Oedipus the King 2

A detailed Summary of Oedipus the King 2


Aristotle once said that a hero's downfall must be a result of some tragic flaw within the character. This flaw was known as hamartia in the Greek world of Aristotle. Since Aristotle greatly admired Oedipus the King, many people believe that Oedipus must have had a prominent and complex hamartia. Discovering Oedipus' hamartia within the play is not an easy task. In fact, it is impossible to point out Oedipus' hamartia since I do not believe that he has one. Everything that he says or does throughout the play is justifiable in one way or another. There is always some logical explanation behind his thoughts and actions and, thus, Oedipus does not have a tragic flaw in his character.

There are a number of different points that one can analyze and claim to be Oedipus'hamartia. For instance, some people may examine Oedipus' bad temper and label this as the flaw that leads to his downfall. Oedipus becomes enraged at Teiresias' claim that he is the one who mur


In conclusion, Oedipus the king of Thebes does not have a hamartia in the play. All of his emotions and actions throughout the play are completely justified and, thus, he doesn't possess a tragic flaw. Simply because a hero suffers a dreadful downfall, it does

not necessarily result from his own faults.

There are two other points that may be considered to be Oedipus' tragic flaw. One deals with his possible pride and arrogance. Some people think that he is overly proud about his success with the Sphinx. This cannot be true, however, because he includes himself in the curse he made and is more than anxious to find the truth. The other point is Oedipus' fatal curiosity which led to his inquiry into matters (Laius' death) that might have been best left unexplored. This can hardly be considered a flaw by either the Greeks of ancient times or by people today. The truth is out there and although it may be unpalatable or dangerous, it is better than ignorance.

dered Laius a

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 669
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English

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