321). This shows that Oedipus cannot look inside himself to find the truth, and he does not want to know the truth about himself. Oedipus does not even want to think about the possibility of bearing any responsibility of committing the murder of his biological father who was King Laius as it would demonstrate a huge character flaw. Later on we, the readers, find out that Oedipus will do everything he can to find the murderer. Once he realizes that he is the criminal, he takes matters into his own hands and accepts the consequences of his actions which proves “A man doesn't become a hero until he can see the root of his own downfall”, a famous quote from Aristotle.

Another trait that is characteristic of a tragic hero is that he/she must be physically or spiritually wounded by his experiences, often resulting in his death. Oedipus definitely is wounded physically by his experiences. He ends up taking out his own eyes using pins from Jocasta’s robe to blind himself. “No more, No more shall you look on the misery about me. The own horrors of my own doing! Too long have you known” (line 1220 page 18 or 357).Oedipus is wounded spiritually when he realizes he unknowingly married his biological mother, had children with her, and then she commits suicide when the truth is revealed. A tragic hero must suffer more than he deserves and I believe Oedipus has indeed suffered more than he deserves which creates pity and empathy in the reader which are necessary for the reader to experience.

One final trait that is characteristic of a tragic hero is the hero must be noble in nature, but imperfect so that the audience can see themselves in him. Oedipus was noble in nature. He was born to King Laius so he was noble by birth. The people of Thebes loved Oedipus just as he admired his people. As a dangerous and deadly plague threatens the city of Thebes, the Thebans look to their noble leader Oedipus for help and guidance. Oedipus fights for and helps his people as much as he can. He is a hero to the people of Thebes.

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In my opinion, I strongly believe that Oedipus is a tragic hero. There are countless times in the play where we observe these strong characteristics that make up the criteria that fits the true definition of what a tragic hero really is. A common trait that tragic hero's often carry is their excessive hubris (pride) but generally, alongside this pride, they are often noble men. For example, in the beginning of the play we see how much Oedipus cares about the city of Thebes and considers the people of Thebes his “children” as he saved them by solving the riddle of the Sphinx. Even at one point in the play, the priest mentions how the King is “Surest in mortal ways and wisest in the ways of god". This nobleness is further presented at the end of the play where Oedipus leaves Thebes to save his people from suffering from the plague. This demonstrates how he is a caring, loving and trusting man but these qualities are often hindered through the primary characteristic that Oedipus possesses- his excessive hubris. This pride and/or self-righteousness, is the main factor that causes the play to unfold just as how we, as audience members, expect it to. His excessive pride interrelates with his flaw of constantly running away from his predestined fate resulting in the perpetual exhaustion of drawing the audience’s emotional support through every step of his journey as he is trying to overcome the inevitable. At this time, fighting against fate was morally wrong and his short temper lead to an “error of judgement”, portraying how tragic hero’s often fall from great heights having to suffer consequences.

Besides the evident hubris and his flaw, Oedipus is truly blinded to how his fate is already being formed through the present moment of his reality and the raw tragedy behind this, is how he only begins to realize this until it is too late as his fate is displayed right in front of his very eyes. This was such a harsh reality to Oedipus that he gouged himself in both eyes on account of his “blindness”. In most plays, the protagonist generally dies at the end through committing suicide but the final tragedy with Oedipus is that he blinds himself because he truly believes that he deserves it as he didn’t use his advantage of having sight in a proper manner. This situation connects to a common trait of the hero receiving a fate that is greater than deserved which they generally bring upon themselves as they recognize their faults and tend to be melodramatic in regards to how they discipline themselves. This tragedy results in catharsis which is defined by www.dictionary.com as, “the purging of the emotions or relieving of emotional tensions,especially through certain kinds of art, as tragedy or music.” Frequently the two emotions of both pity or fear are what the audience experiences when supporting the protagonist keeping them constantly enticed.

Overall, I believe that Oedipus is the definition of a tragic hero as Sophocles put an tremendous twist on how man cannot overcome his inevitable fate, producing valuable lessons for both the protagonist as well as the audience.