Fate it is for Oedipus

A detailed Summary of Fate it is for Oedipus

In the play Oedipus Rex by Sophocles, Oedipus is a classic tragic hero. According to

Aristotle's definition, Oedipus is a tragic hero because he is a king whose life falls apart when he

finds out his life story. There are a number of characteristics described by Aristotle that identify

a tragic hero. For example, a tragic hero must cause his own downfall; his fate is not deserved,

and his punishment exceeds the crime; he also must be of noble stature and have greatness.

Oedipus is in love with his idealized self, but neither the grandiose nor the depressive

"Narcissus" can really love himself (Miller 67). All of the above characteristics make Oedipus a

tragic hero according to Aristotle's ideas about tragedy, and a narcissist.

Using Oedipus as an ideal model, Aristotle says that a tragic hero must be an important or

influential man who makes an error in judgment, and who must then suffer the consequences of

his actions. Those actions are seen when Oedipus forces Teiresias to reveal his destiny and his

father's name. When Teiresias tries to warn him by saying " I say that you and your most dearly

loved are wrapped together in a hideous sin, blind to the horror of it" (Sophocles 428). Oedipus

truth; but Oedipus is too proud to see any truths, and he refuses to believe that he could have

he relies on his status, he is blind, not physically, but emotionally. He is blind in his actions;

In the play Oedipus Rex, Sophocles portrays the main character, Oedipus, as a good-

Laius, the father of Oedipus, that the destiny of Oedipus is a terrible one beyond his control. But

The tragic hero must learn a lesson from his errors in judgment and become an example

Grandiosity can be seen when a person admires himself, his qualities, such as beauty, cleverness,

According to Miller, a person who is great, who is admired everywhere, and needs this

Approximate Word count = 915
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Science

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