Cameron Kuntz

Cartier

3rd hour

October 25, 2012

Oedipus Rex Essay 2

Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex chronicles the rise and fall of its main character. In it, he starts out as a king with great power, willingly searching for the murderer of the previous king. But as the plot unfolds, his sketchy past catches up to him, ruining himself and his family. The play and its different aspects make Oedipus Rex a template for Greek Tragedy and tragedies in general as a whole.

The play’s main character, Oedipus, shows many good qualities. When his (unbeknownst to him) foster father, the king of Corinth, tells him of the prophecy, Oedipus immediately flees, attempting to save his father’s life. This love for his family is also shown to his daughters, begging Creon to “not let them fall into beggary and loneliness” (2.3. 1446-1448). Not only is this care show to his family, but also to his subjects, the Thebans. He tried to do his best to avenge the death of their previously murdered former king, Laius. Stating “For you, loyal Thebans” (1. 260) he was praying “for the favor of justice” (1.263-264). Overall Oedipus is a just and caring man.

However, Oedipus, like any other tragic lead character, has a detrimental “tragic flaw”, a poor character trait or wrong action that eventually causes his or her downfall. But Oedipus has many flaws, all of which stem from chiefly his pride. His pride is what caused him to kill Laius and fulfill the curse set upon him by Apollo. His pride is also what caused him to blow off what Teireseus, the blind seer, calling him a “sightless, witless, senseless, mad old man” (1.1.356). He is also a man very quick to anger, blaming Creon for taking Laius’ life, in order to take the throne for himself saying that he “desires in secret to destroy me!” (1.1372). His pride literally blinds him in the end, as he finds out he killed Laius and gouges out his eyes. Oedipus’ flaw of pride is what in the end ruins him, showing the typical Greek “tragic flaw”.

Other elements in the play clearly show the elements of a Greek Tragedy. The main character is someone with great power, who eventually loses it all. The play seemed probable to Greek audiences, as it all takes place because of a curse set by the god Apollo. The play has a group of people known as a chorus, who explain through storytelling and poetry what is going on in the scene. As you watch the play, we also feel pity for the characters as their lives slowly fall apart.

Oedipus Rex tackles the same question that everyone asks in at least one point of his or her life. Who am I? What is in my past? It’s that epic question that finally destroys Oedipus. Yes, it is incredibly sad. But it’s a story we all can relate to. Sophocles was able to use drama to tweak the emotions of the play’s viewer to make the feel happy, sad, angry, etc. And that’s what makes Oedipus Rex a baseline for other tragedies.