by Graydyl

Created on: June 14, 2008

In Sophocles' Oedipus Rex, Oedipus, the king of Thebes, does the unthinkable by marrying his mother and killing his father, which was held in contempt in the Greek culture. However, in addition to doing these terrible tasks, Oedipus also performed many courageous feats as well. The term "tragic hero" is personified in King Oedipus when he demonstrated his despairing courage by bonding to his own promises, resigning the throne with dignity for the benefit of his people, and choosing to suffer during the rest of his life.

Since Oedipus had cursed the slayer of King Laius, he ended up calling these curses upon himself when he discovered that he himself was the culprit he was seeking. As a noble man of his word, Oedipus kept his promise by ordering Creon to banish him from the shocked city of Thebes. Oedipus said, "I must be exiled, and even in exile never see my parents, never set foot on native ground again" (621) Also, Oedipus said, "Quickly, for the love of god, hide me somewhere, kill me, hurl me into the sea where you can never look on me again."(637) Oedipus had been so ashamed of himself that he even overlooked his hubris.

A man of high principles and probing intelligence, Oedipus was devoted to his city. His reply, "But my spirit grieves for the city, for myself and all of youI've wept through the nights, you must know that, groping, laboring over man paths of thought" (601), to the priest at the beginning of the play shows that he is a conscientious and patriotic ruler who shows piety for his people. In fact, Oedipus was so loyal to Thebes that he even condemned himself to be driven from the city for the corruption he had displayed, all for the sake of the Thebans. Oedipus cried, "Take me away, far, far from Thebes, quickly, cast me away, my friendsthis great murderous ruin, this man cursed to heaven, the man the deathless gods hate most of all!" (635)Oedipus was so ashamed of himself that he even embarrassed himself in public.

Towards the end of the play, Oedipus gouged out both of his eyes with his wife and mother's brooches, crying, "You, you'll see no more the pain I suffered, all the pain I caused! Too long you looked on the ones you never should have seen, blind to the ones you longed to see, to know!" (633) Oedipus had to muster a lot of courage to do such a catastrophe to his own eyes. He felt that he did not deserve something as precious as sight, since he had done such vulgar deeds in the past.

The relation between Oedipus' character and his destiny reveal that although the existence of a fate is accepted, we, as the audience, cannot help but feel that he, the "tragic hero", suffers more than he deserves. Carrying out his promises, resigning from the throne for the Thebans' sake, and blinding himself can all describe Oedipus as a "tragic hero". In the end of the play, after Oedipus puts out his eyes, he seems to have started to gradually accept his unfortunate life. The last scene shows a man already beginning to recover from the shock of a disaster and reestablishing his natural supremacy.

The key element of the play that opposes the concept of Oedipus as a "tragic hero" is how Oedipus tried to flee from his destiny, although it was already prewritten by the gods. Instead of yielding to and confronting the oracle, Oedipus, upon hearing the terrible prophecy, runs away to escape the horrifying prediction.

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