Oedipus The King Sophocles :: Oedipus Rex, Sophocles

THE GREEK THEATRE2) Is Oedipus a Tragic Hero?Answer this question demonstrating specific understandings of the concepts of Tragedy and the Tragic Hero.In the Greek play, King Oedipus written by Sophocles, certain characteristics, which determine the traits of a tragic hero, reveal themselves as the play unfolds. These traits enable readers to enjoy a more than enhanced reading of the play and also serve to evoke a particular response from the reader. Readers acknowledge that King Oedipus is a tragic hero because he is he is an important and influential man. He isnt just looked up to because hes the king he is genuinely admired and respected from the pile of Thebes who come to seek comfort and advice from Oedipus, the wisest in the ways of the gods. This is demonstrated in the opening of the play when King Oedipus appears and is concerned about what his people be overturned about. Readers acknowledge King Oedipus wisdom and love I would willingly do anything to help you. Through this quote readers respond favorably towards this character as readers atomic number 18 aware that King Oedipus actually genuinely cares about his people and Thebes as he steps down from the throne and makes the effort to correspond with the people and defecate to the bottom of the dilemma. King Oedipus can also be classified as a tragic hero because he is not perfect but virtually certainly has tragic flaws, one of them being excessive hubris and self- righteousness and he refuses to believe anyone who doesnt agree with himself. This is evident in the beginning of the play when Teiresias and Oedipus are debating about who killed Laios. Hence readers are aware through the following quote, Do you think you can say such things with impunity? that King Oedipus has a strong heating for the truth and high moral standards. As the play progresses further, King Oedipus hubris becomes more prominent as he is determined to find out about his save no matter what the cost is. Oedipus searc h for the truth leads him to the discovery that he isnt a child of luck but, a man of misfortune which of lineage horrifies him as he learns that at birth he was nailed to the top of a mountain top and was considered to be of low standing social class. King Oedipus preen seems to be more injured as he went to such great depths to discover the truth only to discover that he was born of low class.