The Strong Character and Unavoidable Destiny of Oedipus Rex Essay

The Strong Character and Unavoidable Destiny of Oedipus Rex Oedipus the King, by Sophocles is rough Oedipus, a man doomed by his fate. Like most tragedies, Oedipus the King contains a tragical hero, a heroic figure unable to escape his possess doom. This tragic hero usually has a hamartia, a tragic flaw, which causes his downfall. The tragic flaw that Sophocles gives Oedipus is hubris (exaggerated pride or self-confidence), which is what caused Oedipus to walk right into the fate he sought to escape. Oedipus pride pushes him toward his tragic send away in the initial journey, when he kills his father, in the episode of the sphinx, and in his adamant search for truth. Pride worry that of Oedipus has been the downfall of many great leaders. Oedipus is blinded by his arrogance and wont require the fact that he cant avoid his fate. His pride first affects him when he is told ab unwrap what his fate has in-store for him. Oedipus explains to Jocasta that he was told that he was fat ed to lie with his mother and figure to daylight an accursed breed, which men would non endure, and he was doomed to be liquidator of the father that begot him. When he heard this he f guide (Sophocles 45, 1.792-4). ironically the pride that caused him to attempt to avoid his fate, stage him on a path to it. On his trip away from Corinth, he unknowingly met with his father, King Laius. When Oedipus tells Jocasta of his encounter he says that he met with a tutor at an intersection and they fought over the right of way. He also mentions nonpareil man (King Laius) struck him and said that He King Laius was paid in across-the-board and ... my stick had struck him backwards from the car and he rolled out of it. And and so I killed them all (45, 1.801-13).... ...ppen. Oedipus fate might have been avoided if Oedipus was not the type of person he was Oedipus was a tragic hero. Sophocles, instead of putting to death Oedipus in the end of the novel, chose to give Oedipus a fate wor se then death. Oedipus found out who he was and that he killed his father and slept with his mother. His tragic end was a result of his hamartia, hubris. His pride was what caused him to attack the carriage and kill his father, which led to him marrying his mother. He could have ignored the mere right of way argument, scarce the person he was inside couldnt. His self-confidence and pride, turned into arrogance, and caused him to curse himself. Ironically the traits Oedipus had which led to him becoming a rich and powerful king in the long run led to his tragic end. Perhaps if Oedipus had been a different person inside, he might have been able to escape his fate.