Essay About Oedipus Rex And Greek Playwright

Oedipus Rex
Oedipus Rex
Oedipus Rex
In reality, I think when anything bad happens to a good person it is considered to be a
tragedy. Sophocles was a Greek playwright who wrote the play, Oedipus the King. In reading
this story I found Oedipus Rex to be a true tragic hero. He is a good man, strong, smart, and
compassionate. He is a king well liked by his people. Oedipus’s down fall is the result of him
finding the answers to his true mysterious identity. The mistakes he makes are not his fault
because he lacks the true knowledge of his birth parents. I don’t think he deserves his tragic fate.
How could he be? The errors and bad judgements he makes are due to lack of knowing the truth
of his identity. Oedipus can’t control his fate even though the gods warn him about the tragedies
he will face.
Oedipus’s main problem is his ignorance. He is warned that he will kill his father and
will marry his mother. However not knowing who his real parents really are and that they gave
him away at birth dooms him to a fate he couldn’t change. Oedipus doesn’t know that he was
adopted by people who had raised him to think he was their own son. So Oedipus in haste sets
out to make sure that his parents are safe. However, on his way home he has a fight with King
Laios and kills him. His anger takes control. Only to find out later that he in reality had killed
his birth father. When he arrives in Thebes he helps the people banish a plaque by solving a
riddle, which earns him their respect and makes him become their new king. Then Oedipus
marries Locaste, the queen and has four children. Thinking at last he has found true happiness
and has put the prophecy to an end. He sets out to find out who murdered King Laios
Searching for the truth he also discovers shame. It was him that murdered the king and Locaste
is his true mother.
Oedipus isn’t responsible for his actions because he’s unaware of the truth of his
life. He doesn’t have knowledge of his real parents because he was adopted. His tragic
downfall is inescapable and is brought about mostly because of his strong determination and
pride. Oedipus as a person has a lot of good qualities. He is a great leader who is very
knowledgeable and is well liked by the people of Thebes. He always tries to help his people
especially in times of trouble, which makes him a good king and a good person. Oedipus isnt a
dishonest man even though he is considered a very powerful man. Oedipus then starts his search
for the truth and doesn’t give up because he wants to help his people. When Oedipus does find
out the truth he doesn’t try to hide it, he accepts it. This is one of many qualities that make King
Oedipus a true hero.
What happens to Oedipus at the end of the play makes me sad because he is a good man
but is destined to a tragic fate. The play shows us that our fate can’t be avoided no matter what
we do. Unlike Jocasta, Oedipus accepts his own fate freely and openly. So the truth isn’t what
destroys him because he still has his honor. At the end of the play Oedipus sets out to leave and
withdraws from being king because his people mean a great deal to him. This is another example
of him being a tragic hero,