Oedipus TyrannousEssay Preview: Oedipus TyrannousReport this essayOedipus TyrannousWhen half human monsters walked the Earth and mythical Gods ruled all of creation, one man was destined to suffer the worst fate ever imaginable. Oedipus Tyrannous is a classic Greek tragedy written by Sophocles around 470 BC. According to Aristotles Poetics, Greek tragedies should follow certain guidelines in order to be effective tragic drama. Many of Oedipus character traits ultimately justify his place as a perfect specimen of Aristotles tragic hero. According to Aristotles Poetics, Oedipus Tyrannous is tragic hero due to his hamartia and peripeteia.
In Greek tragedy every hero eventually shows signs of weakness and flaw. Though a character like Achilles, in Homers epic poem, the Iliad, was brought to his death by a physical imperfection, Oedipus was a more complex character; his flaws were of his personality. His most obvious flaw would most definitely be his hubris. Hubris, or excessive pride, was the most feared personal attribute in ancient Greek society. An example of Oedipus hubris is when he tragically decides that he can decide his own fate. When the oracle at Delphi reluctantly provides Oedipus with an account of his fatal curse, Oedipus takes his life into his own hands. He decides to run away from Corinth, so that his fateful blight, slaying his Father and laying down with his Mother, could never be accomplished. When the Gods have cursed a fate, destiny can never be changed.
Iliad, Homers, #1, p. 6.
As an archetypal hero of Greek myth, Oedipus is often depicted as a hero who is simply able to make a fool of himself. He even uses his powers to his advantage when confronted by the Gods. His powers of courage (i.e., his selfless sacrifice to save the world), heroism and kindness can do a lot to advance the lives of others, but more importantly his most prized virtue is his selflessness. To prove that Oedipus may be wise, it’s crucial to go to the source of his weaknesses (if he has them) – his pride. This requires all three of these qualities – his great fortitude, great self-control and the strength to stand and fight. Each of these qualities is built on the other five. Both Oedipus and his pride are a part of his identity. By embracing the virtue of courage, he can overcome such a weakness.
To see what kind of hero a hero really is, we need to understand just what we mean when we say hero is a hero.
Hero is a human being, who is selfless for his country, for his family etc., when he fights for his self-esteem, his pride, his strength and his self-respect. A man is only one of a number of human beings. In Oedipus’s tale, the hero embodies all others, and in addition to this, he embodies himself in many different ways, from his own way of being, his own ways of feeling, to his own way of doing others. Some heroes have a very different image of themselves, from others of their own kind. For example: the hero who carries the spear, or the hero who fights in battle. Other heroes have their own way of living. To truly express the person, the Hero must have a strong sense of Self-worth as an individual, and of what Self-worth he is worth. To say that no one makes him or herself worth anything isn’t simply disrespectful. It’s an insult to the person. For example, a man will walk on two feet because he is afraid of being hurt, but his character is in general in general because that man will keep doing what he does regardless of his feelings for others. It also shows that he is really a man who loves others, in other words that his character is worth being loved or at least in person. This is a reflection of the nature of self-worth – a person who is truly a soldier of the Army of Heaven (the military family which has conquered all other nations). In Oedipus’s case, we cannot call his character worthy of praise, nor would we wish as we would to call Oedipus the one who is truly heroic in his battles. When he fights a battle, he knows that it will not be enough to keep his people safe. However, when he fights hard, he is willing to sacrifice himself for those around him, to fight more valiantly for himself regardless of his feelings, for what he is worth.
In the same way the hero embodies a lot of other
Iliad, Homers, #1, p. 6.
As an archetypal hero of Greek myth, Oedipus is often depicted as a hero who is simply able to make a fool of himself. He even uses his powers to his advantage when confronted by the Gods. His powers of courage (i.e., his selfless sacrifice to save the world), heroism and kindness can do a lot to advance the lives of others, but more importantly his most prized virtue is his selflessness. To prove that Oedipus may be wise, it’s crucial to go to the source of his weaknesses (if he has them) – his pride. This requires all three of these qualities – his great fortitude, great self-control and the strength to stand and fight. Each of these qualities is built on the other five. Both Oedipus and his pride are a part of his identity. By embracing the virtue of courage, he can overcome such a weakness.
To see what kind of hero a hero really is, we need to understand just what we mean when we say hero is a hero.
Hero is a human being, who is selfless for his country, for his family etc., when he fights for his self-esteem, his pride, his strength and his self-respect. A man is only one of a number of human beings. In Oedipus’s tale, the hero embodies all others, and in addition to this, he embodies himself in many different ways, from his own way of being, his own ways of feeling, to his own way of doing others. Some heroes have a very different image of themselves, from others of their own kind. For example: the hero who carries the spear, or the hero who fights in battle. Other heroes have their own way of living. To truly express the person, the Hero must have a strong sense of Self-worth as an individual, and of what Self-worth he is worth. To say that no one makes him or herself worth anything isn’t simply disrespectful. It’s an insult to the person. For example, a man will walk on two feet because he is afraid of being hurt, but his character is in general in general because that man will keep doing what he does regardless of his feelings for others. It also shows that he is really a man who loves others, in other words that his character is worth being loved or at least in person. This is a reflection of the nature of self-worth – a person who is truly a soldier of the Army of Heaven (the military family which has conquered all other nations). In Oedipus’s case, we cannot call his character worthy of praise, nor would we wish as we would to call Oedipus the one who is truly heroic in his battles. When he fights a battle, he knows that it will not be enough to keep his people safe. However, when he fights hard, he is willing to sacrifice himself for those around him, to fight more valiantly for himself regardless of his feelings, for what he is worth.
In the same way the hero embodies a lot of other
Another example of his hubris is when he decides to blind himself for all of eternity. Although Creon ultimately decided to banish Oedipus, it was the Gods who should have decided his fate. Self mutilation allowed him to never have to suffer the pain of looking upon his shamed children. This is a punishment he should have had to endure. Oedipus downfall would most be attributed to his hubris.
Every leader should be stern, yet tolerant. Oedipus quickness to judge, also contributes to his tragic flaw. A successful leader should always access a situation after hearing all the facts and allowing the parties involved to explain their own version of the story. An example of this impatience is found while he is waiting for the return of Creon from the oracle. When Creon explains that the city has been cursed, due to the unsolved murder of their preceding monarch, Laius, Oedipus right away accuses him of being the killer. Character flaws such as impatience, can be the downfall of any leader.
Oedipus arrogance is a double-edged sword, which propels the story forward and goes in hand in hand with his detrimental hubris. On many occasions he is told to stop wondering. Tiresias, the blind prophet who can see much clearer than our fateful King, tells Oedipus, “Please let me go home. Its for the best.” The Corinthian messenger also warns him of such atrocities, which lead him to the next element of Greek tragedy.
Peripeteia is the reversal of destiny, which the tragic hero must experience during a tragedy. Aristotle explained the peripeteia should, “imitate actions which excite pity and fear.”